The Creator’s connection with creation is like playing tennis against the wall. The Upper Governance is unchanging: The Creator is Good and Does Good, and He treats all of us this way all of the time. The changes take place only in us, even though we think that they take place outside us. It says in the “Preface to the Book of Zohar,” item 34:

“We see a great world before us, and all its wondrous filling. But in fact, we do not see all that except in our own interior. In other words, there is a sort of a photographic machine in our hindbrain that portrays everything that appears to us, and nothing outside of us.

In our brain, there is a kind of polished mirror that inverts everything that is seen there, so that we see it outside our brain, in front of our face. Despite the fact that what we see outside us is not a real thing, we should still thank His providence for having made that polished mirror in our brain, enabling us to see and perceive everything outside us. This is because by that, He had given us the power to perceive everything with clear perception and knowledge, and measure everything from within and from without. Without it, we would lose most of our perception.

The same holds true with the Godly will for Godly perceptions. Even though the changes are all made in the interior of the souls, they nevertheless see it all in the Giver Himself, because only in this manner are they awarded all the perceptions and the pleasantness in the thought of creation. Even though we actually see every thing before our face, still, everyone reasonable knows with certainty that all that we see is only inside our own brain.

The same holds true for the souls. Though they see all the changes in the Giver, they still have no doubt that all these are only in their own interior, and not at all in the Giver.”

So essentially, you are playing with yourself and receiving feedback depending on your own obstacles and confusion. All of this is you.

All the changes happen inside man, who stands opposite absolute love and bestowal. He always sees, analyzes and feels only himself. Everything we feel is a realization of Reshimot in the Upper Light. All of man’s reality is essentially a tennis game against the wall. And we are always playing against this wall.

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A question I received: The central, practical question of life that interests every person in the world is: How do you actually improve the quality of life and the productivity of what you actually do in life? But instead of giving a complex, effective and practical answer, all the world’s sages offer only a simple and indirect answer that says more or less the same thing: “Real life is trivial compared to endless study of some theoretical wisdom.” This definitely doesn’t give us anything good here on earth, nor does it really improve the quality of life for any lasting period, and moreover, it sets people against one another, making some people wealthier at the expense of others, and so on.

As a result, people are repulsed by any kind of wisdom. Today there are no exemplary sages, but there many “anti-sages.” Why doesn’t an abundance of “books of wisdom” bring about practical progress and an improvement in the quality of life and its productivity? Why don’t good words go hand in hand with good actions?

My Answer: It’s because we are still unable to distinguish between truth and falsehood, and hence, the liars around us subconsciously “work for us” in order to make us smarter and expose them. We will then discover the true purpose of existence and the one method to attain it. Kabbalah is no theory. Read about how it’s attained (from the “Introduction to Talmud Eser Sefirot,” item 155):

“Why then, did the Kabbalists obligate each person to study the wisdom of Kabbalah? Indeed there is a great thing in it, worthy of being publicized: There is a wonderful, invaluable remedy to those who engage in the wisdom of Kabbalah. Although they do not understand what they are learning, through the yearning and the great desire to understand what they are learning, they awaken upon themselves the Lights that surround their souls.” And to the degree one is influenced by the Light, one starts feeling the Upper World – here and now.

In other words, you are being offered practical means to clearly discover the Upper World, instead of something abstract. In addition to your five senses, you develop a sense called “the soul,” which perceives the Upper World. In this sense, you perceive the part of you that’s eternal, instead of your temporary body. This is what distinguishes Kabbalah (authentic Kabbalah, not the commercial one) from all other methods, theories, and philosophies. This wisdom is strictly practical, just like its purpose: “Reveal your world in this life!” (Olamcha Tire Be Chayecha).

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A question I received: It’s a known fact that Rabash never spoke about unification and unity, but only used terms like “above reason,” “Creator,” and so on. So how did you come to understand the meaning behind his words? Did he relate it to you in private conversations? If yes, then what were the other students doing there? Why do people have to spend years studying terminology that doesn’t appear in their lives?

