The Zohar, Chapter “BeHaalotcha (When You Mount the Candles),” Item 62: Such is the Torah. It has a body, which is the Mitzvot of the Torah, which are called “the bodies of the Torah.” This body clothes in dresses, which are mundane stories, and the fools in the world consider only that clothing, which is the story of the Torah. They do not know more and do not consider what exists underneath that clothing.  Those who know more do not consider the clothing, but the body under that clothing. But the sages, the servants of the High King, those who stood on Mount Sinai, consider only the soul in the Torah, which is the essence of it all, the actual law. In the future, they will gaze upon the soul within the soul of the Torah.

This passage tells us about the processes that take place within a person. We are the “fools” or the “sages,” depending on the state we are in. A big Aviut (coarseness of desire) reveals itself within us—and we fall down. If we’re able to cope with this newly revealed Aviut by building a screen above it, we become more sensitive, corrected, and can go deeper.

The same applies to our material world: Some people are foolish, others are wise. What does “foolish people” mean? Their desire to receive pleasure is very small. Because they are not developed enough, they don’t penetrate into the “body” (Guf) of the Torah. The “clothing” (worldly stories) is enough for them. Their desire doesn’t demand, obligate, nor force them to reveal the inner essence of what’s written in the Torah.

When the desire to receive pleasure grows and manifests in each person as a part of a global desire (that is the whole system of connections between us reveals itself), we start asking questions about the meaning of our life and about our purpose. At this point, we realize that we all depend on each other, and therefore have to unite. Everything depends on the depth of our desire to receive pleasure (our ego) that is gradually being revealed within us. It helps us to transcend from the clothing to the deeper content of the Torah.

Hence, each person must force himself to connect with others as much as possible. Then, with the help of the group, he will receive a much stronger power of the Light that Reforms. Accordingly, a rougher desire to receive pleasure will be revealed, a person will be able to get deeper into it, and thus will reveal the inner essence that hides behind the clothing.

There are fools and sages within each of us. Therefore, we have to make sure that we are able to deal with the deepest layers of the desire to receive pleasure. Revelation of the Torah happens within the corrected desire to enjoy in correlation to its power and coarseness. Then, Aviut (coarseness) of the desire is transformed into Zakut (purity, subtlety).

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The Book of Zohar — Selections, Chapter “BeHaalotcha (When You Mount the Candles),” Item 131
The spiritual world is the opposite of what we are. We must enter the spiritual world naturally by opening ourselves up and allowing it to influence us.
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The Book of Zohar — Selections, Chapter “Ve’Eleh Toldot Itzhak (These Are the Generations of Isaac) ,” Item 1
By demanding inner changes from The Zohar, I become more sensitive to its words and discover that they are familiar to me.
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Talmud Eser Sefirot, Volume 6, Part 15, Item 200
Purim embodies the final correction when Nukva is ready to take on the form of Zeir Anpin.
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“Writings of Rabash — Dargot HaSulam,” Article 909
A teacher is my next spiritual degree; a means for connecting to the Upper.
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“Writings of Rabash — Dargot HaSulam,” Article 910
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The Book of Zohar — Selections, Chapter “BeHaalotcha (When You Mount the Candles),” Item 124
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Studying Kabbalah, I know that you yourself would not want to study, except from one greater than you. And you will not find it except in studying The Book of Zohar. However, prior to each study, resolve within yourself to not make it a habit, but only for the Creator. And not all times are the same: at times you will be able to study for the Creator fervently, if you are rewarded with praying with a pure thought; and sometimes with a small thought, but all with a thought to benefit the Creator.
–The Rav Meshulam Feibush,
Yosehr Divrey Emet (Sincerity, Words of Truth), p 25

If one merits it, he will study The Book of Zohar at dawn, because by its power Israel will come out of exile as out of darkness.
–Ohr Tzadikim veDerech Seuda, Volume 1, Chapter 15

Study in a book of Kabbalah, and even if you do not understand them, say the words of The Zohar, for they can purify the soul.
–The Rav Yaakov Kapil Prayer Book, Section “The Intention in the Study”

It is true that we accept that even for one who knows nothing, the words of The Zohar can still cleanse the soul.
–Rav Tzvi Elimelech Shapira (MAHARTZA),
The MAHARTZA Additions, Item 9

Each and every letter in The Book of Zohar and the writings of our great teacher, by Rav Chaim Vital…are great corrections for the soul, to correct all the incarnations.
–Rav Yitzhak Yehudah Yehiel of Komarno,
Notzer Hesed (Keeping Mercy), Chapter 4, Teaching 20

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The system of nature is organized in such a way that everything is aimed only at helping the human level develop. This is the only level of the desire to receive pleasure that has freedom of will. Only this level can raise MAN (a request to the Upper Level) and thus take all the other levels along with it (the inanimate, vegetative, and animate) so all of reality will reach the End of Correction. None of the other levels have freedom of will, but they still take part in the same kind of advancement. They will ascend to the level that the human being brings them to.

