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FORŢA CONEXIUNII
6.01 Baal HaSulam,
Letter No. 4
You lack nothing but to go out to a field that the Lord has blessed, and collect all those flaccid organs that have drooped from your soul, and join them into a single body.
In that complete body, the Creator will instill His Shechina incessantly, and the fountain of intelligence and high streams of light will be as a never ending fountain.
6.02 Baal HaSulam,
Letter No. 10
Do what you can and the salvation of the Lord is as the blink of an eye. The most important thing before you today is the unity of friends. Exert in that more and more, for it can recompense for all the faults.
6.03 Baal HaSulam,
Shamati, Article No. 99, “He Did Not Say Wicked or Righteous”
If one does not have any desire or craving for spirituality, if he is among people who have a desire and craving for spirituality, if he likes these people, he, too, will take their strength to prevail, and their desires and aspirations, although by his own quality, he does not have these desires and crav- ings and the power to overcome. But according to the grace and the importance he ascribes to these people, he will receive new powers.
6.04 Baal HaSulam,
“Matan Torah [The Giving of the Torah],” Item 15
If six hundred thousand men abandon their work for the satisfaction of their own needs and worry about nothing but standing guard so their friends will not lack a thing, and moreover, they will engage in this with great love, with their very heart and soul, in the full meaning of the Mitzva, “Love your friend as yourself,” it is then beyond doubt that no one in the nation will need to worry about his own well-being.
Because of this, one becomes completely free of securing his own survival and can easily observe the Mitzva, “Love your friend as yourself,” obeying all the conditions given in Items 3 and 4. After all, why would he worry about his own survival when six hundred thousand loyal lovers stand by, ready with great care to make sure he lacks nothing of his needs?
Therefore, once all the members of the nation agreed, they were immediately given the Torah, for now they were capable of observing it.
6.05 Baal HaSulam,
“The Arvut [Mutual Guarantee],” Item 23
It is written, “And Israel camped there before the mountain,” which our sages interpret as “as one man with one heart.”
This is because each and every person from the nation completely detached himself from self- love, and wanted only to benefit his friend […]. It turns out that all the individuals in the nation had come together and became one heart and one man, for only then were they qualified to receive the Torah.
6.06 Baal HaSulam,
Letter No. 13
You should know that there are many sparks of holiness in each one in the group. When you assem- ble all the sparks of holiness to one place, as brothers, with love and friendship, you will certainly have a very high level of holiness for a while, from the light of life.
6.07 Baal HaSulam,
Letter No. 47
I have established for you conducts by which you can still hang on and not turn back.
And the single most special one among them is the Dvekut of friends. I sincerely promise that this love is able. And I shall remind you of every good thing that you need. And if you nonetheless braced yourselves in that, you would certainly go from strength to strength on the rungs of holiness.
6.08 Baal HaSulam,
“A Speech for the Completion of The Zohar”
Our sages said, “Let all your actions be for the sake of the Creator,” that is, Dvekut with the Creator. Do not do anything that does not yield this goal of Dvekut. This means that all your actions will be to bestow and to benefit your fellow person. At that time, you will achieve equivalence of form with the Creator—as all His actions are to bestow and to benefit others, so you, all your actions will be only to bestow and to benefit others. This is the complete Dvekut.
6.09 Baal HaSulam,
“The Freedom”
The children of Israel were rewarded with complete Dvekut on that holy occasion, their vessels of reception were completely emptied of any worldly possession and they were adhered to Him in equivalence of form. This means that they had no desire for any self-possession, but only to the extent that they could bestow contentment, so their Maker would delight in them.
And since their will to receive had clothed in an image of that object, it had clothed in it and bonded with it into complete oneness. Therefore, they were certainly liberated from the angel of death.
6.10 Baal HaSulam,
Letter No. 13
Indeed, I feel all of you together, that today has been replaced for you with tomorrow, and instead of “now,” you say “later.” There is no cure for this but to exert to understand that mistake and dis- tortion—that one who is saved by the Creator is saved only if he needs salvation today. One who can wait for tomorrow will obtain his salvation after his years, God forbid.