My Answer: Beginning with Kabbalah’s revelation 5768 years ago, the only principle of correction is the unification of all our broken, separated souls (parts of one soul) into one soul (the only creation that was created), just as they were united before the breaking. Correction lies in unity.

The same condition of “mutual guarantee” (Arvut) was given to the people at the time of the reception of the Torah (the method of unification), at the time of the Creator’s revelation. He becomes revealed inside this union, to the extent of it.

Were you sitting with Rabash instead of us? Have you read Baal HaSulam’s articles “The Revelation of Godliness,” “The Arvut,” “The Peace,” his letters to students about the need to unite, and Rabash’s articles on the group? I recommend reading them! It’s because unification is the only action required of us. I don’t know what you may have heard from others, but I do know what is written!

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A question I received: I understand that the period of correction begins when we cross the Machsom, but there is something that leaves me restless and I do not understood well: Once the Machsom is crossed, the things that happen to us in this world continue happening, but the form of seeing them is one of having enough intelligence to understand what happens to us and to use that to enlarge the vessel and to fill it. Now, based on the above-mentioned, my question is: Is faith above reason necessary to cross the Machsom, or will this be given when one has the complete Masach? And can a person tell whether he has the Neshama?

My Answer: Faith above reason is what we attain after the Machsom. Before it we’re just trying to understand what is faith and to attain it. Before the Machsom , we try to attain faith above reason (the revelation of the Creator, a perception of Him, of the quality of bestowal and love inside us – above our entire egoism). We desire to rise above all the obstacles to the oneness of the Creator and His good governance!

But the fulfillment of this desire takes place after the Machsom, when it is filled by the Light of bestowal on the level of Nefesh, then Ruach, and so on, until we fully attain the quality of faith above reason – the quality of Bina.

And after this, there is another degree – not ascent above egoism, but usage of egoism, or the correction of egoism to bestowal – when we receive into our desire for the sake of bestowal.

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Two questions I received on how to succeed on the spiritual path

Question: I have a problem – I’m not social. Whenever I was in a group, I would dominate, so I was never really part of one. Can you give me advice on what to do about this, if there’s anything that can be done at all?

My Answer: Disseminate more and don’t force yourself. Your concern for dissemination will cause you to care for others, and you’ll unwillingly become social, like a father toward his children. The influence of the Surrounding Light (Ohr Makif) will bring this about, and make you think of your friends as equals.

Question: I have been studying for two years already and I even work on dissemination. Throughout this time there were days when I was in a descent, but also days when I got so much pleasure from the process that I felt “drunk.” I’m afraid of making a mistake on the path, so my question is: Am I just feeding my ego?

My Answer: Don’t be afraid of feeding your ego; this is necessary, because otherwise you won’t have the motivation (Homer Delek). Only systematic studies and dissemination will draw the Surrounding Light (Ohr Makif), and its influence will bring you success. You should pay less attention to the sensations of ascents and descents. Everything will pass, and will be replaced by the true perception of the Creator. The most important thing is to expect the results of Ohr Makif’s influence. Good Luck!

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Questions I received on feeling weak, doubtful and unsure along the spiritual path

Question: I just don’t understand: Why does a person have to fight himself in order to enter this fictional “other” state? And why does he even need this?

My Answer: You’re right: If you don’t have a point in the heart, then go on living without any worries. After all, a person only realizes the desires that awaken in him. If a person’s point in the heart has awakened, then he is driven by the desire to reveal, understand, and feel the Creator; and he has to attain this.

Question: I have been trying to understand how is it even possible to change one’s nature, because more and more, I keep discovering just how egoistic all my thoughts and desires are, and they are only becoming more egoistic. So why should I be destroying myself with this useless work instead of living a normal life?

My Answer: You’re absolutely right: A person cannot change his own nature! Nevertheless, if he persistently strives towards the goal, then his perseverance will help him, and the Creator will give him the strength to reveal Him (see the “Introduction to Talmud Eser Sefirot,” item 133, where it talks about people climbing the mountain). Only the force of the Creator’s revelation can pull a person out of this world – out of the perception “inside oneself.” And then one reveals an eternal and perfect world. But again, only the Light, which created the creation, is able to change it and lift it to Its level.

