Rick Ross – the real cult leader

8 Comments

1. 

   Damla

   November 11, 2010 @ 10:27 am

   Here is my experience with Bnei Baruch..it is whatever it is but only thing I know that It is NOT harmless. this simply means that it will harm you more than you can ever imagine. You are never enough aware of what will happen to you if you ever join with their lessons. Simply because they dont tell you that..ever…not in the start not later.. You will be feeling from paranoid to schizoid and you will even have suicidal attempts. You will want to hurt yourself and will never feel like yourself again. Your bodily and mental health will be at least temporarliy lost..if only you are lucky.
   they will always have front players and speakers and wont let the suffering and screaming heard. They have a very controlled sharing boards, you will never have your voice heard to the new comers. You will totally be isolated and pushed around.
   What I will advise you is to go back to your houses and play with your own pets ann get along with what you have, have a friend or family to share with you and to converse, if you are feeling too stuck in where you are with life there is nothing like good old ways..read a book, go to a movie, see a doctor working in a professional hospital..or they will play with your sanity or physical health.it is never about choice once you are in there.Stay away if you dont want to get hurt.

2. 

   Katia

   December 20, 2010 @ 6:54 pm

   BNEI BARUCH IS DANGEROUS AND PEOPLE THAT ARE “BEHIND THE CURTAINS” WOULD DO ANYTHING TO ET YOU INVOLVED WITH IT. AND IF YOU HAVE FAMILY AND THEY FEEL THEY ARE NOT INTERESTED, THEY MIGHT CONVINCE YOU TO STAY AWAY FROM THEM.

   I’M TELLING YOU STAY AWAY FROM THESE PEOPLE, THEY WILL BRAINWASH YOU IN A WAY THAT EVERUTHING THAT DR. LAITMAN SAYS THEY WILL AGREE AND PUSH YOU TO DO IT.
   BNEI BARUCH IS A DANGEROUS CULT BECAUSE THEY DO NOT CHARGE YOU FOR COURSES SO YOU FEEL LIKE THEY ARE GOOD PEOPLE!!

3. 

   Marymag

   March 4, 2011 @ 2:43 pm

   BB does not teach Kabbalah worldwide but only to the Israel’s group. Where is the Rav if I need him?!
   It’s a scam! you become silly in this organization, and when the degree of idiocy is good: you have to pay the tithe!

4. 

   David Berman

   April 26, 2011 @ 11:52 pm

   Rick Ross Cult Expert is no such thing. He is a convicted felon who has been charged with kidnaping and has no advanced degrees beyond a high school diploma and no professional credentials.

   http://www.scribd.com/doc/53037268/State-of-Arizona-v-James-Arthur-Ray-Case-No-V1300CR201080049-Defendant-James-Arthur-Ray%E2%80%99s-Motion-in-Limine-No-9-To-Exclude-Testimony-of-Rick-Ross

   http://www.scribd.com/doc/53037279/State-of-Arizona-v-James-Arthur-Ray-Case-No-V1300CR201080049-Defendant-James-Arthur-Ray%E2%80%99s-Response-to-State%E2%80%99s-Motion-in-Limine-re-Witness-Rick-Ros

5. 

   rick Ross unqualified cult expert

   April 28, 2011 @ 9:10 pm

   Rick Ross is completely unqualified to be an expert witness on cults.

   Here is another place with court documents.

   http://apps.supremecourt.az.gov/docsYAV/Cases/State%20of%20Arizona%20vs%20James%20Arthur%20Ray/01-24-2011%20MOTION%20IN%20LIMINE-2.pdf

6. 

