The Book of Zohar. Chapter “The Sixth Commandment”

The Book of Zohar.The Book of Zohar. Chapter “The Sixth Commandment” (abridged)

219. The sixth Commandment (general correction) is to procreate and multiply (to correct new desires though the intention to bestow), for he who does so turns the stream (of Light with regard to Malchut), called Yesod de ZA (of the world of Atzilut), into an inexhaustible fountain (of Light into Malchut). And the sea, Malchut, shall be filled (with the Light from ZA) from all directions (in all of its corrected desires), and new souls shall come forth (will be born, will develop) from that tree (ZA, the source of Light), and a multitude of forces shall appear together with those souls, to guard them (so that they won’t yield to their yet uncorrected desires). Hence, it is written: “LET THE WATERS SWARM (Malchut will develop in the qualities of Bina) WITH SWARMS OF LIVING CREATURES.” This is the mark of the holy Covenant (ZA and Malchut, the Creator and Creature). The stream (of Light from ZA) grows stronger, turns into a river (because Malchut continues to correct itself more and more), and thus brings more and more new souls to life (bestowal).

220. A number of birds (angels) that soar above the whole world (qualities of Bina in Malchut) enter Malchut along with those souls. When a soul comes into this world (into the spiritual world), the bird that came from that tree (system of Sefirot) along with that soul accompanies it. How many angels leave with each soul (onto the next degree)? Two: one on the right (the force of bestowal, the Light), and one on the left (the force of reception, desires). If one so merits (if the soul merits its correction), then these angels guard him (they act together), as it is written: “FOR HE WILL GIVE HIS ANGELS CHARGE OVER YOU” (in the ascent, along the degrees of the ladder). Yet, if he does not merit (to correct himself), they report and accuse him (of this, and turn against him, compelling him to become corrected). Rabbi Pinchas said: “There are three angels that guard man, if he so merits, as it is written, ‘IF THERE BE AN ANGEL OVER HIM, A DEFENDER, ONE AMONG A THOUSAND THAT WARNS MAN.’ ‘If there be an ANGEL’ – is the first; ‘A DEFENDER’—is the second; ‘one among a thousand THAT WARNS man’ – is the third (this refers to the soul’s correction according to the method of the three lines – Gimel Kavim).

221. Rabbi Shimon said: “In all, there are five angels (the forces of man’s soul), for the verse continues: ‘there is one after the giver and two more, so in all there are five.’” He replied: “This is not so. ‘The giver’ refers solely to the Creator Himself, and not to an angel, for only the Creator is permitted to give, but no one else.”

222. And he who abstains from procreating and multiplying (correcting his soul) as though belittles the form that includes all other forms, the form of man, causes the waters (forces of Bina) of that stream, Yesod of ZA, to dry out, and harms the holy Covenant (Yesod of ZA) from all sides. It is written of such a man, “Go forth and look upon the corpses of the people (uncorrected desires) that have transgressed against the Creator.” Of course, those who transgress against Me. This is said about the body (desires), as the soul never even enters the screen, i.e., the Creator’s domain. And such a man shall be banished from the (spiritual) world (into our world).

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The Intention of Attaining the Creator Does Not Conflict With Career

The intention of attaining the Creator does not conflict with careerTwo questions I received on the ego:

Question: What does it mean to hate the ego? Before we cross the Machsom, our entire nature is the ego. So doesn’t this mean that I’m supposed to hate myself?

My Answer: Kabbalah speaks to those people who start feeling a duality inside them: the ego that desires this world, and a point in the heart, which aspires toward the Upper World. Kabbalah helps one turn this point into a vessel for the reception and perception of the Upper World.

Question: During the morning lessons you often speak about the meaning of difficulties (the “guards”) that we receive. But what is the Creator’s objective in giving us success in corporeal things, such as a promotion at work, a perfect grade on an exam, and so on? The ego gets blown up when this happens. Should I try to suppress it or “go with the flow” of the success?

My Answer: You should control it: your actions should be determined by the importance of life’s meaning. And you shouldn’t refuse success at work or school. The intention of attaining the Creator does not conflict with career.

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Love Is Providing Others With the Means to Fulfill Their Point in the Heart

Love is Providing Others With the Means to Fulfill Their Point in the HeartTwo questions I received on love:

Question: What is “the suffering of love”?

My Answer: There is no love in our world. What we call love is the aspiration for pleasure, or to be fulfilled by pleasure. In other words, corporeal love is one’s attitude to that which gives one pleasure. It is measured by the degree of one’s fulfillment from the source of love.

Spiritual love works differently. It’s when a person rises above his egoism and no longer depends on it. He then begins to perceive the desires of others as his own, and unites with the entire desire that was created by the Creator (with the common soul, Adam).

Once he acquires this property of bestowal and concern for fulfilling desires outside of him, he then finds the Creator – the general quality of love, inside this common desire. In this case, “the suffering of love” is when one suffers because he still doesn’t love the Creator, or in other words – because he is not inside the property of bestowal completely.

Question: If spiritual love can only be felt toward one’s neighbor, then it is probably impossible to love those who are not part of my close environment (spiritually speaking)? And when we say “love for others” this means that we understand the egoistic nature of others and realize that these egoistic qualities are temporary?

My Answer: That is absolutely correct. But in addition, it’s also necessary to provide them with a way to become acquainted with Kabbalah in a form suitable for them, and to put it in front of them discretely, so that as soon as their “point in the heart” (a desire for something other than this world) will surface, they can immediately discover the means to fulfill it.

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How Does One Pay Maaser?

Questions I received on Maaser:

Question: What should I do if I want to pay Maaser (a 10th of my salary), but my wife is against it because she doesn’t study Kabbalah?

My Answer: If she did study Kabbalah, then she wouldn’t be against it. She would pay it herself and would even force you to do the same. So decide for yourself, and keep in mind that there is no spiritual advancement without separating the 10%.

Question: Whose money supports the Kabbalah Academy?

My Answer: Only the Maaser that’s collected from the Bnei Baruch members – and no external donations!

Question: I was wondering, if I get the Maaser back from taxes at the end of the year (because I described it as charity or donations) will it count spiritually? Because at the end, I didn’t give anything at all because I get it back!

My Answer: You have to give everything you get back to the group’s fund, as the government Maaser.

Question: I am an Ari-Online student and I also watch morning lessons on kab.tv (the beginner’s part). My question is short. How it is possible that we, Bnei Baruch, have different criteria about the same thing ? I am talking about Maaser.

I was watching the morning lesson on 08-12-2008 where you explain that Maaser is 10% of the income before taxes. After that I opened the Maaser webpage and read this:
Maaser is 10% of one’s net income, after tax deduction“! I do not understand this discrepancy.

My Answer: The Maaser must be paid from the total income – you can find explanations of this on the Internet by doing a Google search of “tithe.” However, in our times, in order to avoid confusing our friends, to simplify their calculations and payment, we say that they can pay from the net income. I understand that this is confusing, but you shouldn’t get so upset about it. We take the responsibility for whatever you underpay because of our instructions.

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