Kabbalistic books tell us about our future states that we have to discover within ourselves by ascribing them the names of the spiritual worlds, Sefirot, and Partzufim. By combing our desires to achieve this, we will create a demand for correction that will draw the reaction of the Light. It will add the intention of bestowal to our desire, and we will start perceiving what the Kabbalists describe to us.

All these future states that we wish to attain and sense – AB, SAG, Abba ve Ima, Zivugim, and Partzufim – relate only to the connection between us, that is, to various types of bestowal. This connection begins at the level of this world (this is what our current connection is called) and extending over the steps of the spiritual worlds, reaches the connection called Infinity (limitless connection among everybody).

Infinity means the absence of boundaries when all souls are corrected to such a degree that they unite as one whole. Although we’re not in this state yet, it should be our immediate goal. We should aspire to be as “one man with one heart” and anticipate it happening.

It’s very important to transition from the external perception to the internal one where all the worlds and everything that there is exist within a person. We don’t understand what “within a person” means, so we imagine geometrical space, but we should constantly work on the correct picture. In the beginning of the path, a person imagines his inner work, spirituality, and the group in a very peculiar way. However, as he advances, he should assure that all the pictures, forms, approaches, transformations, and the goal itself align themselves into a single point. Besides this point, there isn’t any other space.

Thus, you begin to imagine everything only in the point of your perception, and thereby return to the point of creation, “Yesh Mi Ain” (existence from absence). This is not a fantasy. In fact, now we are constantly living in a fantasy for everybody exists in his own imaginary world.

From the Talk about a New Internet 6/4/10

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A question I received: What is the creature that Kabbalah talks about all the time? Are we creatures or not? What makes someone a creature; is it a special desire or state? For example, are a cow, cat, or dog creatures or not? They seem to exist, yet they have no freedom of will so can someone without free will be called a creature? If so, then it seems metal could also be called a creature. If a creature is something that has free will, then can we be called creatures? Maybe a creature is only one who knows the Creator, communicates with Him, and mutually bestows to Him? In other words, is a creature a measure of being similar to the Creator?

My Answer: The Creator and the creature exist together, in one desire. The creature bestows to the Creator, and the Creator to the creature. The Creator and the creature both make decisions. The creature exists if it perceives the Creator; it is a creature to a smaller or a larger degree according to the measure to which it feels the Creator, that is, is similar to Him. A creature is not simply a controllable robot under the complete rule of the Creator.

For this reason, the creature begins with the union of Malchut with Bina, that is, when Malchut rises to Bina and forces her to either open or close herself. This indicates that someone else beside the Creator is performing actions.

Hence an independent creature standing opposite to the Creator is born following an entire sequence of events. It isn’t that simple to accept the forces of love of bestowal from Bina or to gain the strength to renounce one’s egoism. And it’s equally hard to rise to Bina, restrict her, and say: “Don’t give me anything, I’m unable to receive unselfishly.”

I want to receive; yet I can’t because that will bring me spiritual death. If I do receive, I will stop being independent; that is, I will die as a creature. The Upper One has everything that I want, but I ask Him not to reveal Himself, not to give me anything. I restrict Him by myself so that He won’t give me anything.

Only after I restrict the Upper One do I start to gradually reveal myself to Him. I regulate the Light coming from Above by myself and determine the way, the amount, and the conditions of receiving it. And by acquiring  multi-sided fulfillment, I acquire the form of the creature, which is my similarity to the Creator.

I cannot do it alone. I have to accumulate the desire, which comes from the group, and the strength, which comes from the Light that Reforms, and the Light enables us to become similar to the Creator.

From the 2nd part of the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 6/9/10, “Preface to the Sulam Commentary”

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According to the Kabbalists, The Zohar is the most effective part of the entire Torah and of all Kabbalah books. Why? These books are called holy (the property of Bina) because they are written from the heights of spiritual attainment. Therefore, by reading them, we can attract upon ourselves the Light that brings us back to the Creator (to similarity to Him).

However, we can correct the desire to receive only by the desire to correct ourselves for there is no Light, no fulfillment without a desire. Hence, we have to demand for the Light to act upon and transform us. This Light is called the “Surrounding Light” because it shines on us from afar. Under the influence of the Light, our “evil intention” turns into a good one. Then, to the measure to which the desire resembles the Light, the Light fills it.