   mike

   November 20, 2011 @ 4:22 am

   I would like to add some more about “Bnei Baruch Kabbalah” –

   I was in Bnei Baruch for a little over 4 years, until I was excommunicated for, according to them, using marijuana (I do use it for medical purposes) and being hospitalized after a crisis I had. They circulated about 5 different horrible lies about me and told everyone in Bnei Baruch to stay away from me. They denied their “brotherly love” to me in the time I needed it most, and kicked me out even though their number one slogan is “love your neighbor as yourself.” I would like to note that I stopped paying their tithe of 10% of my salary, or “Maaser” as they call it (which they say is a spiritual action) shortly before they excommunicated me. Also a side note- in the “big” groups – Moscow, Brooklyn and Petach Tikva you are not even allowed to be a part of the group unless you pay “Maaser” or if you are a woman. This is hidden from the beginners. You are also not allowed to be a homosexual. Period. According to them, you have to ask “the Creator” or God to correct your homosexuality. This is deeply hidden from beginners; but I have heard these exact words from- Markos Zografos, Michael Laitman and Mutlu Meydan.
   Anyways, before I go any further I want everyone to know that and re-emphasize that I’ve been in Bnei Baruch for over 4 years, have been to 9 congresses, have attended a lot of their secret meetings and have been to the Groups in Petach Tikva, Israel – Jerusalem, Israel – Brooklyn, New York – and lastly, the group I started, the Washington, D.C. Bnei Baruch Group. Yes, regrettably I started a group in Washington, D.C. because I believed I would enter spirituality. I believed in their initial lies of doing well for humanity and uniting the whole world in brotherly love. I believed they were all about brotherly love and caring for each other.

   Now, I’m not sure exactly if they are a cult but it’s definitely a very, very dangerous and brain-washing group. They also very happily take your money. However, my entire family believes it’s a cult. I have told them a lot more of what happened than I will in this post, and they saw from a third party perspective. There is no doubt in my Family’s’ minds that this is a cult.

   Moving on, the reason I believe I got sucked into this group is because I have been diagnosed by my doctors as having Bi Polar II, Generalized Anxiety Disorder and Severe Depression. Their group seemed to be some sort of answer to why I was suffering, and they offered relief to this suffering. They offer entrance into the spiritual world and a connection with God, and they lure you in by offering most (not all as they claim) of their materials for free. They also offer “Brotherly Love” also known as “Mutual Guarantee” and “Arvut.” I gave and gave and gave and gave, and got nothing back. I’m ashamed and utterly embarrassed to even admit on here how much time, money, effort and mental strain I put into their organization.

   My main concerns about their groups are as follows-

   1) Contradictions
   Homosexuality- They teach it’s okay to beginners. To intermediates they teach that it’s a mental disease and you are not allowed to be part of physical groups and can only participate online or virtually. To the innermost and advanced students they teach that you have to be married to a woman. No Exceptions. If you are gay, you have to ask God or “the Creator” to correct your homosexuality and find a woman to marry or you will not be admitted into the “big” groups.
   Physical Actions don’t count- Nothing in this world is spiritual. However, giving Bnei Baruch Money is Spiritual!!!
   You don’t have to tithe if you don’t want to- In order to cross the “Machsom” and be a part of the “big” groups you absolutely have to pay tithing or “Maaser.” They even keep lists of people who do and people who do not.
   Verbiages- “Machsom” is nowhere to be found in any Jewish or Kabbalistic Text besides those edited or published by Bnei Baruch; any Rabbi from any synagogue will tell you this. “Arvut” (more like communism) has never been in any authentic text.
   Religion- They say you can belong to any religion and still study with Bnei Baruch; however, a lot of their teachings directly contradict every religion out their except for maybe Judaism. As you progress and become a part of their internal group(s) they progressively try to pull you away from all of your religious affiliations.
   The Zohar- When I first started with Bnei Baruch, the Zohar was forbidden to study unless you were in spirituality. Now it’s allowed, for everyone, but only their (Michael Laitman’s and Chaim Ratz’s) translation is correct!!!!
   2) Money
   I have asked on multiple occasions to receive the tax deductible forms they supposedly give for donations and never received them. I asked for how much money I donated in total and finally they gave it to me after 2 years of asking for it. I have asked them multiple times to provide information as to where the money went however, and I got no response. I contacted all of the leaders of their groups and have to this date received no response. After I was kicked out/excommunicated, my mother read an article about some other Kabbalah group in L.A. the FBI was investigating because the funds they received from celebrities were not going where they said they were going. I brought this up to Bnei Baruch and they never responded to this either.
   3) Their Leadership
   According to Bnei Baruch, there is no one leader. This is not the case at all. Michael Laitman commands every single thing to the last detail. Everything goes back to him. They have groups and commities, but they all in some way or another report to Avihu Sofer who is Michael Laitman’s right-hand (con)man. Michael Laitman gives all of the orders and everything circulates back to him.
   4) Michael Laitman
   Michael Laitman is the only person who openly and publicly admits he has crossed the so called “Machsom.” He is therefore closer to God than any person in the world and has a direct connection to God. He also speaks with “the Creator.” All of his commands come from God, therefore if you don’t do what he says, you are not obeying “the Creator.” He is treated as God-like in the Petach Tikva group in Israel. As a human being (which we all are) he is pompous, arrogant, demanding and most definitely in charge of the entire organization.