This happened to you due to negligence in my request to exert in love of friends, as I have explained to you in every possible way that this cure is enough to recompense for all your faults.
6.11 Baal HaSulam,
Letter No. 47
Let me remind you the validity of love of friends in spite of everything at this time, for it is upon this that our right to exist depends, and upon this our near-to-come success is measured. Hence, turn away from all the imaginary engagements and set your hearts on thinking thoughts and devising proper tactics to truly connect your hearts as one, so the words “Love your friend as yourself” will literally come true in you, for a verse does not reach beyond the literal, and you will be cleaned by the thought of love that will cover all crimes. Test me in that, and begin to truly connect in love, and then you will see, “the palate will taste”.
6.12 Baal HaSulam,
“Not the Time for the Livestock to Be Gathered”
One must not exclude oneself from the public and ask for oneself, not even to bring contentment to one’s maker, but only for the entire public.
One who departs from the public to ask specifically for one’s own soul does not build. On the contrary, he inflicts ruin upon his soul, as it is written, “All who is proud,” etc., Woe unto him, for he inflicts ruin on his soul. Even during work, when one prays alone, against his will he departs from the public and ruins his soul. Thus, every one must gather with all of one’s strength into the whole of Israel with every plea to the Creator in the prayer and include himself in the only one, the root of all of Israel.
6.13 RABASH,
Article No. 14, “The Need for Love of Friends”
There is a special power in the adhesion of friends. Since views and thoughts pass from one to the other through the adhesion between them, each is mingled with the power of the other, and by that each person in the group has the power of the entire society. For this reason, although each person is an individual, he has the power of the entire group.
6.14 RABASH,
Article No. 1 (1984),”Purpose of Society – 2”
Without annulling self-love, it is impossible to achieve Dvekut [adhesion)] with the Creator, mean- ing equivalence of form.
And since it is against our nature, we need a society that will form a great force so we can work together on annulling the will to receive, called “evil,” as it hinders the achievement of the goal for which man was created.
For this reason, society must consist of individuals who unanimously agree that they must achieve it. Then, all the individuals become one great force that can fight against itself, since everyone is integrated in everyone else. Thus, each person is founded on a great desire to achieve the goal.
To be integrated in one another, each person should annul himself before the others. This is done by each seeing the friends’ merits and not their faults. But one who thinks that he is a little higher than his friends can no longer unite with them.
6.15 RABASH,
Letter No. 34
“And they shall all become one society.” In that state, it will be easier “To do Your will whole- heartedly.”
This is so because while there is not just one society, it is difficult to work wholeheartedly. Instead, part of the heart remains for its own benefit and not for the benefit of the Creator. It is said about it in Midrash Tanhuma, “‘You stand today,’ as the day at times shines and at times darkens, so it is with you. When it is dark for you, the light of the world will shine for you, as it is said, ‘And the Lord shall be unto you an everlasting light.’ When? When you are all one society, as it is written, ‘Alive every one of you this day.’
Usually, if someone takes a pile of branches, can he break them all at once? But if taken one at a time, even a baby can break them. Similarly, you find that Israel will not be redeemed until they are all one society, as it is said, ‘In those days and at that time, says the Lord, the children of Israel shall come, they and the sons of Judah together.’ Thus, when they are united, they receive the face of Divinity.”
I presented the words of the Midrash so that you don’t think that the issue of a group, which is love of friends, relates to Hassidism. Rather, it is the teaching of our sages, who saw how necessary was the uniting of hearts into a single group for the reception of the face of Divinity.
6.16 RABASH,
Article No. 17 (1986), “The Agenda of the Assembly – 2”
When one comes to the assembly of friends, he should always see whether or not the friends have the goal that he craves, that each of them has some grip on that goal. And he thinks that by every- one bonding together for one goal, each will have his own share, as well as the shares of the whole of society. It follows that each member of the society will have the same strength as the whole of society together.
6.17 RABASH, Article No. 9 (1984),
“One Should Always Sell the Beams of His House”
If a society is established with certain people, and when they gathered, there must have been someone who wished to establish specifically this “bunch.” Thus, he sorted out these people to see that they were suitable for each other. In other words, each of them had a spark of love of others, but the spark could not ignite the light of love to shine in each, so they agreed that by uniting, the sparks would become a big flame.