Hence to prepare for the study of the Torah means to acquire the desire for correction. This desire is preceded by realizing that our nature is evil (for us). The evil in our nature is our inability to unite with each other! Our unification is precisely the vessel where our Upper, spiritual life can be revealed.

For this reason, we have to try to establish a connection with each other and to unite together. This is described in the writings when Israel stood at the foot of  Mount Sinai: “as one man with one heart,” “all of Israel are friends,” and  “love thy neighbor as you love thyself.” After we discover our inability to unite and start feeling what prevents us from achieving our good state, then MAN, a true prayer, the wish to become corrected, will emerge within us.

That is, preparation for studying the Torah amounts to our efforts to unite, feeling how incapable we are of doing it, and realizing this state as evil, as an obstacle on the path toward good. That is, the Torah study comes after the correct preparation; MAN emerges itself.

We can think and clarify all of it already while we read The Book of the Zohar. Meanwhile, the Light will help us in our work.

From the 1st part of the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 6/9/10, The Zohar

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Pictures from the Hebrew Book Week in Israel, June 2-12, 2010.

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The Book of Zohar – Selections, Chapter “VaYigash (Then Judah Approached),” Item 106
When one experiences a “hardening of the heart”, he should lower his head and immerse himself in a group. The group’s strength will help deal with the raging egoism.
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Rav Yehuda Ashlag, “Preface to the Sulam Commentary,” Item 54
The creation is someone who gradually builds within himself the Creator’s form.
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Rav Yehuda Ashlag, Introduction to the Study of the Ten Sefirot, Item 44
The Creator will never give up concealment. We rise above the concealment, above the receiving nature, and reveal Him.
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Writings of Rabash, Article “Could Anything Negative Come Down from the Sky?” Page 37, 1984  
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A question I received: If, over the course of the day, I listen to The Zohar alone, do I thereby also draw the Surrounding Light?

My Answer: There is no time, motion, or space in spirituality. Aren’t the righteous, the authors of The Zohar, who physically left our world two thousand years ago, still with us today?

The ARI said to his students prior to his death, "If you merit, I will come and teach you." Not having understood him, one of his students asked, "How will you come if you are leaving this world now?" "The mystery is not under your conduct," the ARI replied.

Such inner connection is revealed within a person much more clearly than physical contact. Therefore, we are together with all the souls that have already merited the revelation and with all our friends that aspire to it. In this manner we will, all together, merit revelation as well.

From the 1st part of the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 6/8/10, The Zohar

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The Zohar, Chapter “VaYigash (Then Judah Approached),” Item 102: …“A voice is heard in Ramah [also means ‘height’ in Hebrew]” Voice is the Nukva which ascended and is heard in Bina, which is called Ramah (the height), the Upper world. “In Ramah” means that the Nukva dresses Bina’s left line, as it is written: “And in that day did the Lord, the God of hosts, call to weeping, and to lamentation…” This is caused by the awakening of the large vessels that are located there. They block all its lights, and this is the second correction. Then, “The river shall be drained dry,” meaning the two Temples are ruined.

The breaking of the common soul was necessary for its later correction, so that through the process, the design of the Creator could be understood. In the science of Kabbalah, we study everything that happened in the Upper Worlds, all the preparation for the creation of our world. Only beginning with our world, do we start the corrections, which occur from below upward.

We should view our history exactly like that. The ruining of the First and the Second Temples and all that we have gone through during history was only the preparation performed from Above downward. And only now we are beginning the correction, the ascension from below upward.

It is written in the Talmud Eser Sefirot and the “Preface to the Science of Kabbalah,” all that takes place in the Upper Worlds including the breaking of the common soul was implemented from Above downward by the will of the Upper Force without any interference by the lower one.

The lower begins to act only now, after the mixing of all the desires and after the last exile, now when the possibility of (space for) free will arises, now when The Zohar is revealed, and now that all the conditions for ascension have been arranged.

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Kabbalah for the Nation Introductory Lecture Series, “Purpose of Creation”
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A Discussion About The Nature of the Female Part of the Soul
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