   5) Active Members of Bnei Baruch
   I have met almost every person who is in Bnei Baruch and would say I know about 70% of all their members personally in one way or another (I have been to 9 of their “congresses” or “conventions” as they call them). There are some sincerely nice people in the organization, but they have no leadership roles and they were sucked in as I was. They were also quite new and all of the most sincere and loving people I have met have since left Bnei Baruch. As a side note, I would say 50% of the people in Bnei Baruch have some sort of mental illness in one way or another and they look for their relief in this group. This is how they draw in crowds.

   Despite their claims of not having a leader, Michael Laitman is definitely the head-honcho and what he says goes. Period. No exceptions. If he told everyone to go out and kill everyone who doesn’t study Bnei Baruch Kabbalah I’m sure 60% of their world network would go out and do it. I have seen this first person and seen it in action. I have also heard how this operates- they have hidden lessons on Friday Nights (EDT/EST – East Coast Time; “Shabbat” in Israel) that you can access on a program called Team Talk with a username and password. This is where a lot of their hidden agenda is spewed and they hide all of these conversations from beginners. They also do not post these lessons on any of their sites. They claim this is because the Jewish people in Israel would be very angry with them if it wad found that they operate on Shabbat, but this is not the case. This is where they give their hidden lessons for people who were in as long as I was. If you go onto their forums and ask what the Shabbat lesson is or ask to access it you will get the response “What Shabbat lesson???” or “There is no Shabbat lesson by Bnei Baruch.”

   I know Mike Kellogg personally and he is a pompous, stuck-up person. He has also admitted and thinks he has passed the “Machsom.” The “Machsom” or “Barrier” in English is something not found in any Kabbalistic text (or Jewish according to my Rabbi at my local synagogue) besides those of Bnei Baruch. It is, according to them, the cut off point between our world and the spiritual world.

   Just as a reference for staying safe, here’s a list of very dangerous (sociopaths; all 4 types of passive-aggressiveness signs) and deluded/deranged people in Bnei Baruch who think they have crossed the “Machsom” and have admitted it (not to mention this makes them better than anyone else in the entire world)-

   Tony Kosinec (Toronto, Canada Group)

   Avihu Sofer (Petach Tikva, Israel “Headquarters”)

   Mike Kellogg (St. Louis, Missouri Group)

   Olga Levkovich (Was a Washington, D.C. Group Member; not sure what she’s doing now but I’ve heard through the grapevine she’s active in Bnei Baruch)

   and last but not least, the leader of it all – Michael Laitman (Petach Tikva, Israel “Headquarters”)

