The Book of Zohar, Chapter “Shmini (On the Eighth Day),” Item 98: “And the Lord (the main property of bestowal within us) spoke unto Moses (another property of bestowal) and to Aaron, (yet another property; in other words, there is a part between other parts within us, which connect), saying unto them: ‘…This is the animal that you may eat.’”

It writes Aaron because he always separates the impure from the pure (a property within us that separates pure desires from impure desires is called “Aaron”), since Aaron is Hesed and illumination of Hochma, Haya. The difference between an impure and pure Haya [animal] (in us) is only the Hesed (the property of Hesed is mercy, pure bestowal).

The impure cling to the left line, which is separated from the right, Hochma without Hassadim, from which all the darkness and judgments extend – where the right line means bestowal and the left line means reception.

In other words, if we have the Light of Hochma without the Light of Hassadim, we are in the darkness. But why is it dark if the Light of Hochma is present; after all, the Light of Hochma is the opposite of darkness? If it is received for the sake of ourselves and our egoism, then we feel darkness, which means that we don’t sense spirituality.

We are all currently submerged into absolute darkness and don’t see the spiritual world because we lack the Light of Hassadim, the Light of Love and Bestowal. Thus we are drowning in an ocean of the Light of Hochma in the World of Infinity, but don’t feel even a drop of this Infinite Light.

Why don’t we feel it? It’s because we don’t have the Light of Hassadim. As soon as we obtain the Light of Hassadim, the desire to bestow that has to be initiated by creation (us), then in that same instant the Light of Hochma will be covered by the Light of Hassadim.

All we need is the Light of Bestowal (Hassadim). There is an abundance of the Light of Hochma all around us, but without the Light of Hassadim we sense it as darkness, or in our case, as an unconscious state.

And the pure ones cling to the left line that is included in the right, when Hochma is clothed in Hesed, from which all the blessings and all the sanctities extend.

The difference between a pure Haya and an impure Haya is only the Hesed, the discernment of Aaron.

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A question I received: What is “Israel in exile” which The Book of Zohar talks about?

My Answer: “Israel in exile” is a group of Kabbalists whose members want to connect with each other, but their egos pull them in opposite directions and repel them from one another. They see that they are unable not only to connect, but do not even wish for that connection.

The connection itself doesn’t have to be achieved by their effort; that’s the work of the Upper Light. All they have to do is desire it; however, as of yet they are unable to do even this. That is why the people who stood at the base of Mount Sinai were told: “You must connect with each other and unite as one person with one heart. Otherwise this place will be your burial ground!”

When they realized they wanted to connect, but were unable to do so, the Creator revealed Himself to them in order to initiate their union.

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We are now working on developing the right approach to The Book of Zohar. This is the greatest challenge facing us because we do not understand this book. We have to look at the narration differently than we’ve ever done before. After all, we have never looked inside ourselves, but always outside. We always pointed to something outside of us, trying to discern it and learn what it is. But now we have to conduct an inner observation and point inside ourselves, which is a very unusual thing to do.

When we read the words, “Job, Pharaoh,” and so on, we immediately think of history, geography, relationships between people, and all kinds of other external things. But Kabbalah says, “No, on the contrary, you have to look inside yourself and search for these things there.” Yet, we don’t understand how to do this and where to look for all of this inside us. It would be easier if we at least experienced some inner sensations while reading about “Pharaoh,” for example. But this doesn’t happen; instead, we suddenly begin to think about a person that lived in Ancient Egypt 5000 years ago. This is our problem.

In reality this false perception was arranged deliberately so that while imagining all of these things externally, we would force ourselves and make efforts to imagine it inside us. We go from the imaginary world to the world of forces, desires, and qualities by trying to look inwards of our own accord and searching for the Creator there. This helps us come out of our current, illusionary world and focus on the inside in order to see and reveal the Creator there.

Then we reveal that this world does not exist, and neither do Pharaoh, Bilam, Balak, Job, and all the other impressions that The Zohar evokes in us. None of it exists; these are all forces that the Creator awakens in us in order for us to recognize Him – the single existing force. Then all of these numerous forces and qualities disappear and you remain one on one with the Creator. To get there, however, you had to raise yourself, expand, and build yourself to such an all-enveloping size that enables you to understand Him, to feel Him, and to be fulfilled by Him.

This is the unity between the Creator and the creation which we have to achieve through equivalence of form. And The Book of Zohar teaches us all of this.

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A person must be his own spiritual psychologist; he always has to keep track of which way his “scale” is leaning – towards goodness or evil. As well, he must analyze all of his qualities and work on them. He must check every one of his qualities to see what it is and where it belongs because through these qualities, he will begin to feel the Creator.

The Zohar talks about the system that governs and controls our qualities. In this system, the Creator is the One who implements all the actions within these qualities. He invites us to get to know Him through all of these qualities, their actions, and this entire system. This is the only place where we can meet Him. In The Book of Zohar, He is telling us a story through which we can start to recognize Him, the qualities He created, how He connected them with one another, and how we can start checking them.

