A question I received: It seems to me that The Book of Zohar has much more of the left line than of the right line. Is this true?

My Answer: The Zohar, like the whole Torah, is the middle line, not the right or the left. The whole Torah is written from the middle line.
The authors of these books revealed their spiritual attainment by attaining the Upper Level, the Creator, and this occurs only in the middle line of the soul. Therefore, none of the Kabbalistic books are written in either the right or left lines. However, there may be an inclination toward one direction or another in the way that the material is expressed externally.

For example, the book Kohelet (Ecclesiastes) by King Solomon seems like an expression of the left line to us when it writes phrases like, “Vanity of vanities, all is vanity.” However, “vanity” (Hevel) actually refers to the Surrounding Light. Therefore, “vanity of vanities” means that everything is achieved in the Surrounding Light.

When read his way, one sees that this whole book is not filled with despair, as many think, but just the opposite. It speaks of the yearning for the Upper Light. For example, the above phrase by King Solomon in Ecclesiastes actually means, “All is my yearning for the Creator,” rather than how it is usually translated.

Everything depends on a proper understanding of the text, unification with the author, and with the protagonist – the Creator.

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The most important thing in studying Kabbalah is our feelings. It is impossible for us to reveal a spiritual impression within our external, earthly senses. It can only be felt within our internal vessels of the soul (Kelim).

Kabbalah books use the language of branches, where each word points to and is connected to its Upper, Spiritual Root. Each spiritual root has its corresponding branch in our world; however, the related word itself isn’t able to convey a feeling. This is because we actually need to be in the feeling itself.

A word represents a vessel with its fulfillment. This is the skeleton of the Kli, meaning a screen and the Reflected Light, and a state inside it which is the four-letter name of the Creator, HaVaYaH.

We build words and sentences from “pieces” called “Taamim” (tastes), “Nekudot” (the points under letters), “Tagin” (little crowns above letters), and “Otiot” (letters). This enables us to somehow describe spiritual states, connections, relationships, and the entire process of transitioning between states.

However, we cannot convey the states themselves because each of us has a unique vessel of comprehension. The only thing we can convey to one other is the external information about the preparation of the spiritual vessel and the level of connection between forces. Yet we are unable to convey actual feelings. Therefore, each of us must internally “visualize” (feel in his heart) the actions that are described by words.

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Kabbalistic books don’t contain even a single word that alludes to corporeal objects, places or even qualities that can be observed in this world. When we read phrases like “the Temple wall” or “man,” we must not imagine a wall in Jerusalem or a person in our world. Our world is an imagined reality, and Kabbalistic books do not say anything about the corporeal world.

The spiritual world has no names, and that is why it is described using the language of branches. For instance, the excerpt: “And his feet shall stand on the Mount of Olives” means that the World of Infinity will spread (be revealed) and touch our world in the entirety of our desire.

The notion of “our world” also alludes to what we do not presently feel. The world we perceive is not defined in spirituality whatsoever, which is why it is called imaginary (Olam HaMedumeh). “Our world” or “this world” that’s described in Kabbalistic books is the last degree of the spiritual worlds. It is only our point in the heart that can be called a “point of this world,” because it is the last point of descent from above downward. If we tend to its development, then through this point we’ll be able to “ascend” back from below upwards.

We will then have the ability to perceive the world through the point in the heart, rather than from our corporeal senses. We will understand that this corporeal (illusory) life has been given to us as a temporary existence in an imaginary world. However, none of the Kabbalistic books (including the Bible, the Tanach, and others) ever actually mention this world.

The Bible doesn’t even speak of morality, despite what many people may think. It doesn’t speak of what I am to do with my animal body, but only of the correction of my soul. For example, the laws of the ritual bath (Mikveh) allude to the correction of the “body” (desires) by the qualities of Bina (water).

The laws of Kashrut (preparing food) tell us how to prepare one’s “animal” desire so it will be fit for being consumed by the “human” inside of us, or in other words,  how to elevate one’s vegetative and animate desires to the “human” level inside of us.

Sacrifices in the Temple (Kurbanot) describe the process of drawing closer to the Creator (Kurban means “sacrifice,” and comes from the word Karov – “one who is near”) or how to utilize the desires of all levels to resemble the Upper Degree, and how to change one’s intention towards the Creator from “for one’s own sake” to “for the sake of bestowal.”