   6) Lack of Responsibility for anything bad or immoral according to this day and age’s modern somewhat civilized society
   Any wrongdoing on their part is responded to with the phrase “There is none Else besides Him.” God does everything and Bnei Baruch is not responsible. I’ll give a couple of examples- I was treated very badly by a group of individuals in Bnei Baruch and was harassed and my girlfriend at the time (who was also in Bnei Baruch; they tell you to date and marry only someone else in Bnei Baruch so you can advance in spirituality) cheated on me more than once with other members in their groups. She also stole some items from me and locked them in her room at one of the congresses. I, being in sound and right mind, called the police to retrieve my items since no one would assist and she would not comply to my requests. Everyone was furious with me and treated me like garbage. I was a piece of sh-t to everyone for the rest of that congress/convention. It was entirely my fault of all of this. I brought this to the attention of Bnei Baruch and their various groups in letters and their response was that God does everything. The Creator did it. “Rise above it.”
   They didn’t “rise above it” when I called the police to retrieve my items (maybe they don’t want authorities around so they will find out about their brain-washing and illegal activities?????)
   These people were not excommunicated as I was (they, however, follow all the rules and pay money and volunteer their time to the organization). I was excommunicated for my actions; no one said the Creator did it, no one “rose above it.” There are also a lot of existing members in Bnei Baruch who smoke marijuana for recreation purposes but either they pay “maaser” and can stay or they hide it very well.

   7) Relationships
   You are told to only date and marry within Bnei Baruch because this furthers your spiritual advancement.

   I’m getting tired of typing and don’t really want to think about this horrible group anymore, so I will end with this-
   All in all, they are a contradictory, double-standards group. I would stay away from them if you want to stay mentally healthy and not have all of your money and time wasted. Stay away, stay away, stay away!
   If you are a part of their organization I would say leave now while you can.
   If you are a part of t heir group and plan on not leaving, be very cautious! Call authorities if needed, keep a cell phone on you, and have a lawyer handy. If you have mental illness, get help from a psychologist and a psychiatrist! DO NOT BELIEVE THEY WILL HELP YOUR MENTAL ISSSUES. They teach Kabbalah will cure this, but it will only make things worse.

7. 

   mike

   November 20, 2011 @ 4:23 am

   I get many docs from the innergroup, as I’m in the inner group… Actually I’m leaving the BB Group.

   I believe that the study has great fonts, and is the most real thing that approaches kabbalah from orthodox jews to the BB texts. But, always a but, when you start you are not required to pay anything… so I believe that if we stay in a very low profile is good, and the study is good, just do not try to be an inner member otherwhise, they will tell you that the only way is paying 10% of your money, and works a lot to help them (for free!). I just in the beggining realise that, if I’m working a lot normally in the real world I will get paid… sooooo, if I refuse receive any payment is like a Maaser! but I do not think the BB will accept such thought.

   Here is something I have, think by yourself, and in the future I hope we dont create a wikileak of that:

   The Charter of Bnei Baruch Members
   “Laws are threads and ropes which help me get connected to the group.”
   “These rules are aimed at involving a person into the group and into the state of Arvut (Mutual Guarantee)”
   “These are the conditions on which basis you set frames for yourself, and if you don’t observe these conditions, you move away from them and fall out of the Kli.”

   2. Work

   A group member is obligated to be a working man, even if he is financially provided for.

   Contributions

   • Every student is obliged to pay his part of expenses for the premises, equipment, and public utilities.
   • Once a month every student has to allocate 10% of his income for the current month (after the deduction of all state taxes) for dissemination of the science of Kabbalah.
   • 20% of the Maaser (tithing) the group collected is to be sent to BB for issuing materials for dissemination (books, CDs, etc). (Actually I have a schedule that the group in the reality is paying only 10%, why this group do not pay correctly?????)

   Bnei Baruch is a non-profit organization for teaching and sharing the wisdom of Kabbalah. To maintain its independence and purity of intentions, Bnei Baruch is not supported, funded, or is otherwise tied to any government or political entity.
   Since the bulk of its activity is provided free of charge, the prime source of funding for the group’s activities is tithing, contributed by students on a voluntary basis. Additional sources of income are Dr. Laitman’s Kabbalah books that are sold at cost, and donations.

   Question: Is it possible to cross the Machsom without paying Maaser?
   My Answer: No.