Hence, now, too, when he is spying on them, he should overcome and say, “As all of them were of one mind that they must walk on the path of love of others when the society was established, so it is now.” And when everyone judges his friends favorably, all the sparks will ignite once more and again there will be one big flame.
6.18 RABASH,
Article No. 13 (1985), “Mighty Rock of My Salvation”
The issue of love of friends is where each person in the group, besides having a desire of his own, acquires desire from the friends. This is a great asset that can be obtained only through love of friends. However, one should take great care not to be among friends who have no desire to examine themselves, the basis of their work—whether it is to bestow or to receive—and to see if they are doing things in order to reach the path of truth, which is the way of nothing but bestowal.
Only in such a group is it possible to instill the friends with a desire to bestow, meaning that each will absorb a lack from the friends, which he himself lacks the power to bestow, and wherever he walks, he is eagerly searching for a place where perhaps someone will be able to give him the power to bestow.
Hence, when he comes into a group where everyone is thirsty for the power to bestow, everyone receives this strength from everyone else. This is considered receiving strength from the outside in addition to the small power that he has within him.
6.19 RABASH,
Article No. 21 (1986), “Concerning Above Reason”
Can be obtained by adhesion of friends—new qualities by which they will be qualified to achieve Dvekut with the Creator. And all this can be said while he sees the merits of the friends. At that time, it is relevant to say that he should learn from their actions. But when he sees that he is better qualified than they are, there is nothing he can receive from the friends.
This is why they said that when the evil inclination comes and shows him the lowliness of the friends, he should go above reason. But certainly, it would be better and more successful if he could see within reason that the friends are at a higher degree than his own. With that we can understand the prayer that Rabbi Elimelech had written for us, “Let our hearts see the virtues of our friends, and not their faults.”
6.20 RABASH,
Article No. 3 (1984), “Love of Friends – 1”
“And a certain man found him, and behold, he was wandering in the field. And the man asked him, saying, ‘What are you seeking?’ And he said, ‘I seek my brothers. Tell me, I pray you, where they are feeding the flock?’” (Genesis, 37).
A man “wandering in the field” refers to a place from which the crop of the field to sustain the world should spring. And the works of the field are plowing, sowing, and reaping. It is said about that: “They that sow in tears shall reap in joy,” and this is called “a field which the Lord has blessed.”
Baal HaTurim explained that a person wandering in the field refers to one who strays from the path of reason, who does not know the real way, which leads to the place he should reach, as in “an ass wandering in the field.” And he comes to a state where he thinks that he will never achieve the goal he should achieve.
“And the man asked him, saying, ‘What are you seeking?’” meaning, “How can I help you?” “And he said: ‘I seek my brethren.’” By being together with my brothers, that is, by being in a group where there is love of friends, I will be able to mount the trail that leads to the house of God.
This trail is called “a path of bestowal,” and this way is against our nature. To be able to achieve it, there is no other way but love of friends, by which everyone can help his friend.
6.21 RABASH,
Letter No. 40
And when one begins to feel the love of his friend, joy and pleasure immediately begin to awaken in him, for the rule is that a novelty entertains. His friend’s love for him is a new thing for him because he always knew that he was the only one who cared for his own well-being. But the minute he discovers that his friend cares for him, it evokes within him immeasurable joy, and he can no longer care for himself, since man can toil only where he feels pleasure. And since he is beginning to feel pleasure in caring for his friend, he naturally cannot think of himself.
6.22 RABASH,
Letter No. 40
Each gift that he gives to his friend is like a bullet that makes a hollow in the stone. And although the first bullet only scratches the stone, when the second bullet hits the same place, it already makes a notch, and the third one makes a hole.
And through the bullets that he shoots repeatedly, the hole becomes a hollow in his friend’s heart of stone, where all the presents gather. And each gift becomes a spark of love until all the sparks of love accumulate in the hollow of the stony heart and become a flame.
The difference between a spark and a flame is that where there is love, there is open disclosure, meaning a disclosure to all the peoples that the fire of love is burning in him. And the fire of love burns all the transgressions one meets along the way.