In our language, all of these writings appear to describe bread and meat burning atop an altar, or water and blood flowing from it, but in the language of branches, the subject is the correction of one’s intention. So don’t bother building any stone structures, but instead focus only on correcting your soul! Through these imaginary “corporeal” images, we must learn to see the spiritual forces behind them.

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A question I received: You said that Kabbalah books are similar to medical books. Any medical dictionary or instruction manual accompanying a medicine will list the cases when it is forbidden or even dangerous to take a medicine. Are there similar contraindications in Kabbalah books?

My Answer: Definitely! The “Introduction to Talmud Eser Sefirot” says that the Torah (as well as Kabbalah) can be an “elixir of life” or a “potion of death.” It’s a known fact that all medicines are poison, but not all poisons are medicine. All medicines were created on the basis of poison; otherwise they would not have a healing effect.

We can be healed or corrected only with the help of a poison, by turning poison into a medicine, or by taking special portions of poison to counter the evil that is inside us. This principle comes from the foundation of nature, following the rule: “The angel of death turns into the angel of life.” The same principle is used in medicine.

That is why a snake curled around a vessel with medicine is the symbol for healing used in medicine. This did not come from someone’s imagination, but from the foundation of all of nature.

Kabbalah says the same thing: You have to use the books as an instruction manual, a remedy that will work against your egoism, because the Light it contains will correct you and bring you back to the Source. If, however, you don’t accept the book as a means to counter your ego, in order to correct yourself, then the studies will blow up your pride, self-confidence, and your demand for a reward in this world and the world to come. Thus, your study will turn into a “potion of death.” You will become an even greater egoist and will demand a payment from the Creator.

Baal HaSulam writes in Items 69-71 of the “Introduction to the Book of Zohar” that the source of all the problems in the world lies in none other than people’s incorrect use of the Torah and Kabbalah.

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Kabbalah books are a lot like medical books. A doctor cannot give health to a sick patient; he can only give him advice about what actions the patient has to make in order to heal and become healthy.

This is exactly what Kabbalists do for us. It is not their intention to depict pictures of the spiritual world for us or to simply describe what is happening there. Their texts are written in order to help us become similar to the qualities of bestowal being described. Using their books, we start to identify ourselves with these actions, and are then able to “process” our qualities, desires and intentions in such a way that we will become similar to spirituality, the Creator.

A Kabbalah book is not written in order to be studied, or to give us knowledge and wisdom. If this is your approach, then you won’t see or attain anything spiritual. On the contrary, it will only lead you farther away from the result you desire to achieve, which is to change yourself and become a “citizen” of the Upper World.

When a sick patient reads a medical book, he isn’t looking for anything besides advice on how to be healed. That is the approach we should have when studying Kabbalah books. Otherwise we will be studying for the sake of knowledge, and the same books will become a “potion of death” instead of an “elixir of life.”

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We have to rise from the world we exist in up to the Upper World. This is the only purpose of our world. People who have revealed the path to the Upper World are called Kabbalists, starting from Adam HaRishon and on. They discovered that only the Upper Light can draw us into the spiritual world and help us achieve correction. Only the Upper Light is capable of correcting us and raising us along the spiritual degrees.

We can draw this Light by belonging to its system. Currently we do not belong to it because our nature is opposite to the Light. Our nature is reception, while the system is giving.

In order to draw the Light of correction, an “adapter” was created, or a buffer between the two systems. This buffer is Kabbalah books that connect us with the souls of the Kabbalists who wrote them. When we read these books with our “material” eyes, we unconsciously connect our souls (or the embryo of the soul that exists in us) to the soul of the author, and through his soul, we receive an illumination.

Some Kabbalists wrote books for each other, describing the Upper System in order to perfect their attainment and give joy to the Creator, or in order to prepare the Upper World to accept the souls that will later ascend to it. Other Kabbalists wrote for us, those who exist in this world, but they used four different languages.

Three of the languages – the Mikra, Halacha, and Hagaddah, do not allow us to adhere to the Upper Level. They can only be effectively used by people with a particularly refined soul. In addition, because we are living in a special time, we now need a different kind of language; the only language intended for our generation is that of Kabbalah. Only it can help us draw the Surrounding Light and ascend.