   - Question about this: Before Latman said that we need only 4 years to cross the machsom (in 2003), after that, everybody (in the world) are needed to cross, and in some text, Gay people need to correct themselves before cross, and only men married can cross. So, in the end, nobody have change to cross the machsom if all requirement is not complete (homosexual be a man, and marry, everybody paying 10% to BB, everybody united in the same path, etc)? Ok, I’m not gay, I’m married, my wife is engaged in Kabbalah, and I study for 8 years. I need to wait every others correct themselves to cross-together machsom… looks convenient to guilty the Ego to tell me why I did not cross the machsom. How to believe in such Laitman’s Phrases if all the time is changing with the time. To adapt you could say. But, I do not see the point, when Laitman says that BB receive in the voluntary basis, and all groups Obliged every student to pay! If every student pays is a physical matters that is against again with the BB that states we do not perform any physical matters (candle, meditation, letters, red string, holy water, mitzvoth, Shabbat, etc…) but pay masser, marry, be obligated to dissiminate, etc are physical!!! How incongruent this looks like!
   - Also When someone is questioned, I know we are instructed to not answer immediately, to give a chance to that answer come by itself, but this is important to be answered, otherwise all materials including internal discussion in the inner group will be freely sent out to all students and media to think about what BB is doing… I believe and dedicated 8 years to do my maximum, my wife as well, but all physical groups acting as a mechanism to receive money, and money, and no group create harmonic place, all the times is discussions, all the time is about money, is about perform such things as put all efforts and your life to dissiminate and you will save your soul!!! This is Religious! Maaser is religious, do not accept gays in the inner group is religious and obviously Homophobic, and much much more!
   - I need correct answers, otherwise, let the students give us the correct answer. What about my 10% goes to an counter dissemination explains exactly happens in the inners group, and how things work to do a brain wash to gain your salvation. Why all those things is hidden and only after the student was engaged those things is showed? Tell me where this is different from all those things BB was against, I believe in a Future society where I can use my life time to help another, I believed in the past, when Laitman told us that we are going to live in a spiritual way, and I can understand cleared the necessity of give 10%, but why need to be money? I’ve worked for free to BB for 8 years, if I get paid for that, I’m sure that I give back 100% of the money for that “voluntary” work… So, I’m rejecting 100% of the money, to give BB my efforts to disseminate, to help, and using my money to buy papers, food, everything to keep running BB… I believe that many many people will do the same for free, better, instead to get paid to do it, refuses the money from BB, giving free work!!!! How you can explain me What Laitman said that is not possible without paying maser… why need to be money? Money money?

   Question: Do we correct ourselves during the initial period of study, when we do not contribute the Maaser?
   My Answer: Yes, but only at your first preparatory stage. Kabbalists never accepted students who refused to follow this condition. After all, no matter how much a person tries, Malchut, the tenth Sefira, becomes corrected only when a person gives away to others one tenth of what belongs to him.
   Question: Do new students who are in their first year of studies also need to give the Maaser? When should a person begin to pay the Maaser?
   My Answer: One should begin to pay the Maaser when he begins to understand that he desires spiritual development. A person will not advance without making efforts. Maaser is the tenth part of the desire, which can only be corrected this way, by being given away.

   - Again, I understand my desires for the spiritual, and I understand that I need to give and make efforts, but my efforts could be a maser, without paying CASH MONEY, as I did not receive any payment from BB to be in the inner group, to disseminate, and so on…

   And finally I saw many groups, that do not pay attention to the other who not pay MAASER!
   Folow some discutions in the inner group:

   Hi friends, I was told that certain people who neither are members of BBA nor involved in common dissemination work and not paying Maaser, wrecked our planned Sunday Meetup schedule and on half way through the meetup initiated debates related with group’s business and open critics of certain group members. I think this is totally unacceptable(!). All issues must be discussed on common inner group meeting and only between members of BBA. Regardless of whether their critics and arguments were justifiable or not they shouldn’t be creating such a clutter in the middle of the meetup. I think this is a serious blunder of ours, and it shouldn’t happen again! Although it is entirely our organisational fault I think those people should very gently be told of their place. No regards our group situation I suggest to meet ASAP and discuss the situation we are in. I see that there is no trust, no understanding, no integrity, brakeage of communication, and finally no UNITY between us. We, firstly, as Bnei Baruch group secondly, as dissemination factory, as well as legal entity cannot carry on like that, and should sort the situation out now as a matter of urgency. I see the 3 wayouts of the situation: 1. We forget the past, rise above all grievance and begin a constructive dialogue. Get back to the level of communication we had several months ago when we had weekly meetings, with minutes etc. Back to working together basically.. 2. We go under the management of BB. Don’t quite know how it going to work yet, but I have a feeling that the reason why creator is sending us all the obstacles is to show that the way we have chosen to move forward is not quite right, and we should be managed by BB. 3. Shut up shop and go home I suggest to meet this Sunday at 11:30 to discuss everything. Some may say” that we tried many times..”. and “there is no point to discuss..”. they” won’t listen…” and etc. But we need to do it otherwise there is no other way as split apart(!). Let’s give it another go, m? Any comments, suggestions, are welcome

   Someone in the group answered:

   We also have to put spirituality above everything. There is none else beside him. Therefore the disruption was caused by ourselves. Irrespective if it is members or not we are providing a service. Furthermore I am not in the army and any aggressive approach is not acceptable therefore. As a I am the only person out of this email group who has been brought in Britain I understand the environment, culture, people by going to school, attending the girlfuides, social clubs, working visiting most countries around the world has given me an understanding of cultures, religions etc and in Britain this means opening the doors to all nations. Like the rav when he hosts the Zohar convention if some annoys him he does not close the congress and tells them it is over and blames other people for disruptions. Currently the position is there are almost 10 people who are students of beni Baruch who wish to complain about conduct of certain Bba uk full members and I am in aggreement with them. I do not accept bullies from our organisation who are in the inner group. The clutter was the one who stopped us listening to lessons and that person needs to be told gently of their place as a full member. I personnally will not stop my spiritual work with Kabbalah and if the choice to shut up shop, I am prepared to open another shop for the creator is good and will supply me with the right people and environment. If we are experiencing the current situation then this tells me. Bb management are going through the same situation that’s why no one knows what they are doing. We have to learn from the past I understand then when you started bbuk in Hendon this was the same situation. A way forward is to treat people with human dignity. And work towards unity. Evey week I meet 500 hundred people and I have to me polite to them even when they shout abuse this I have learnt this is caused by pain of their teeth so they act that way however when the pain is gone they are so nice. People are in pain and are looking for spirituality. This means a relief from pain thereforw Kabbalah environment should be where children can come. As in my past as a martial arts instructor and had a classs with 30 children. Their parents entrusted me as they felt the environment to be safe to learn. At present we do not have that. If we are prepared to discuss in a dignified way they the meeting on Sunday is good. As I have been a board member for several orgainsations from school governing boards to business entities I have a good understanding of codes of conduct. Furthermore due to s’s efforts in starting the meetup forum is why we are able to meet people and thank him for that. Currently, we should from those who have been brought up in the Jewish culture/faith and if we find that the people we have to have a quite word who are not members you will find that they are Jewish so be careful at who you attack!!!

   (note the person who write this last letter, is not attending the group anymore, and after that many discutions ahead in the physical meeting created a problem for everybody, specially when many states that if some one are not paying MAASER can not discuss anything… wow, how spiritual level those guys are!!!)

8. 