6.23 RABASH,
Article No. 14 (1988), “The Need for Love of Friends”
When the friends unite into a single unit, they receive strength to appreciate the purpose of their work—to achieve Lishma [for Her sake].
6.24 RABASH,
Article No. 7 (1984), “According to What Is Explained Concerning ‘Love Your Friend as Yourself’”
The advice for one to be able to increase his strength in the rule, “Love your friend,” is by love of friends. If everyone is nullified before his friend and mingles with him, they become one mass where all the little parts that want the love of others unite in a collective force that consists of many parts. And when one has great strength, he can execute the love of others.
And then he can achieve the love of God.
6.25 RABASH,
Article No. 7 (1984), “According to What Is Explained Concerning ‘Love Your Friend as Yourself’”
By assembling a few people who agree that they have to achieve the love of others, when they annul themselves before one another, they are all intermingled. Thus, in each person there accumulates a great force, according to the size of the association. And then each can execute the love of others in actual fact.
6.26 RABASH,
Article No. 17 (1986), “The Agenda of the Assembly-2”
The whole basis upon which we can receive delight and pleasure, and which is permitted for us to enjoy—and is even mandatory—is to enjoy an act of bestowal. Thus, there is one point we should work on—appreciation of spirituality. This is expressed in paying attention to whom I turn, with whom I speak, whose commandments I am keeping, and whose laws I am learning, meaning in seeking advice concerning how to appreciate the Giver of the Torah.
And before one obtains some illumination from above by himself, he should seek out like- minded people who are also seeking to enhance the importance of any contact with the Creator in whatever way. And when many people support it, everyone can receive assistance from his friend.
We should know that “Two is the least plural.” This means that if two friends sit together and contemplate how to enhance the importance of the Creator, they already have the strength to receive enhancement of the greatness of the Creator in the form of awakening from below. And for this act, the awakening from above follows, and they begin to have some sensation of the greatness of the Creator.
According to what is written, “In the multitude of people is the King’s glory,” it follows that the greater the number of the collective, the more effective is the power of the collective. In other words, they produce a stronger atmosphere of greatness and importance of the Creator. At that time, each person’s body feels that he regards anything that he wishes to do for holiness—meaning to bestow upon the Creator—as a great fortune, that he has been privileged with being among people who have been rewarded with serving the King. At that time, every little thing he does fills him with joy and pleasure that now he has something with which to serve the King.
To the extent that the society regards the greatness of the Creator with their thoughts during the assembly, each according to his degree originates the importance of the Creator in him. Thus, he can walk all day in the world of gladness and joy.
6.27 RABASH, Article No. 30 (1988),
“What to Look for in the Assembly of Friends”
The friends should primarily speak together about the greatness of the Creator, because according to the greatness of the Creator that one assumes, to that extent he naturally annuls himself before the Creator. It is as we see in nature that the small one annuls before the great one, and this has nothing to do with spirituality. Rather, this conduct applies even among secular people.
In other words, the Creator made nature this way. Thus, the friends’ discussions of the greatness of the Creator awaken a desire and yearning to annul before the Creator because he begins to feel longing and desire to bond with the Creator. And we should also remember that to the extent that the friends can appreciate the importance and greatness of the Creator, we should still go above reason, meaning that the Creator is higher than any greatness of the Creator that one can imagine. We should say that we believe above reason that He leads the world in a benevolent guidance, and if one believes that the Creator wants only man’s best, it makes a person love the Creator until he is rewarded with “And you will love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul.” And this is what a person must receive from the friends.
6.28 RABASH,
Article No. 17 (1987), “The Meaning of the Strict Prohibition to Teach Idol Worshipers the Torah”
It is impossible to receive the influence of the society if he is not attached to the society, meaning if he does not appreciate them. To the extent that he does, he can receive from them the influence without any work, simply by adhering to the society.
6.29 RABASH,
Article No. 2 (1984), “Concerning Love of Friends”
One must disclose the love in his heart towards the friends, since by revealing it he evokes his friends’ hearts toward the friends so they, too, would feel that each of them is practicing love of friends. The benefit from that is that in this manner, one gains strength to practice love of friends more forcefully, since every person’s force of love is integrated in each other’s.