In this way we discern the system, its structure, and its functionality, as well as the force that operates it. This is how we will get to know the Creator, since this system is a connecting link between us and the Creator.

This system will disappear at the End of Correction because there will be nothing left to conceal and connect. There will be an absolute, universal connection.

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Our whole work is to achieve the prayer in the heart, an appeal to the Upper Force, the Creator. He directs and controls everything. Therefore, we only need to ask Him for the right thing.

Our request should be correct and deliberate, and this is precisely what the science of Kabbalah teaches: How to appeal to the Light, the force that created us. It will perform any action we desire under the condition that our desire agrees with the Creator’s general program – to bring us to a perfect state.

In much the same way, a child may cry begging his Mom to let him play with a sharp knife, but she will never give it to him. Yet if he asks for something beneficial, she will gladly carry out his request. The same applies to our requests; “Make your desire similar to His desire” and you will receive everything.

We are not studying any hidden secrets in the science of Kabbalah; we are studying ourselves and the Creator. We get to know Him by virtue of the Kabbalists’ explanations of what we should ask from Him. The Light that Reforms will do all the rest.

The Creator created the evil inclination, and our task is to reveal it. As soon as we reveal it, we can be sure that we’ll know how to ask the Creator for its correction. We don’t realize that our evil is the opposite imprint of the Creator. By imprinting Himself in us, He used the Light to create the will to enjoy. It is like the patrix and the matrix. Reception is the opposite form of bestowal; they enter each other and unite like two parts of one whole. Therefore, as soon as we reveal our evil, we will immediately find out how to appeal to the Creator for its correction.

This does not need to be studied in the books. The books simply attune us and develop our sensations. A person is taught all the rest by his soul. And you don’t need a great mind to learn; just keep going and it will happen!

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Before starting to read The Book of Zohar, we must attune ourselves to its correct comprehension. It is a closed, secret, and ciphered book that requires a specific code in order to be understood.

How can we break this code and open up this book, as we would a safe? The key to The Book of Zohar is the correct perception of reality, as it is written, “Man is a small world.” This is the secret to it.

Everything exists inside me, including the world I perceive and everything I feel. Every person that I see next to me is perceived inside my brain. It only seems like everything I see, hear, smell, and touch is outside of me, because my senses depict it this way for me, making me feel like I am dealing with something outside of me.

The science of Kabbalah says that there is only desire and nothing else. This desire consists of five parts: vision, hearing, scent, taste and touch. I perceive impressions inside my desire in a way that makes it seem as if there is an external world existing outside of me. It is a feeling that an object is not inside of me, but outside.

It is presented this way inside my desire because my desire is divided in two parts: Me and the external world. Stated in Kabbalistic terms, the desire consists of five parts called: 1.root 2.spirit 3.body 4.clothing 5.palace (external space).

Root, spirit, and body are my feeling of the “myself,” whereas clothing and palace are phenomena that seem external to me. However, they only seem as happening outside of me because I am structured to perceive a part of my internal feelings as being separated from me, as if they are foreign or external.

This desire is so detached from me that I don’t even feel that whatever happens there is related to me. Someone else is in pain, but I don’t feel anything. Someone else dies, but I don’t feel anything. Moreover, it is so detached and far away from me that I enjoy when it suffers. That is how blinded we are!

Additionally, there are abnormal cases in our world where people enjoy bringing pain to themselves. In fact, however, the rest of us are the greatest masochists of all! But because everyone else feels the same way, hurting “others” (who are really parts of us) is considered a norm.

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We shouldn’t strive to correct the world or ourselves; we just need to study the actions which the Upper Light performs on us. It’s as the Creator told Moses: “Let’s go to Pharaoh!”

Moses is small and frightened – meaning this is a very weak quality in a person. There is a creature of monstrous proportions standing opposite to him; this is all of creation, the whole world, egoism, which holds all the power, nourishment, and oxygen. I receive all of these things from Pharaoh; he is my whole reality. Meanwhile, a tiny quality or desire called Moses rises up against it wishing to escape, to come out from its control and begin to live in a different world!

We almost don’t feel this tiny opportunity within us to rise and come out of our egoism. We don’t know how to come out of this Egyptian slavery or where to run from it. However, the Creator tells us, “Let’s go to Pharaoh together!” And like a little child who takes the adult by the hand, Moses and the Creator walk together.

From the side of the human being, all that’s needed is consent, a request, a demand to the Creator for help. One does not need to battle evil on his own. However, people don’t understand this and think that they are able to do something on their own. But whoever thinks himself a hero is a fool.

All the religions and allegedly “spiritual” methods err with regard to this, teaching people to eradicate the evil inclination. Kabbalah, however, says that the left side (egoistic desires) is given to us precisely in order to help us adhere to the right side (bestowal) – after all, this constitutes the whole goal of attaining the Creator through our efforts in the middle line.

