the reason for creation was to benefit His creations. This means that the Creator wished to delight the creatures so they would feel happy in the world.

the disparity of form between the Creator and the creatures. The Creator is the giver and the creatures are the receivers. But there is a rule that the branches are similar to the root from which the branches were born.

And since there is no reception in our root, since the Creator is in no way deficient and needs nothing to satisfy His want, man feels unpleasantness when he needs to be a receiver. This is why every person is ashamed to eat the bread of shame.

the world had to be created. Olam (world) means He’elem (concealment), so that delight and pleasure must be concealed.

In other words, it is so that man would fear using his vessels of reception, called “self love.” This means that one should prevent oneself from receiving pleasures because one craves them, and should have the strength to prevail over the craving, the object of one’s desire.

Instead, one should receive pleasures that bring contentment to the Creator. This means that the creature will want to bestow upon the Creator and will have fear of the Creator, of receiving for oneself, since reception of pleasure—when one receives for one’s own benefit—removes him from cleaving to the Creator.

What we must do before we can bestow to Creator?

to establish a society where each of us follows the spirit of bestowing upon the Creator. So we must begin with bestowal upon man, which is called “love of others”.

revoking of one’s self. Thus, on the one hand, each person should feel lowly, and on the other hand, be proud that the Creator has given us the chance to be in a society where each of us has but a single goal: for Divinity to be among us.

Why do we need society?

Since man is created with a Kli called “self-love,” where one does not see that an act will yield self-benefit, one has no motivation to make even the slightest motion. And without annulling self-love, it is impossible to achieve Dvekut (adhesion) with the Creator, meaning 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.

Why individuals who come together unanimously must agree that they must achieve Dvekut with the Creator?

So that all the individuals can 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.

each person should annul himself before the others. Also, it is important to remain serious during the assembly so as not to lose the intention, as it is for this aim that they have gathered. And to walk humbly, which is a great thing, one should be accustomed to appear as though one is not serious. But in truth, a fire burns in their hearts.

How to annul oneself before the other?

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.

Hence, it is good that there will be equality among the friends who unite, so one can be annulled before the other.

How should one act when being not in the society?

it is best to show nothing of the intent in one’s heart and appear to be like everyone else. This is the meaning of “walk humbly with the Lord your God.” While there are higher interpretations of that, the simple explanation is also a great thing.

But when there is someone who is not from this society, no seriousness should be shown, but to equalize with the person who has just come in. In other words, avoid speaking of serious matters, but only of things that suit the one who has just entered, who is called “an uninvited guest.”

How to have strength to practice love of friends more forcefully?

It is known that being humble is a great thing. But we can also say the opposite—that 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.

What happens when each of the friends doesn´t show the society that he is practicing love of friends?

then one lacks the force of the group. 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.

This is so because it is very hard to judge one’s friend favorably. Each one thinks that he is righteous and that only he engages in love of friends. In that state, one has very little strength to practice love of others. Thus, this work, specifically, should be public and not concealed.

When the friends are practicing love of others in concealment these friends make him lose his strength of desire to walk the path of loving others. In that state, he learns from their actions and falls into the dominion of self-love.

We must remember that the society was established solely on the basis of achieving love of others, and that this would be the springboard for the love of God. Otherwise, the body tends to blur the goal, since the body always cares for its own benefit.

we must remember that the society was established on the basis of love of others, so each member would receive from the group the love of others and hatred of himself. And seeing that his friend is straining to annul his self and to love others would cause everyone to be integrated in their friends’ intentions.

How can we go against our nature and “bestow”?

To be able to achieve it, there is no other way but love of friends, by which everyone can help his friend.

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.