   mike

   November 20, 2011 @ 4:24 am

   Member Statute of Bnei Baruch
   “Laws are threads and ropes which help me get connected to the group.”
   “These rules are aimed at involving a person into the group and into the state of Arvut (Mutual Guarantee).”
   “These are the conditions on which basis you set frames for yourself, and if you don’t observe these conditions, you move away from them and fall out of the Kli.”
   1. Selected extracts from Rav’s words
   • The opinion of the group is above everything.
   • After the group has made a decision, it’s preferable to err together with it than to be right alone.
   Member Statute – Bnei Baruch 1
   • It’s necessary to treat the personality of each friend carefully, so that he won’t loose his individuality.
   • The purpose of the group’s existence is to enable me to invest into it in order to achieve bestowal towards the Creator.
   • If a friend has a distinct opinion and doesn’t express it, then this is considered to be a robbery.
   • The morning lesson is a place for work. • The best means to impress our friends is
   through one’s personal example. • It’s forbidden to talk with friends about personal sensations connected with inner states. This measure is aimed at preventing bad influence upon them, even
   if this is done unconsciously.
   • To choose a better environment every time means to see friends in the more corrected state in comparison to the state with which my desire to receive shows me.
   • Only the actions aimed at unity between us will lead us to the goal of creation.
   • There isn’t a more praiseworthy action than leading a friend out of the state of a fall.
   Member Statute – Bnei Baruch 2
   • Thoughts are to be directed in the following way: how to give the power to achieve spirituality to all the others.
   • We have to take care not of the quantity of the desire, but of the quality of the intention.
   • It is prohibited to discuss the spiritual states of a friend. Only his exterior actions should be discussed.
   • The group has to establish its own values and to demand that they will be observed.
   • It’s necessary to show to a friend that good attitudes and care about him are consequences of the greatness of the goal.
   • You have to be responsible for every word you say in the group and to remember that by our thoughts and actions we act upon the group.
   • It’s necessary to keep up the spirits of the friends, even artificially.
   2. Relations between friends in the group
   2.1. Each of us should treat the study and common work as an opportunity to build the collective Kli, not as a means of increasing our information and knowledge.
   Member Statute – Bnei Baruch 3
   2.2. Every absence from lessons, gatherings of friends, mutual work or group action, etc., is considered to be a detachment from the group and damages the creation of the collective Kli. In case of illness, vacation or obligated, necessary/desperate situations, a group member must inform the person in charge of attendance that they will be absent.
   2.3. Everyone has to care about his friends in a friendly and amicable way, with love and devotion.
   2.4. Every group member has to try to help his friend to overcome bad moods.
   2.5. A person who is in the state of a descent entrusts himself to his friends, and only then are they able to help him. This is the way his attitude should be.
   2.6. The group members have to take care of all aspects of life of every friend (economic, internal, etc). For this reason, if one of the friends gets into trouble or into a needy circumstance, and this may put at risk his spiritual path, then the other friend has to inform the person responsible about such problems (internal and economic problems, problems with health, etc) on behalf of the group.
   Member Statute – Bnei Baruch 4
   2.7. A group member has to ask his friends to help him in difficult situations, when he can loose the sensation of the importance of the goal. The group members have a right to use various means in order to lead a person to group events (lessons, gatherings of friends, etc). A group member asks his friends in advance to disregard his claims, which he might make in such a state, and not to think of how logical or persuasive they are.
   2.8. It’s forbidden to keep inside oneself any resistance towards what happens in the group. On the contrary, a person should bring this to discussion to the social commission of the group. Otherwise, this will do harm to the whole group.
   2.9. All group members must carry out some duty in the group. If a group member was left without any duty, then he has to find a new duty for himself immediately. If a friend has taken upon himself the fulfillment of some duty, and, according to the group’s opinion, doesn’t do this properly, then the person responsible for this sphere has to give the responsibility to another person.
   2.10. Every group member has to arrange for himself frames of activity in the group and in dissemination of the science of Kabbalah so that they
   Member Statute – Bnei Baruch 5
   will place pressure on him all the time and, especially during falls, will enable him to carry out simple mechanical actions.
   2.11. Every group member is obliged to protect the group and themselves from other “spiritual” movements. If someone from the group members deviates from the path of the group, then he’s obliged to inform his friends about this immediately, and they have to help him to return to the better.
   3. Working