It turns out that where a person has one measure of strength to practice love of friends, if the group consists of ten members, then he is integrated with ten forces of the need, who understand that it is necessary to engage in love of friends.
6.30 RABASH, Article No. 8 (1985),
“Make for Yourself a Rav and Buy Yourself a Friend – 2”
Those people agreed to unite into a single group that engages in love of friends is that each of them feels that they have one desire that can unite all their views, so as to receive the strength of love of others. There is a famous maxim by our sages, “As their faces differ, their views differ.” Thus, those who agreed among them to unite into a group understood that there isn’t such a great distance between them in the sense that they recognize the necessity to work in love of others. Therefore, each of them will be able to make concessions in favor of the others, and they can unite around that.
6.31 RABASH,
Article No. 21 (1986), “Concerning Above Reason”
Only through bonding with the society and the envy that he feels toward the friends when he sees that they have better qualities than his own. It motivates him to acquire their good qualities, which he doesn’t have and of which he is jealous.
Thus, through the society, he gains new qualities that he adopts by seeing that they are at a higher degree than his, and he is envious of them. This is the reason why now he can be greater than when he didn’t have a society, since he acquires new powers through the society.
6.32 Zohar for All, Nasso,
“Why Have I Come and There Is No Man,” Items 105-106
It is written, “And let them make Me a Temple and I will dwell among them.” “Let them make Me a Temple” is any Temple, for any synagogue in the world is called “a Temple.” “And I will dwell among them” since the Shechina [Divinity] is the first to come to the synagogue.
Happy is the man who is among the first ten in the synagogue since they complete the congrega- tion, which is no less than ten, and they are the first to be sanctified in the Shechina. There must be ten in the synagogue at once, and not come bit by bit so as not to delay the wholeness of the organs. All ten are as organs of one body in which the Shechina is present.
6.33 Zohar for All, BeShalach [When Pharaoh Sent],
“And Elisha Passed Over to Shunem,” Item 11
“And she said, ‘I dwell among my own people.’” What is she saying? When the Din hangs in the world, one should not part from the collective by himself. He will not be mentioned above and he will not be known alone. This is so because when the Din hangs in the world, those who are known and are inscribed alone, though they are righteous, they are caught first. Hence, one must never retire from the people because the Creator’s mercies are always on the whole people together. This is why she said, “I dwell among my own people,” and I do not wish to part from them, as I have been doing thus far.
6.34 Zohar for All,
Truma [Donation], “Three Colors in a Flame,” Item 44
A herald comes out and says, “Happy are you, holy nation, for you do good, you cause the unifica- tion of Yesod (called ‘good’) before the Creator.” It is written, “And I have done what is good in Your eyes,” attaching redemption to prayer, for at that time, when reaching “Praises to God above,” that color, Netzah, rises to the top of the chamber, that righteous, Yesod de ZA, awakens to bond in the place that is needed in love, in fondness, in gladness, and in good will. And all the organs, all the Sefirot, willingly conjoin with one another, upper ones in lower ones.
Then all the candles, all the degrees illuminate and blaze, and they are all in a single bonding in this righteous who is called “good,” as it is written, “Say, ‘A righteous is good.’” This unites everyone in a single bonding, and then everything is in a whisper above and below, in kissing in good will, and the matter is in a bonding of the room, in an embrace.
6.35 Zohar for All,
VaYikra [The Lord Called], “Eat, Friends; Drink, Drink Abundantly, O Beloved” Item 37
“Eat, friends” is above, and “Drink, drink abundantly, O beloved” is below. Above is a high place, where they are in unity and in joy, where they never part from one another, meaning upper AVI.
They are the ones called “friends,” as it is written, “And a river comes out of Eden.” Eden is Aba and the river is Ima. They never part and they are always willing, united, and joyful. “Drink, drink abundantly, O beloved” means the beloved below, which are ZON, which bond for a time during the prayer, on Sabbaths and on good days, but not always, as do upper AVI.