Question: As a person gets older, he grows weaker and needs more strength. But where will he get it if he never gets a response from the Creator?

My Answer: The entire path up until the revelation of the Creator, the Machsom, consists of ever increasing disappointments. It’s written that coming out of Egypt happens by sending plagues to Pharaoh, our egoism. These plagues become more and more painful, making us feel more disillusioned about our ability to attain the goal, to come out of egoism and enter the perception of the Upper Force, the Creator. These plagues reveal our nature – egoism, the Pharaoh, and just how much he is ruling us inside. Read the section in the Torah where the Creator keeps repeating to man (Moses): “Go to the Pharaoh, because I have hardened his heart.” This means that the Creator keeps increasing our egoism on purpose, so we’d reveal how absolutely evil it is for us and desire to run away from it!

Question: Sometimes it seems like I don’t have enough time left in this life to attain the goal, the revelation of the Creator.

My Answer: In this case, just like on the entire path, there is only one “Kabbalistic” principle to use : “Knock that tempter’s teeth out” (the tempter that throws you off the path), and keep being stubborn, advancing by “faith above reason,” in spite of your common (regular, animalistic) sense. And look for the Creator’s help inside all this, in order to be able to follow these two principles.

Question: Maybe it’s better to live a “pleasant lie,” like the people who buy what Berg sells – psychological support and imagined but sweet confidence that tomorrow will be OK, that everything will be fine, and that everything can be changed for the better. This has a psychological affect on you, gives you strength, and helps you survive. And you get the positive results up front!

My Answer: Who can object to these centuries proven methods! If I could, I’d buy red strings and holy water myself. But no one is even inviting to Kabbalah those people who can comfort themselves with these methods, and who can convince themselves that they work. But while they shut their eyes to the illness and take painkillers, the illness keeps spreading.

And there are others who can no longer be helped by these painkillers; they understand that this is a lie. These people keep searching, because a person cannot remain unfulfilled, and this state of futility and emptiness is worse than death, because their spiritual desire already demands to be fulfilled. And so they keep searching. And it’s for these people, who can no longer find anything that can fulfill them in this world, that Kabbalah provides the answer: Fulfillment comes from the Upper Light, to the degree you are similar to it!

Question: It still seems absolutely impossible and unfeasible that every person and all the people together will be able to desire to come out of egoism voluntarily, instead of being pushed by plagues that are worse than death itself, when even death seems like a salvation from the suffering.

My Answer: The Creator says that it is simple and easy to come out of the corporeal nature and enter the Upper Nature, provided that one diligently carries out the Creator’s conditions, or the precise, strict laws of nature. No one has the strength and the desire to ascend above this world, above one’s nature. But you can receive these desires from the correct environment (the worldwide Bnei Baruch group), by studying Kabbalah according to the authentic sources – the books of Baal HaSulam. And then the Light will lift you, and there are thousands of examples to prove this. The choice is yours!

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Questions I received about distinguishing Kabbalah from religion and belief

Question: I have heard you say that a secular Jew can remain secular and still reach spirituality through Kabbalah.

My Answer: Do you really believe that the entire world and all the nations must become Orthodox Jews?

Question: How do you reconcile this with the Gemara Baba Kama 50, which says that anyone who says that G-d will overlook his sins, his life will be forfeited.

My Answer: Anyone who says that he can avoid correcting all of his egoism, he will not merit the upper life, and will remain spiritually dead.

Question: For example, it is understood that wicked people undergo punishments such as purgatory.

My Answer: Wicked people are egoists, and purgatory is liberation from egoism by the force of the Light. I don’t even understand how you can study the Talmud without understanding Kabbalah. What do you imagine a purgatory to be – fiery ovens and scorching rods?

Question: Furthermore, it has been said in the on line classes that dying is stepping out of one body into another body in order to continue the process of correction. We know, however, that people can be reincarnated into rocks and such for thousands of years, due to their sins. Again, how can we reconcile these contradictory ideas? Would it not make sense that G-d demands both corporeal observance as well as the study of the spiritual?