   A group member has to work, even if he is a well-to-do person. If a friend is dismissed from his work, then all the group members undertake to help him in job searching: firstly, because he violates the conditions set by Baal HaSulam and Rav Baruch; secondly, they do this proceeding from consideration of the necessary minimum of subsistence. A group member undertakes to do his best to find a job. If he doesn’t manage to find a suitable (proper) job, then he accepts the job, which is similar to what he was searching for. Friends are obliged to treat job searching for their friend as if it were they who were searching for a job and help them with their actions;
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   morally, physically and spiritually to carry out the above-mentioned duty regarding his spiritual path.
   When a group member doesn’t work, it’s desirable that he come to work at the Centre, however, he shouldn’t do this instead of searching for a job.
   4. Rules of behavior in the BB centre
   4.1. Lesson
   4.1.1. A person has to have his own book available.
   4.1.2. Each personmustobserve silenceandnot hinder others before and during the study.
   4.1.3. It’s necessary to prepare all the books one needs before the lesson starts.
   4.1.4. During the lesson every student has to keep the book open in the place where Rav or a reader reads.
   4.1.5. Absence from the lesson:
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   a) To carry out work on dissemination during the lesson one has to get permission from the group or from the head of the department.
   b) A friend can miss the lesson because of serious illness of one of the members of his family, which demands this, and because of childcare.
   c) It’s allowed to miss the lesson because of one’s own illness only by consent of the head of the health department.
   4.2. Behavior in the group (in the Centre and not during the lesson)
   4.2.1. It’s forbidden to bring to the Bnei Baruch Centre any outside literature, except the cases when it’s necessary for the purposes of dissemination.
   4.2.2. It’s categorically prohibited to loiter about in the Centre (without any task or group action).
   4.2.3. It’s necessary to follow the directions of those responsible, who have been chosen by the group.
   4.2.4. Every Bnei Baruch member has to participate in duties.
   Member Statute – Bnei Baruch 8
   4.2.5. Every Bnei Baruch member has to take upon himself a certain duty.
   4.2.6. A friend, who is leaving for vacation, has to inform the head of the attendance department and the head of the department he works in.
   4.2.7. A Bnei Baruch member is forbidden to engage in financial transactions with other group members, i.e.:
   • It’s forbidden to employ a friend for salary or in any other way for carrying out any work;
   • Relations like “seller-buyer” are forbidden; • It’s forbidden to lend or to borrow a large
   sum of money; • It’s forbidden to “cash on a friend:” to bring
   him in contact with various insurance companies to receive a commission, or with various distributors of products like Herbalife, cosmetics, and load stones, etc.
   **** Exceptional cases are permitted only by the group commission.
   5. The group decision
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   Decisions made by the group or by the board of directors of the enterprise are to be accepted by a group member as law.
   6. Using BB materials
   6.1. It’s forbidden to utilize unedited materials.
   6.2. It’s forbidden to utilize any kind of media which hasn’t been edited, checked and approved (video and audio materials, texts, etc.) for copying outside.
   7. Using the “Bnei Baruch” name outside of the group
   The utilization of the name “Bnei Baruch” and its advertising by the unauthorized entities is categorically prohibited. For example: in clubs, various societies, centers and in the press for the purposes of promotion, or dissemination or for any other reason. Each action of this kind is permitted only if it has been agreed upon by the BB board of directors.
   8. Observation and introduction of changes into the statute
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   8.1. This statute is obligatory for all the group members.
   8.2. Every group member, who has signed this statute, can make suggestions about introducing changes into it.
   8.3. This statute can be changed by the agreement of the majority of the group members.
   9. Contributions
   1.Every student is obliged to pay his part of expenses for the premises, equipment, and public utilities.
   2. Once a month every student has to allocate 10% of his income for the current month (after all the state taxes) for dissemination of the science of Kabbalah.
   3. 10% of Maaser (tithing) the group collected is to be sent to BB for issuing materials for dissemination (books, disks, etc).
   10. Who is considered to be a group member
   A group member is any one who is ready to subject himself to it, to step over himself in order to
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   receive from the group assistance in achieving the Creator.
   One who enters the group has to take upon himself responsibility for the spiritual advancement of the whole group.
   One who forgets about his friend even for a moment halts the advancement of the entire group.
   A friend joins the group if he’s ready to take upon himself such a measure of responsibility.

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