6.36 Zohar for All, Pinhas,
“Let Us Make Man in Our Image, After Our Own Likeness,” It.497
After all the craftsmen completed their work, the Creator said to them: “I have one craft to make, in which we will all participate. Join together all of you to make in it each his share, and I will partake with you, to give it of My share.” It is written about it, “Let us make man in our image, after our own likeness.” Sages explained that there is no man but Israel, as it is written, “And you are My sheep, the sheep of My pasture, you are men.” “You are men,” and not the idol worshippers. This is why it is written, “Let Israel be glad with his Maker.”
6.37 Zohar for All, VaYetze [And Jacob Went Out],
“Remembering and Visiting,” Item 285
And she said, “I dwell among my own people.” In other words, she said, “I have no wish to be mentioned above, but to put my head among the masses and not leave the public. Similarly, man should be included in the public and not stand out as unique, so the slanderers will not look at him and mention his sins.
6.38 Zohar for All, VaYera [The Lord Appeared],
“And the Lord Rained on Sodom,” 278
When they all unite as one, by the power of the upper one, ZA, it is then called “And the Lord [HaVaYaH],” which means that all is included—ZA and Nukva and the seventy angels below her.
6.39 Zohar for All, Haazinu,
“An Apple and a Lily,” Item 9
“For I proclaim the name of the Lord.” The end of the verse ties the connection of faith in what is written. It is as it is written, “He is righteous and upright.” That is, He is everything. He is one, without separation. Should you say that all the names in the verse are many, he repeats and says, “He,” that they all rise, connect, and unite in the One. He is everything; He was, He is, He will be, and He is one. Therefore, the matters connect and the holy words of the name of the Creator unite.
6.40 Degel Machaneh Ephraim,
VaEtchanan
It is written, “The Lord is one and Israel are one”; hence, they are adhered to the Creator, since it befits the One to cling to the one. And when is this? It is when Israel are bundled and attached together in complete unity. At that time, they are regarded as one, and the Creator is upon them, for He is one.
But when their hearts divide and they are apart from one another, they cannot be adhered to the One and the Creator is not on them. Rather, another God is on them. This is implied in the verse, “And you who are adhered,” meaning when you are adhered and united with each other, “You are alive every one of you.” When they are in one unity. Then it befits the One to cling to the one, and the one Creator is upon them.
6.41 Likutei Halachot,
Hoshen Mishpat, Hilchot Arev
It is impossible to observe Torah and Mitzvot [commandments] except through Arvut [mutual respon- sibility], when each one becomes responsible for his friend, since the essence of observing the Torah, which is the desire, is through unity. Therefore, anyone who wants to take upon himself the burden of Torah and Mitzvot should be included in the whole of Israel with great unity. For this reason, at the time of the reception of the Torah, they certainly became responsible for one another, since as soon as they want to receive the Torah they must all be included as one, in order to be incorporated in the desire. At that time, each one is certainly responsible for his friend because all are important as one. Precisely by each being responsible for his friend, which is the quality of unity, precisely by this they can observe the Torah. Without it, it would be utterly impossible to observe the Torah, since the essence of love and unity is in the desire, when each one is pleased with his friend, there is no disparity of form between them, and they are all included in one desire. By this they are incorporated in the upper desire, which is the end goal of the unity.
6.42 Maor VaShemesh,
Devarim
It is known that the most important is the true connection among the friends. This causes all the salvations and the sweetening of the judgments. When you gather together in love, brotherhood, and friendship. By this, all the judgments are removed and sweetened with mercy, and through the connection, complete mercy and revealed kindness are revealed in the world.
6.43 Adir BaMarom 24
Rabbi Shimon Bar Yochai was revealing the secrets of the Torah, and the friends were listening to his voice and connected with him to be in this composition; each one answer his part.
6.44 Rabbi Moshe Chaim Ephraim of Sudilkov,
Degel Mahaneh Ephraim
It is good for the people of the children of Israel to always unite together in one bundle. Then, even those who are of lesser degree help their friends sanctify with more Kedusha [holiness] and attain more. The upper one needs the one below it, and the lower one needs the one above it. Likewise, you should always be bundled in one bundle, and then your roots will unite, as well. This is the meaning of “You will be unto Me a Segula [virtue/remedy],” meaning that you will be a Segula in the upper world, as well, when you are in one unity below.