My Answer: Your logic is based on egoism, which is opposite to the property of the Creator and the Upper World. Believing that people can reincarnate into rocks is idol worship. A rock is the lowest form of egoism, Lev HaEven.

You have to study; otherwise you will remain a self-assured know-it-all, as it is written, “What should we do with children who have grown old?” (Ma Laasot Im Yeladim She Izkinu?). However, time will take care of whatever the mind doesn’t do. So have patience, and eventually egoism will force you to search instead of blindly believing.

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Two questions I received on being confused at the beginning of the spiritual path

Question: Where should I start? I don’t mean what to start studying or other actions, but rather – what point of reference and what question should I start with?

My Answer: This is something you have to find inside yourself. Usually it’s the question, “Why do I live? What is the meaning of my life and the meaning of suffering? I don’t see any point or reason to live,” and so on. It’s best to start with my book Attaining the Worlds Beyond.

Question: I study every day, but sometimes I’m overcome by the feeling of disappointment, because I have no idea how to do the things I’m reading about. Sometimes I can understand a little bit of what I’m reading, and even feel it , but moments later I forget all of it, and I’m again left with no idea what I was learning, what I was thinking, and how I can do something. Do you have any advice for me?

My Answer: You will forget everything you learn until you absorb the material inside you, make it your own, and feel that it’s speaking about you and what’s inside you. However, this is a stage and it will pass, because you’re being influenced by the Surrounding Light (Ohr Makif) – and then you’ll find what the Kabbalists are talking about inside you.And after that, “a person’s soul will teach him.” Incidentally, the sensation that everything is forgotten quickly indicates that you are going through different states quickly, and you should be happy about this!

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A question I received: This question has been posted on the forums of Kabbalah Education Center, yet the answer I received was somewhat not satisfying. I felt that the matter had been just passed over as any general situation, and not read with Love.

(What follows is a long, detailed description of drug induced “trips” experienced by a 21 year old psychology student from Mexico, who has been taking LSD for a long period of time. He describes how this gives him the opportunity to perceive the Upper Force, the higher reality, and his connection with Kabbalah. At one point he reaches the feeling that his mission in life is to comprehend the connection between spirituality and LSD.)

My Answer: There is no connection between drug induced experiences and the attainment of the Upper World, the Creator. You are completely disconnected from spiritual sensations and are controlled by your perceptions of chemical reactions. I recommend that you stop searching for ways to justify your behavior, leave drugs behind and begin correcting your soul. Good luck!

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A question I received: I have been watching your lessons over the Internet for about six months now. My brother, who is in the process of becoming religious, has also been studying your books a little, but in addition he studies the Mishnah by Rabbi Nachman, and a Jewish interpretation of yoga taught at Ohr Aganuz once a week. We have interesting and deep conversations, but it’s difficult for me to accept some things he says which aren’t related to what you teach. Would you advise me to be more open to the teachings of Likutei Mocharan, Breslov pamphlets, and the materials studied at Ohr Aganuz? And what advice can I give to my brother?

My Answer: My advice to you is: Don’t study at Ohr Aganuz, don’t teach your brother, and don’t talk to him about your studies, as if you don’t study Kabbalah at all. The two of you are on absolutely opposite paths – he’s on the path of Chassidut, and you’re on the path of Kabbalah. Don’t get in each other’s way.

You should let him mature on his own. Soon he will feel that yoga doesn’t supplement the attainment of the Creator, and that the only thing worth studying are the works of Baal HaSulam (provided they are interpreted correctly, according to my lessons).

What’s important isn’t the books you study, but how you study them. All the great sages wrote from their spiritual attainment. They all lived in the attainment of the Upper World, the Creator, and wrote only about this. So you’re both reading holy books. But they are holy because they speak of holiness – the property of bestowal and love that’s beyond one’s self. The purpose of studying these books is to reveal these properties within you, or in other words, to reveal the Creator.

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