Dear Friends, please ask questions about these passages from the great Kabbalists. The commentaries in brackets are mine.

Following the Paths of Kabbalists

The most successful way for one who wishes to learn the wisdom is to search for a genuine Kabbalist and follow all his instructions, until one is rewarded with understanding [in his corrected desires] the wisdom [of the Creator’s revelation] in one’s own mind, meaning the first discernment [from the Creator himself]. Afterwards, one will be rewarded with its conveyance mouth to mouth [in a mutual screen, attainment, adhesion], which is the second discernment, and after that, [internally] understand in writing, which is the third discernment. Then, one will have inherited all the wisdom and its instruments from his teacher with ease, and will be left with all one’s time to develop and expand [his revelations of the Creator].
– Baal HaSulam, “The Teaching of Kabbalah and its Essence”

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Excerpts from my upcoming book, A Guide to The Book of Zohar

Baal HaSulam, “Introduction to The Book of Zohar,” Item 58: And I have named that commentary The Sulam (Ladder) to show that the purpose of my commentary is as the role of any ladder: If you have an attic filled abundantly, then all you need is a ladder to reach it. And then, all the bounty in the world will be in your hands.

There is no use to open The Book of Zohar without The Sulam commentary. There are quite a few commentaries written on The Book of Zohar, but The Sulam is the only one that raises us to the level of the Creator’s perfection. It is so because Baal HaSulam ascended all 125 degrees that the authors of The Zohar “stood on” at the time when they wrote it, and disclosed The Zohar for us from their height.

The Sulam commentary adapts The Zohar to modern-day souls that emerge nowadays in this world. The Light of The Book of Zohar corrects our souls and enables them “to face” The Zohar (the Upper Radiance or the Upper Light) in a way that it can return us back to the unity through which the Creator will reveal Himself to us.

The Sulam helps us to position ourselves in the middle line so that we correspond to the form through which the Upper Light descends onto us (a combination of measures of mercy and judgment) and thus can receive it. The middle line is a formula by which we have to correctly combine two forces that exist in nature: the force of the Creator (bestowal, abundance, and Light) and the force of the creature (the desire to receive pleasure). Our entire work consists of building the middle line and is the only freedom of choice that we have.

The Sulam commentary allows us to build the middle line, and hence, ever after it was written, there exists no other way to realize The Book of Zohar but in accordance with it. Truly, Baal HaSulam directs our vision, approach, and sensations in a way that all that is written in The Book of Zohar penetrates in us through the “middle line” (middle ground).

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What makes our spiritual stimulator so special is its ability to completely abstract a person from his body (egoism) and all aspects of the material world. The system takes charge of practically everything that in everyday communication acts as an obstruction and prevents us from getting close to others.

It represents some abstract essence, which is not present in any of us, yet at the same time we all try to have it come into existence outside of ourselves, as our common whole. And since this essence is very weak, it is impossible to feel it in ordinary life as we communicate with other people because it is overlapped by our animate egoism, which is much stronger.

However, if we take care of it like it’s a “Tamagotchi” (a virtual electronic pet), if we consider it our common “baby,” then it will grow. At first glance, it is a completely irrational action that contradicts all the logical notions of the person who enters this virtual reality. But as a consequence of our common actions, we, on one hand, create an abstract commonality, and on the other, it influences us intensely and very vividly.

In other words, the force that is behind all our efforts to unite gets accumulated. This force is impossible to recognize, but it will manifest as a reaction to all our efforts. A participant in mutual efforts will individually feel its revelation. An outsider will just shrug in confusion.

It is impossible to explain its revelation to a person logically. However, we can invite everyone to participate and feel it. This is in fact the beginning of the Creator’s revelation.

This is why from the beginning and to this very day, it is so difficult for me to convince people to enter the “stimulator” for the first time and begin to participate in this process. A student needs to go by “faith above reason” in this regard and begin to work regardless of his conviction, doubt, and natural sense of reason.

But even for someone who is not a beginner, obstacles will arise again and again, despite the initial rejection of one’s egoism when he works on unification.

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Rabash, Shlavei HaSulam, “The Purpose of the Association-1”
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The Book of Zohar – Selections, Chapter “VaYechi (And Jacob Lived in the Land of Egypt,” Item 91
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Rav Yehuda Ashlag, Talmud Eser Sefirot, Vol. 1, Part 4, Item 58
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Rav Yehuda Ashlag, “Introduction to the Book, Panim Meirot uMasbirot,” Item 18, Lesson 17
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