6.45 Rabbi Kalonymus Kalman Halevi Epstein,
Maor VaShemesh
It is a great tenet, from among the tenets and the roots of the work, and an opening to repentance, to unite as one and connect in love of friends, to look at one’s friend—his virtues and his serving of the Creator, and not to look at his blemishes. By this, he yearns and longs to resemble him in the good deeds, and he will return to the Creator with all his heart.
6.46 Rabbi Nachman of Breslov,
Likutey Halachot
It is written, “The Sanhedrin was as a round semicircle so they would see each other,” for the love is mainly that they saw each other. They could not tolerate not seeing one another, for when they see each other, they receive from one another. This is the meaning of what our sages said, “Either company or death.”
6.47 Shem MiShmuel,
Yom Kippur Tav-Reish-Ayin-Gimel (September 1912)
Creating unity in the collective is only through pulverizing, when each one pulverizes himself and removes from himself the shell of crassness. Through the battering and pulverizing, the light of the soul shines, and there is really all of Israel; all is one.
6.48 Ohev Ysrael,
Likutei Masachtot
The Creator is destined to pardon the righteous, and He sits among them. Machol [pardon/dancing in a circle] is in a circle, meaning that everyone will stand in a circle and the Creator is as the middle point of the circle. And each one points with his finger, “This is our God,” meaning that each one will have great attainment equally from the upper Hesed [mercy].
6.49 Likutey Halachot [Assorted Rules],
“Blessings on Seeing and Personal Blessings,” Rule No. 4
The vitality is mainly through unity, by all the changes being included in the source of the unity. For this reason, “Love your friend as yourself” is the great rule of the Torah, to include in unity and peace. The vitality, sustenance, and correction of the whole of creation is mainly by people of differing views becoming included together in love, unity, and peace.
6.50 Raaiah Kook,
Orot [Lights]
In each one from Israel there lives a spark of holy light inherited from his forefathers, from the holi- ness of the Torah and the greatness of the faith. It follows that any division between a person from Israel and his neighbor, between one collective and another, it, too, builds worlds. Since everything is improvement and construction, there is no reason to speak bitterly, but to announce the greatness that both sides are doing, and that together, they are perfecting the everlasting structure and are correcting the world. Then, according to the expansion of knowledge, the love will grow according to the intensity of the hate, and the connection will grow according to the size of the separation.
6.51 Raaiah Kook,
Orot [Lights]
Through the separations, each individual good acquires its own color, and one color that is in the other does not press it to blur its shape. Through this, the assembly of Israel is enriched by proliferation of lights, and that proliferation itself will cause the greater and more internal peace.
6.52 Martin Buber,
“Education and World”
It is not neutrality for which we are demanded, but rather cohesion. We are demanded not to blur the boundaries between the fellowships, but rather recognize the common reality and sharing of the test of mutual responsibility. The separation of the hearts is an illness that afflicts the nations of our time, and one who comes to heal it through compulsory fusion is making a mistake. The unity in the organic structure is lacking. For the time being, there is no cure for this except for people from different circles of views who need each other with a pure heart to exert together to reveal the common basis.
6.53 Raaiah Kook,
Olat Raaiah, Part One
Unity that comes through seeking to benefit each individual for the purpose of each individual lov- ing himself is coincidental unity, whose origin is one’s love for oneself. It is unsustainable as it has no real center. Even when the unity appears to grow, it will end in a flame of hatred and civil war since each one will pull toward his own benefit. Conversely, unity that comes by recognizing the value of the higher purpose, which comes only by peace among people, its basis is love of everyone and it will last. And the more it continues, the more it will grow and strengthen.
6.54 Raaiah Kook,
Orot [Lights]
The love of Israel must be nourished. It is unlike the natural love in every nation, which is found in its members. The basis of every nation is natural and simple, a necessity of life and congregation, the satisfaction of natural and convenient desires through a group that has close ties to one another. That desire does not need to be awakened by means of education and learning.
