Shamati #66 “The Giving of the Torah”
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Preface to the Wisdom of Kabbalah, Item 50
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The Book of Zohar – Selections, Chapter “VaYikra (The Lord Called),” Item 33
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A question I received: The World Zohar Convention has just ended. At the convention we saw over a thousand people of different races and nationalities many of which carry historical stereotypes. Unexpectedly, in a mere 20-30 hours all these differences disappeared giving rise to connection and love. What do we lack to be in this state continuously?
My Answer: At the convention people felt unity, inspiration, and importance of the goal. However, 20 hours have passed since the gathering, and now we can hardly remember how it was there. Everything vanishes from our senses and memory. Why can’t we to continue in this way and always be in this state?
This state just like everything else in our life cannot last long. One’s inspiration and enthusiasm reach a peak and then a person calms down. It’s impossible to stay inspired forever. This follows from the law of the inverse relationship between the Light and desire: At one moment the Light has to increase, at another the desire. They increase alternately, and through this we advance as if walking on two legs along the middle line that connects two other lines, left and right.
The two lines connect only with the purpose of pressing forward, and then to start moving again. We first move to the right where we obtain the importance of the goal, connection, and desire to continue and go. Then from the left, there comes “heaviness the heart,” so that we have something to work on and return again to the middle line. This is how we advance.
This is why this state cannot last long: It would go against nature. I would even say that no state is more undesirable than being in constant euphoria. A person has to feel that he advances, works, and overcomes some internal resistance, instead of being constantly “up in the clouds.”
Our work is to acutely feel that we give and receive something, and give again, and receive again. We have to feel resistance, actions, and achievements. This is why there is so much pleasure in hard work and difficult preparation that culminate in such a great convention where we see the results of our work and enjoy what we attained for two or three days. However, after this, we again have to return to the state of burden, overcoming, search, clarifications, and corrections so as to eventually arrive at another beautiful outcome.
It is because the Creator and creature stand opposite each other as two opposite properties: the desire to receive and the desire to bestow. Equality between them is achieved only by the means of such mutual actions. Advancement is impossible otherwise. We can’t stay in the small state (Katnut) or Hafetz Hesed: We have to move forward!
Post Zohar Convention Lesson 5/11/10
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Shamati #11: "Joy With a Quiver"
Letters are the forms of desire. The Creator created only the desire to enjoy that acquires various forms of reception and bestowal. Yet, forms of reception have no right to exist in spirituality. As to the forms of bestowal, we are only concerned with those similar to the Creator, that is, with various types of bestowal from Bina to Malchut.
Altogether, there are 27 letters: 9 come from ZAT de Bina (from Aleph to Tet), 9 from Zeir Anpin (from Yod to Tzadik), 4 are contained in Malchut (Kof, Reish, Shin, and Tav), and 5 letters are used in the end of words, MaNTZePaCH, on the Parsa. These are the forms of matter similar to the Creator or models of the correct behavior.
Therefore, when we talk about a book, word, or sentence, we talk about the matter of the desire to enjoy, which is constantly changing and acquiring different shapes like dough. This is how our desire alters its form, yearning to become similar to the Creator.
When one completes repeating the entire series of permutations from the first word (In the beginning – Beresheet) to the last (Israel), going through all the letters of the Torah, one acquires all of these forms, becomes completely similar to the Creator, and reaches the Final Correction. Hence it is said, “Inscribe the whole Torah on your heart.” The heart is the desire; the book of Torah all the existing forms of the Creator’s bestowal onto the creatures. We have to transcribe them on our desire. Then we will become similar to the Creator.
From the Evening Zohar Lesson 5/5/10
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A Guide to the Hidden Wisdom of Kabbalah: "The Ties between Letters, Words, and Numbers"
Question: Can Kabbalah combat epidemics, such as Swine Flu?
My Answer: Yes, just like everything else.
Question: How do we measure one’s adequate standard of living? Is it by the level of one’s corrected egoism? What is the condition of existing below the standard of living and at it?
My Answer: It will be determined as you advance toward the “human” level of existence. This level itself will define what you need or don’t need. The same will happen with every person.
Question: You said Kabbalah has no meditation. But I read that one of the most important Kabbalists, Rav Abraham Abulafia (sec XIII), brought a meditation method that had been used for generations. What’s your opinion about this?
My Answer: Contrary to what is ascribed to him, Abulafia wasn’t a founder of meditation. He was a very realistic Kabbalist. Inability to understand his writings, as those of other Kabbalists, creates such an impression for laymen.
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The Book of Zohar – Selections, Chapter “VaYikra (The Lord Called),” Item 17
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The World Zohar Convention marks the beginning of a new phase. The convention has transformed us significantly. We also feel how the world is changing in the light of the latest events. Its problems will only intensify.
We have to reach the ultimate goal. Imagine that humanity is a runner who is beaten along his way and these blows give him strength to continue to the finish line. He must run and reach the goal. The time is set for him; he has no choice but to come to the finish line. He can only choose to run with the desire for the goal or to wait for the blows and run trying to escape them.
There is also the third path. By uniting we can trigger the force within us which will make it easy to rise to the goal. It will take us on its wings like an eagle takes its nestlings, and it will lift us up.