For example, according to our time in the year 2010, we should have raised our whole world, including all its levels of inanimate, vegetative, and animate, as well as ourselves on all the levels, and the spiritual world on the inanimate, vegetative, and animate levels (that is, the “chambers,” the “clothing,” the “angels,” and the surrounding souls) ten degrees higher in relation to the Upper Light. We were supposed to make this upgrade in spirit, connection, force, and fulfillment.

Because we did not do this, the inanimate, vegetative, and animate levels of nature are now pressuring us to correct ourselves. All the degrees of fulfillment that they failed to receive from us exist in them in a negative form. They pressure us on the human level since only we have freedom of will and therefore, we need to hasten the correction. Therefore, natural disasters, catastrophes, and disasters will increase in our world because we are not performing the right actions on the human level. We are not drawing all the other levels (the inanimate, vegetative, and animate) after us.

This is the case in the spiritual world as well as in the material world. Therefore, a person depends on everyone and everyone depends on him.

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Two questions I received on proper Kabbalah study:

Question: How can someone dedicate appropriate time to studies if he or she discovers Kabbalah in their 40’s and dedicates most of the day to work to maintain a family, and the little spare time to their spouse and children? It’s very hard these days to even stop and find a few minutes to study or reflect and the 40 hours a week work routine seems something so difficult to remove or change.

My Answer: It’s not a matter of time. It’s only your free time that matters and whether you contribute it entirely to your correction.

Question: I live in Israel but do not speak and read Hebrew yet. My friend who studies in a Yeshiva told me that if I learn Hebrew I will have so much more books to read about Kabbalah like Rav Kook, Rav Nachman etc. He said after a conversation that I sound like I have a good grip and is in a good position to learn Hebrew, but since I only read the books that are translated to English by Bnei Baruch I stand before many options but am limited because I only read Rabash and Baal HaSulam.
I truly feel like those books, you, and the group is enough for me, but what do I know? So my question is, can I get as far as I am supposed to go only by the books translated to English, or will my progress be better and faster if I can read books from Rav Kook and Rav Nachman too?

My Answer: What you are reading now is absolutely enough. In addition, watch us continually on the  Kabbalah TV – Channel 66. You will get all the Light from there!

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A question I received: I am giving a Kabbalah internet class with a group of eight people right now. One couple has studied other Kabbalah books on their own. They talk about the Sefirot as lights in parts of our body that need to be awakened and they are confusing me because I have studied with you that the Sefirot are levels of attainment.

Can you explain to me what the Sefirot really are so that I can clarify it in the group? I want to tell this couple that they can’t come and confuse the students with other Kabbalistic views that are not authentic. They also mentioned a book named Bahir that they say is very important in Kabbalah, but I haven’t heard of it here in Bnei Baruch. I need to establish with them that we study only authentic Kabbalistic writings and not every Kabbalistic book that is found out there.

My Answer: Don’t listen to those who say that our body is a receptacle of spiritual forces. This is the foundation for all mistakes. As for the book Bahir, nobody understands it and because of this, many are reading this particular book. It would be better if you would avoid these people.

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Preparation To The Lesson
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“Preface to the Wisdom of Kabbalah,” Item 30
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The Book of Zohar — Selections, Chapter “BeHaalotcha (When You Mount the Candles),” Item 118
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The Book of Zohar — Selections, Chapter “BeHaalotcha (When You Mount the Candles),” Item 112
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A person who consciously seeks spirituality is influenced by different developmental laws than a person who walks the natural path. It’s similar to the difference between classical physics, which deals with large material objects, and quantum physics, which studies elementary particles. The difference between them is like the difference between light and dark. Regular physics speaks of matter, while quantum physics speaks of light, because a quantum particle is a particle of light. In other words, it is a different level of nature, even though it is still within the boundaries of this world, and it differs greatly from what we are accustomed to.

With regard to spirituality, if the sparks of correction aren’t awakened within a person, he is corrected in a similar fashion as all of nature – by being incorporated inside those who do have the spiritual spark, those who aspire toward spirituality and ask the question, “What is the meaning of my life?” Some carry out the spiritual work, while others help them either by supporting or by hindering. Thus, all advance together.

That is why the science of Kabbalah must be disseminated among all people, for as long as it hasn’t in some way reached even one person, he will not participate in correction. It’s similar to how at first glance it seems that humankind bears no relation to what happens in some galaxy millions of light years away from earth. But in fact, we simply don’t yet understand just how dependent we are at the end of correction on every gram of matter, even at some distant star, because it too must be part of us in order to result in perfection, Malchut of Infinity.

This principle applies all the more so to every person in this world, even one who leads the simplest existence and doesn’t have a care about spirituality. This person, nonetheless, pertains to the process of correction to whatever extent he is able, and therefore, we must bring the knowledge of Kabbalah to him as well.

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