However, connecting the assembly of Israel is built primarily on common spiritual aspirations, which themselves require much spiritual strengthening and reinforcement in the heart of every individual, and even more so in the life of the whole public.
6.55 Shem MiShmuel,
Portion Haazinu
The intention of creation was for all to be one bundle, to do the Creator’s will. But the matter was spoiled because of the sin of Adam HaRishon, until even the best in those generations could not unite together in order to serve the Creator. Rather, they were individuals, alone. The correction of this matter began in the generation of Babylon, when separation occurred in the human race, meaning the beginning of the correction of gathering and assembling people to serve the Creator, which started with Abraham and his descendants. Abraham would roam and call out the name of the Creator until a great community gathered unto him, who were called “the people of the house of Abraham.” Thus, the matter grew until it became the assembly of the congregation of Israel. In the future, the end of correction will be when all become one bundle to do the Creator’s will wholeheartedly.
6.56 Maor VaShemesh,
Ekev
The most important is for each and every one to annul himself completely and not think of himself as righteous or that he counts at all among the friends. He should only see that his actions do not blemish the society. Although it seems as though he is a great person, he should nonetheless look into his actions and think, “What make me great?” and annul himself completely. It is known that in every ten there is Shechina [Divinity], and this is a complete level. In a complete level, there are head, hands, legs, and heels. It follows that when every person regards himself as nothing in society, then he regards himself as a heel compared to the society, while they are the head, the body, and the higher organs. When each one thinks of himself in this way, they make the gates of abundance and every lushness in the world open up to them, and it is drawn the most through the person who is more regarded as “nothing” and as “a heel.”
6.57 Rabbi Shmuel Bornstein,
Shem MiShmuel
It is written, “Gather, be purified,” for the difference between the word “gathering” of people and the word “grouping,” is that the word “gathering” is more unification of the heart and soul than the word “grouping.” “Grouping” can also pertain only to the body, although the views are not united. But a gathering of people is also with one heart. It is a gathering from the outside in, where they unite the most.
Therefore, the word “gathering” applies mostly to the souls, since “soul” comes from the words “desire” and “yearning.” If each and every one yearns for his own benefit, although everyone wants the same thing, it is still not one view since each one wants for one’s own benefit.
However, if they are complete, and also many yearn to satisfy the Creator’s will, this is certainly called “complete unification,” and deserves the title “gathering.”
6.58 Likutey Halachot [Assorted Rules],
“Synagogue Rules,” Rule One
The ascent of the soul and its completeness is mainly when all the souls merge and become one, for then they rise to the Kedusha [holiness], since the Kedusha is one. Therefore, the prayer, which is regarded as the soul, depends primarily on the unity of souls. For this reason, prior to the prayer, he must take upon himself the to-do Mitzva [commandment] “Love your neighbor as yourself,” for it is impossible to say the words of the prayer unless through peace, when we unite with all the souls of Israel. For this reason, the prayer is mainly in public and not alone, so that one will not be separated and alone, as this is the opposite of Kedusha. Rather, we must only unite the holy congre- gation together and become one. This is a prayer in public, when the souls assemble and unite, and this is the completeness of the prayer.
6.59 Rabbi Menachem Mendel of Vitebsk,
Pri Haaretz, Item 30
One should always accustom oneself to install love of friends in one’s heart to the bottom of one’s heart, and to persist with this until his soul is adhered and they adhere to one another. When they are all as one man, the One Creator will dwell within them and will impart upon them salvations and comforts aplenty, and they will ascend in the soaring of body and soul.
6.60 Rabbi Nachman of Breslov,
Likutey Halachot
The work of the Creator is mainly in the desire. Each one, to the extent that he accustoms himself to strengthen his will and yearning and longing for the Creator, with a very strong desire, to that extent he is rewarded with nearing the Creator, His law, His commandments. Each one from Israel must rise in all the ascents from degree to degree, and it is all to the extent of the strengthening of the desire, for the heart of the purpose is to be willingly incorporated in the desire, for the beginning of nearing the Creator and the final purpose are all regarded as desire, and it is impossible to be incorporated in the desire unless through unity, and love, and peace, when all of Israel are included together in love and great unity.
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