However, we cannot abandon the world and rise on the wings of the eagle, Bina, by ourselves. We have to stay connected with the entire world. We will ascend only if we think of all people and give ourselves to them. This seems to be a contradiction. Yet the world is standing on the brink of an abyss, and we have to help it rise on the eagle’s wings.
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Post Zohar Convention Lesson 5/11/10
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A Question I Received: Could you describe your first spiritual experience, the first encounter with the Upper Light? What is this feeling like?
My Answer: The first spiritual experience is common for all because in general, people go through the same states. When a person first encounters the Light, he or she feels that the whole world is filled with love, like one warm force without any limitations. It is a warm and kind sensation, and the whole world is perceived that way. A person sees the usual world around him, yet feels that the air has become thicker, warmer, and gentler. There is a sensation of being treated softly and gently.
Such is the first spiritual sensation that comes to a person. As a rule, one forgets about it. Regardless, it occurs in order to give a person some proof and support, to build new vessels of perception (Kelim) within the person, making advancement possible.
After this first spiritual experience, which is given to a person from Above, one must exert great effort in order to achieve the same sensation independently. Later, sensations that are a billion times stronger follow. However, one will already dominate over them, understand them, and work with these sensations.
All of these impressions, starting with the very first one, are felt by a person within the developing point in the heart. It is inside the spiritual vessel of perception (Kli) rather than within the bounds of physiological or psychological phenomena.
From the 8th lesson at the World Zohar Convention 5/9/10
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What is the difference between the World of Infinity and our world? In the World of Infinity everything exists inside one closed space, where we are all together, everything is shared, everything belongs to all and to every person, and there is no difference between myself and others, or between what belongs to me and to others. Everything exists without any boundaries.
In our world everything is the opposite. Everything is absolutely divided and a person is always guarding his boundaries whether he wants to or not. He has to break down these boundaries in order to come close to another person even slightly. Then he once again closes himself off inside as if nature is pulling him back. And then he once again wants to come closer to others and after that he escapes inside himself again.
Therefore, as long as we don’t attain Infinity, there is a very important principle for our spiritual work. It is the same principle that guides the functioning of an oscillatory circuit which consists of a condenser and an induction spring connected into an electrical chain.
If we supply energy to the circuit it first passes through the condenser, then through the spring, and then it again enters the condenser, and then once again the spring. That is how it oscillates between them.
This principle operates elsewhere as well besides electrical chains because whatever takes place in one of nature’s mechanisms also works in all of nature and all of its parts. However, it takes place in different forms depending on the type of system it is (whether physical, biological, or social, meaning a person’s relationship with society).
Therefore, my relationship with the group must be built on the same principle: When I feel inspiration and the importance of the goal, I have to pass them on to the group; and when I feel empty, I receive inspiration from the group which I contributed to it before. It becomes multiplied by the might of the group. That is how we take turns working within a closed chain.
From the 9th lesson of the World Zohar Convention 5/9/10
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The Zohar, Chapter “VaYikra (The Lord Called),” Item 16: But now, after the Vav illuminated, meaning the middle line, when all four lights in the letters Yod–Kof–Reish–Aleph were opened, he [Moses] could come to the tent of meeting.
Only in the middle line can one enter the tent of meeting (Malchut) and pass the Lights into these desires (Kelim) through the three lines. This points to the main principle: One can receive the Light only by repelling it from oneself. If the Light of Hassadim, the Reflected Light, rises from the screen from below upward, we can receive the Light of Hochma into it.
In other words, if I desire to fill another person, and I give everything that goes through me to him (I push everything away from myself), then all the Lights can go through me, and I too will receive them. However, this will already be reception from below upward, with the help of a screen, which is in opposition to my ego. Then, as it is written, “Moses could come to the tent of meeting.”
If we wait for the Lights to be revealed in our desires, this will be for the sake of reception, and the revelation of the Lights will not be permitted. Therefore, the condition for receiving the Lights is “love your neighbor as yourself.” Everything can pass through you if you act for the sake of the neighbor. Then you delight by receiving both what comes to you and with what you fill the whole Malchut of Infinity. All these Lights are yours. This is the only way to receive them.
Herein lies the wisdom of receiving – the science of Kabbalah, a science about how to receive the Light by reflecting it. We are now situated in the Light of Infinity as well; it is present here and now. However, we do not see or feel it since first we have to acquire an ability to repel it, to arm ourselves with the Light of Hassadim. Only then will the Light of Hochma be revealed in the Light of Hassadim.
From the Evening Zohar Lesson 5/5/10
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A question I received: After all is said and done, what is the secret of attaining the goal? There has to be one, since only a small percentage of people who come to the science of Kabbalah are able to attain it.
My Answer: I will let you in on a secret: If a person does not leave the path, then no matter what happens to him along the way, he attains the goal. There is no other formula for success.
A person goes through very difficult states. Sometimes he looks back and can’t even believe all of the things that happened to him. However, no matter what takes place at every moment, he must only see one goal before him, and that is the key to success. Besides this, nothing else is important.
Therefore, I could wish a person just one thing: Stubbornness in attaining the goal! Nothing else will help, neither a special mind or refined sensitivity, nor hard efforts, knowledge or even friends who are beside you. You just have to grip the goal with your teeth like a bulldog and don’t let go of it no matter what happens.
Post Zohar Convention Lesson 5/11/10
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Video: Importance Of The Goal – 5 Minutes Of Light (5:09)
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