It is only by virtue of The Book of Zohar that we will be able to come out of exile to redemption, and there is no doubt that we are now in a special state. We have to thank the Creator for choosing us for this mission; and on the other hand, it is a great responsibility. Let us have faith that the Creator will lead us through all the obstacles and they will only make us stronger.

I am fearful and inspired, and at the same time worried and anxious. We have to be aware of our great responsibility. All the generations of Kabbalists, the people who attained the goal of creation and the Creator’s desire, are inside the same system that we want to belong to. They have already corrected themselves in this broken system of the common soul (Adam HaRishon) and have prepared it for us, enabling us to accept it as a global system where it is no longer separate, corrected souls that are revealed, as was the case during the times preceding Rabash. He was the last in the lineage of Kabbalists who transmitted Kabbalah, the method of correction, to us. These special souls were instilled in all the generations like drops in an ocean.

Now, for the first time in history since the times of the last exile, we want to attain the last, final redemption. This is the real exodus from Egypt. Moreover, it’s happening at a special time – right before the holiday of Purim, which symbolizes the End of Correction. These conditions are completely extraordinary.

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A question I received: The Zohar Convention 2010 is getting closer and it feels like a holiday or festival is approaching. In what state should we strive to be during this period?

My Answer: The most important thing now is to focus on the intention. It’s wonderful to feel like you are going to a holiday or a festival, but in truth, we are coming together to do serious inner work. Therefore, our primary concern should be our intention; this is more important than anything else.

There is only one thing that’s of importance: During these three days, will I be able to have the right intention together with thousands of other people who are together with me in one hall, and with millions more people around the whole world who are also joining us internally.  Only the right intention will deliver us to the goal because it draws the force that corrects and unites us, establishing the connection that broke.

This connection was broken only in our perception. We are therefore correcting the “original sin,” and it can only be done through our intention, the raising of MAN, a plea, the “gate of tears.”

I feel that we are at an historic point and I am really concerned about its success. We have to be fearful regarding whether we will be able to attain what we have planned, because it is written that everything depends on the heavens besides fear of the Creator. If we are being given the opportunity to carry out this event, and we have been sent this idea, it means we really have reached the state of being able to study The Zohar and to reveal it to the nation. We can see how it opens people up and draws them toward the spiritual goal.

We want to give people The Zohar with care and love, the way we would treat our friends, loved ones, or outstanding individuals. This is an historic event because The Book of Zohar itself says that it is intended for the time of the End of Correction, the days of the Messiah, in order to lead Israel (meaning those who aspire “straight to the Creator”) from exile to freedom.

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A question I received: How can I remain in the inner work and in the correct intention during the Zohar Convention 2010 when we will be in over our heads with various work like taking care of kids and other things?

My Answer: One has to understand that all the obstacles are for his own good. This includes obstacles like one’s spouse, kids, work, finances, debt, health problems, close or distant people who are against him, his own doubts, and not annulling himself completely in his heart and soul. This is the very oil which can’t light up on its own, but only when a person is constantly overcoming obstacles under continuous tension.

The spiritual world becomes revealed only by overcoming. If one abandons these efforts, the fire immediately dies. You have to be above the ego. You have to sense that you are in the right and left lines simultaneously in order to find the middle line. This is the very wick that ignites. It seems that the Creator ignites it, but this isn’t so. You have to rise in order to ignite it. It is written, “You will kindle the candles.”

The left line comes to give you the opportunity to exert the force of overcoming and reveal the Light. It isn’t revealed to humiliate you and throw you down. You always should be confident that the left line exists in you to the same extent as the right line in order for you to aim yourself toward goodness, Light.

If a person is put in a situation where he fails, this only happens in case he has a special role and the calculation in relation to him is being made from special levels. However, this shouldn’t happen to us. It is only possible during the preparation stages, which we already have passed and which include our previous life cycles.

Currently, we exist in the period of revelation. If we try as we are supposed to during everything we encounter, then there shouldn’t be any failure. Any possible failure can happen only if we fail to realize our free choice. It’s written that we should always see ourselves as half-sinner and half-righteous. We always have an opportunity to aim ourselves and the entire world toward the good. A person isn’t given obstacles that exceed his capabilities to aim the world toward the good.

Therefore, it’s not important what kind of work you’ll be doing during the Convention. It doesn’t even matter if you’ll attend the lectures. What’s important is how you’ll sense all the desires which come to unite and how you’ll “kindle yourself” from the connection. All our work is internal. It also doesn’t matter how many people will unite there and for how many days. With as many as are there, you should say, “If we unite as we have to, we will kindle the candle.” Therefore, everyone who can, should participate. It’s not realistic for one person to accomplish this fear, but together, it’s easy.

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There are no individual details; it only seems that way to us because we’re unable to comprehend the whole system with all its qualities and interactions, phenomena, states, and times. In our world, we choose an individual phenomenon and study it on its own, but it’s impossible to study the spiritual world this way. We’ll never learn the truth in this manner.

In the spiritual world, we always study the entirety because every degree is perfection consisting of all ten Sefirot. We study it all, but only to a small extent. In order to do this, we need to possess a ready and full spiritual vessel (Kli) because only something that’s perfect will be able to take in perfection. A person won’t be able to feel the spiritual world while his Kli isn’t ready to perceive some minor part of perfection with even minimal resolution.
Therefore, we should always strive to something perfect and whole rather than being satisfied by studies or sensations alone. We shouldn’t stop and wait, getting stuck on the inanimate level of development. We need to head toward perfection. We need to prepare our spiritual Kli to perceive, feel, and attain the whole spiritual universe. Only then will we become worthy of a spiritual revelation. The spiritual world is perfection and it can only be revealed in this general and perfect form.