Moreover, out of all the Kabbalists who wrote in the language of Kabbalah, we single out the Ari and Baal HaSulam. Their language is most appropriate in order for us to find the connection with the Upper Level. The effect of their texts on us is the strongest, since the Surrounding Light that comes from their books is the most appropriate for our souls. So, of all the sacred books, the only ones that suit us are the books of Baal HaSulam, who adapted Kabbalah for our souls.

Besides this, there is The Book of Zohar, which is absolutely unique. It isn’t even a book, but a tool we can use together with the commentary of Baal HaSulam, who wrote it specifically for us. Besides these books, we cannot establish any contact with any of the other sacred books. Although they are sacred (meaning, they talk about the Upper World), they cannot help us correct our souls and realize the purpose of our existence.

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A question I received: For whom did the Kabbalists write their books?

My Answer: Baal HaSulam writes in the “Introduction to the Study of Ten Sefirot” (item 155) that Kabbalists obligated everybody to read these books, because when they are read, those who read them put themselves under the influence of their correcting force. This occurs even if the content and meaning of the books are not understood.

Therefore, Kabbalah books are meant for both those who want to embark on the path to reveal spirituality, and those who have already revealed the spiritual world. Those who want to advance use these books as a means of correction (Segula), and those who have already revealed the spiritual use them as a manual to guide them on their path.

The great majority of Kabbalists wrote their books not for beginners, but for those who’ve already attained spirituality. Only a few special souls (Baal HaSulam, Ramchal) exerted great efforts to write books that radiate a special Light specifically for those who aspire to attain spirituality.

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A question I received: Why is it so important to read Kabbalah books?

My Answer: Information comes in many forms. In our times, people are gradually shifting from reading to listening to audio files, and from listening to watching videos. But these are not the same thing.

Watching and listening to something happens on the animate level, but reading happens on the human level. This is completely different. Through reading a book, a person connects to a spiritual channel.

It’s great if you watch or listen to the lessons, but nothing can replace a book because it lets you find a more intimate contact, even if you don’t clearly feel it. In our times people may not be so used to reading books anymore, but this doesn’t change the fact that reading happens on the human level.

For example, when you read The Book of Zohar, you discover the importance of the letters, their forms and their order. And it doesn’t matter what language the book is written in. Kabbalists have given us a code in one language – Hebrew (or Aramaic) instead of other languages.

The shape of the letters reflects the model of the soul, like its imprint. The soul has several shapes, and this is how it is “imprinted” in a different form every time.

When we read the text, we go from one letter to another, and accordingly, our soul changes, taking on one form after another. This is why a book is connected to a person’s soul.

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A question I received: You said that when a person reads a text written by a great Kabbalist, he may suddenly see additional words appearing in the text, as if they are printed in the book. Does this effect also happen when the text is translated from Hebrew into other languages, such as English, Spanish and Russian?

My Answer: It makes no difference how the book was printed and what font or language it is using. As long as the original text was written by a person with spiritual attainment, then even when the book is translated into another language by a regular, professional translator, you will still see all of these phenomena. That’s because they depend on your aspiration to attain what is written there.

According to your current desire, you are seeing a book and certain words printed in it. If your desire changes, then instead of the book with printed words in it, you will see a source or system that brings you Light. You will see it as a spiritual fulfillment.
(From the second lesson at the North American Congress in Buffalo)

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A question I received: Why can’t everyone understand The Book of Zohar?

My Answer: First of all, your mind won’t help you reveal anything. If we read The Book of Zohar trying to understand it with our minds, then we will see nothing more than a system of Musar (ethics), repeated warnings, instructions and strange tales.

It is only by opening up a new sense inside you, called the point in the heart, that you will begin to see a whole world when reading that same story. The Book of Zohar will suddenly begin to reveal itself within you.

Remember, there’s nothing outside of you. We think that the spiritual world is somewhere out there, but actually it becomes revealed inside us. When a person begins to attain qualities and definitions inside him, he enters deep inside the text of this book. The book itself begins to clothe within him, and the person reveals everything he is reading inside of him.

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