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Each desire consists of two parts: the Upper and the lower, Galgalta ve Eynaim, which is connected to the Upper Partzuf and the AHP, which is connected to the lower. This is the way that all the souls are connected in the spiritual world, where they are dependent upon each other.

It turns out that with my bestowing part (Galgalta ve Eynaim), I am fully under the control of the Upper Level and I wish to belong to it. Meanwhile, with my lower part (AHP), I am completely connected to the lower one and I care for it.

I bestow in both cases. However, with regard to the Upper One, I bestow by canceling myself, whereas with regard to the lower one, I bestow by caring for it. The more I am able to cancel myself before the Upper One and to receive from it, the more I can give to the lower one later.

This is what happens between all the souls, and therefore, everything depends on our mutual connection. It turns out that a person has nothing left to call his own, since his Upper Part is determined by the Upper Level, and his lower part is determined by the lower one. If he is united with both the Upper One and the lower one, then he fully belongs to them, and now he can reveal his “I” precisely in this form. Then his point in the heart picks up strength and flourishes as it realizes itself.

This is like the mother of a family for whom the most important thing is the upper level, her husband, and the lower level, her children. She does not see her existence separate from them and for this reason she is the most important member of the family; it is she who holds everything together.

It is the same for every soul; by receiving Light from Above and transferring it below, it becomes important to everyone.

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The story of the Exodus from Egyptian slavery depicts all the details of a Kabbalistic group’s spiritual path. It seems like we are ready to come out of Egypt and gain our freedom (out of egoism and into the quality of bestowal), and yet it is so difficult. We undergo the “seven years of famine” and the “Egyptian plagues” so that every one of us feels the Pharaoh (the evil rule of egoism over us) lurking within. We undergo a terrible inner struggle with a part of us willing to come out of Egypt (forsake egoism), but with another part unwilling to escape.

The escape from Egypt (the night of Passover) happens suddenly while we are in darkness, in a hurry, out of fear, and is prompted from Above. It is when we feel a force pushing us forward, toward bestowal. We are willing to flee into the darkness, which is how we perceive the quality of bestowal. However, the Creator leads us to freedom via the long path, by surrounding us with the Pharaoh’s followers (Erev Rav – mixed multitude).

Even when we tear ourselves away from true egoistic desires known as “Pharaoh’s forces,” we are still left with the “mixed multitude.” They are those who want to have their cake and eat it too, seeking to remain egoistic while at the same time receiving pleasure from the Creator and spirituality.

These desires bind us in exile, preventing us from escaping. And when we finally do escape, they may still attach themselves to us because they have a connection to the Creator. That is why they are called “mixed” – because both their desires are immediately apparent: hoping for a good life here in this world, as well as in the world to come. They are the ones holding us back.

Thus, the story of the Exodus talks about desires and intentions that exist in every one of us. When we come to the Red Sea, we aren’t ready to jump in – the sea seems like death. To cross it, we must reveal the single, special force that is capable of leading us across.

And when after all that we finally reach Mount Sinai, we are given the final and most difficult condition: “Unite as one man with one heart.” After all our discernments and efforts toward spirituality, we eventually reveal that we aren’t willing to unite with others.

However, this is the only condition that we must meet and we have no choice but to agree: “We are willing, but incapable.” If we really want this mutual guarantee, then the Creator has to be our guarantor – But do we really want that?

When we agree to this condition, we receive from Above the strength for the mutual guarantee and the Creator’s revelation. The Creator reveals Himself within us so as to give us a chance to bestow.

It is a very long and complex process, and The Book of Zohar teaches us how to be more sensitive to the changes taking place within us so that we can imagine every detail. All this takes place within us and nowhere else. That is why we must learn to recognize and understand these qualities internally. As we train ourselves to maintain such an inner vision, we move increasingly closer to perceiving the spiritual world.

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If the burden of our group mate’s heart grows heavier, we have to bring him medication: we have to do everything in our power to lift his spirits. If I feel darkness or heaviness, it means that I lack desire for spirituality. For example, let’s assume that spirituality is so important that the power of my desire for it weighs 20 pounds. All of a sudden another 20 pounds of uncorrected desire is added to it. This weighs me down and makes me unable to move. In order for me to advance, my desire towards spirituality has to become more important by that same 20 pounds. Then spirituality starts attracting me with a force of 40 pounds.

Where do I get this additional force as I certainly don’t have it within myself? I can only get it from Kabbalah books or my surroundings. I have to immediately start working on raising the importance of the spiritual goal for myself.

It is like a patient who is not completely sick yet and has to use all his healthy organs to overcome his illness. I use all my remaining strength to achieve this and by doing so I turn darkness into Light. I can quickly transition from one state to another, spiraling upwards, and advancing as a result.

It begs the question, why would I go deep into darkness and stay there for months or years, waiting for it to end on its own?

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