Therefore, our work doesn’t consist of limiting ourselves but of opening ourselves up as much as possible. We need to head toward the maximum revelation in the right line and, in accordance with it, the limitations of the left line will be revealed as an addition to the right line. However, that revelation doesn’t depend on us. The Upper Light knows what needs to be revealed to us according to our advancement. In regard to this, we evaluate to what extent we can attain the full picture.

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The science of Kabbalah is a method of correction based on the two forces of attraction and repulsion. These two forces are intended to bring a person closer to correction through aiming him at the goal. Obstacles are set before him all the time that he has to overcome; these obstacles supply him with the building material that he needs to edify himself.

For that reason, the text is composed in such a way that a person enters it as if it’s a jungle. He doesn’t know what is happening there; he doesn’t understand how it’s organized or why. He enters the jungle and gets lost there. He doesn’t know where the path is and he’s scared of every tree. Gradually, however, he enters the text between the words and begins to see depth within. The text begins working on him and he begins working on it. Every word and notion comes to have a dimension and this is how a person advances.

He encounters many obstacles on the path that clearly are directed against his animate mind and feelings. These obstacles help him to disconnect from his material feelings and “break” his material mind. Suddenly, he acquires an ability to feel and understand something new. The “jungle” of the text becomes more understandable and he begins to feel that there is a pattern to it. For example, the monkeys that jump around in the jungle understand what is going on there because this scary place is their home. In a similar way, a person comes to feel at home in the text.

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A question I received: Thousands of people will come together at the upcoming Zohar Convention 2010 How can we receive them so as to retain a connection with them after the Convention?

My Answer: We are not a cult. We don’t drag people into religion and we don’t chase after their souls. Our doors are always open whether a person is coming in or going out. Whoever comes in doesn’t owe us anything. If he wants to, he is welcome to come in, sit down, and study together with us. If he doesn’t want to, he doesn’t even need to say goodbye. If he goes out the door, nobody will ask whether he’s left for a minute or for good. Therefore, we’re not looking to attach anybody to us during the Convention or afterwards.

We want to continue our broadcasts on television and on the Internet, and to continue hosting conventions and gatherings such as this one, but we’re not luring anybody to us. Nobody owes us anything. A person can come, participate, and leave. He’ll decide to what extent he wants to be connected to the science of Kabbalah. It’s not even about us; it’s that all people must be connected together. First, all of Israel must unite as brothers, and then the whole world. That is our hope.

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The Zohar, Chapter “BeHaalotcha (When You Mount the Candles),” Item 4: “It is as a bridegroom coming out of his Huppah (wedding canopy).” The sun, Zeir Anpin, spreads to the west, Malchut. When the west approaches, the north side, Gevura, rises up against her first, approaches the west, and mates with her in her place. This is so because the beginning of Zivug Zeir Anpin is in the left, Gevura, which is reconciliation and obtaining permission, as it is written, “Let his left hand be under my head,” and then the south side, which is right, Hesed, as it is written, “And his right hand embraces me.” Then, “He rejoices as a strong man to run his course,” to illuminate the moon from the middle line, Yesod.

As we are reading this, we have to try to feel that we are together. We should understand that this is the only way that we can receive the revelation. We are trying to find these descriptions within ourselves regardless of whether we understand them or not. Understanding isn’t that important because the main thing is the intention.

Sometimes, The Zohar describes very vivid, impressive pictures, but one should be wary of being carried away by these descriptions. He shouldn’t perceive them as fictional literature while completely forgetting about the intention. On the contrary, when the text is completely confusing and unclear, he has no other choice but to think about the intention. Since he doesn’t understand anything, he recalls that the most important thing is the intention. He’s happy that this is what he has to work on because his mind can’t grasp what is written. He doesn’t even understand how to connect these words. Therefore, in any state, we first should try to discern our reality which is the one common desire.

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The Book of Zohar – Selections, Chapter “BeHaalotcha (When You Mount the Candles),” Item 39
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“Preface to the Wisdom of Kabbalah,” Item 179, Lesson 70
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“Introduction to the Book of Zohar,” Item 48, Lesson 22
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The Zohar, Chapter “Tazria (When A Woman Delivers),” Item 158: When affliction enters the house, the spirit of impurity that was in the house appears, and they fight one another.

This whole war occurs inside a person.

At first it seems that the spirit of impurity that was covered has reappeared, and the affliction that was revealed has been covered. Afterwards, it appears that an affliction was revealed in the house and that the spirit of impurity has been covered. It is written about that, “Shall come and tell the priest,” for it is a word of wisdom.

In spirituality, we always advance toward a greater sensation. What seemed good to me yesterday seems bad to me today. This does not mean that I descend. Rather, going around in circles like this leads to my next state.

Yesterday I thought that I reached correction. However, a few minutes went by and the next stage arose with a new Light shining (called a “new day”). This makes me see that my previous state was not good, but bad. I no longer feel that it was the same good state that I had previously. In my eyes it has turned into a bad state since I begin to evaluate it from the point of view of greater bestowal.

A person might think that he is getting nowhere or even going backwards, but in actuality he is always moving forward. Yesterday he thought that he had risen, whereas today he feels that he descended. In reality, he did not descend. He is situated on the same ascent as yesterday, however, this is how he defines his state today and it becomes a springboard for the next ascent.

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