Before Baal HaSulam there were two methods of correction (or of studying Kabbalah): through the mind (the method of the Ari) and through the heart (the method of Baal Shem Tov). Baal HaSulam took both of these approaches and unified them into the middle, third line, creating an effective, precise, and simple method that is suitable for the modern souls. It is the only means enabling us to attain correction.

The scientific part of Kabbalah is based on the Ari, while the inner work comes from Baal Shem Tov. Baal HaSulam wrote the book, Talmud Eser Sefirot based on The Tree of Life by the Ari, adapting it to our generation. However, if you look at his entire teaching as a complex, then the four compositions Talmud Eser Sefirot, Panim Meirot, “Preface to the Wisdom of Kabbalah,” and “Preface to the Sulam Commentary” are devoted to the "physics" of the Upper World and are based on the teaching of the Ari, while all the other articles are devoted to a person’s inner work and are based on the method of Baal Shem Tov.

The Light of Correction comes to us while studying the "physics" of the Upper World, but it only comes through the group. If the group is not organized correctly, does not study together, and does not desire to unite, then it is impossible to attract the Light. The group is the magnet that attracts the Light that Reforms. And it must have a form that makes it ready for correction. Everyone must expect it!

We must reveal two things: 1.) our evil and lack of unity, 2.) the desirable state, the state of universal connection. We must expect that we will go from the first state to the second state with the help of the force called “the Light that Reforms.” The group is obligated to understand this very clearly since otherwise what kind of Light would you be able to attract? The spiritual vessel or desire must precede the Light.

This is why all of creation was created and why it develops until the very World of Infinity: It is in order to create a need to reveal the Creator in creation. We are not required to reveal the Creator or the Light! We have to reveal the creation! We have to understand that creation was not created in order to remain a point and to live as an animal. Rather, its destiny is to become an independent individual that has freedom of will. Therefore, our desire must always come first (Kli Kodem Le Ohr).

From the 4th part of the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 8/9/10, “Introduction to the Book, Panim Meirot uMasbirot”

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It is written, “You will eat what has long been laid in store for you.” We exist in the same place in the same state, and nothing changes. Everything has already been created by the Creator in His initial plan, and plan and action are inseparable for Him. He wished to create creatures that are equal to Him and in adhesion with Him, and His desire itself signifies action.

Then, what are the past, present, and future? All this exists only in relation to us, while in reality there is no time. It is impossible to say what happened earlier or later and what existed before this desire emerged in the Creator.

We are incapable of speaking and thinking beyond the concept of time. As soon as we leave the boundaries of time, all our words fade since our whole life rests on the concepts of “before” and “after,” and all our sensations are connected to time. Therefore, only by coming out of ourselves from egoism to bestowal do we lose our “pulse,” the sensation of time that lives within us, and begin to understand what life above time is.

We exist in an eternal and unchanging reality. All we do is attain it in relation to ourselves. This is much like an unconscious person who gradually regains consciousness. He is in the same reality but does not perceive it. Bit by bit, he reestablishes his perception. This is what happens to us as well.

The entire wisdom of Kabbalah is devoted to helping us come to our senses and to bringing us to complete consciousness. In fact, this is what is meant by complete correction. And Kabbalists don’t tell us what will happen later. The development after our correction will require completely new senses.

From the 4th part of the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 8/6/10, Article “The Teaching of the Kabbalah and Its Essence”

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When a person comes to study Kabbalah with the question, “What am I living for and why?” it is necessary to explain to him the following:
1. What this desire is that has emerged in him and what kind of fulfillment it demands;
2. What is human nature (the ego, the source of evil), how to correct it, and that this is our only free action (freedom of will).

To accomplish this it is necessary to study Baal HaSulam’s articles with him, especially “The Freedom” and “The Essence of the Wisdom of Kabbalah,” which explain that the revelation of the Creator to the created beings is the means to attain the goal of creation. Other articles by Baal HaSulam help a beginning student form an integral picture of existence: the worlds, the beginning, the development, the goal of every element of creation, evil and suffering as the force of movement, and so on.

When a person has the general picture, he goes on to discern: How does advancement and correction take place? He learns that the soul is the main creation which was broken by the Creator and then becomes corrected by us. To accomplish this one already needs the articles of Rabash. Their purpose is to put a person into his place inside the society in order to discern the breaking and what needs to be corrected. How do you correct the breaking of the souls?

That is why we are studying together using Kabbalah books, in particular, the books of Baal HaSulam because they are able to give our generation the force, the Light that Reforms and corrects us until we reach the level of the Source.

It is not necessary to go through this material in order because a person goes through different states. A beginner finds himself in the middle of the study process, but that doesn’t matter. What counts is that he is working together with everyone because we are all inter-included and intertwined in our souls and desires.

Therefore, it is not so important which article you begin studying, but it is best to have a clear order of study which is directly aimed at the goal.

From the 4th part of the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 8/9/10, “Introduction to the Book, Panim Meirot uMasbirot”

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There is no greater joy than resolving doubts. Doubt arises from the difference between reception and bestowal, the Light and desire. If I eliminate this difference and bring them into unification or oneness, there is no greater pleasure than their adhesion. The two seemingly opposite things suddenly unite. They come to agreement and peace, and this leads to an explosion of joy. I am created in such a way that I feel pleasure from this.

Pleasure is a result of the revelation of the Light within the spiritual vessel or desire. The Light can be revealed only to the extent that the desire corresponds to it. So, what do I perceive? Is it my own desire? No, it isn’t. Or maybe it’s the Light? No, it’s not the Light either. I perceive the result of their interaction either as suffering or as pleasure.

From the 4th part of the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 8/6/10, “The Teaching of the Kabbalah and Its Essence”

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Dear Friends, please ask questions about passages from the great Kabbalists. I promise to answer them. The commentaries in brackets are mine.

The Wisdom of Kabbalah and Philosophy

Since the day I have discovered the wisdom of Kabbalah and dedicated myself to it, I have distanced myself from abstract philosophy [its conclusions and reasoning] and all its branches as much as the east is from the west. Everything that I will write henceforth will be from a purely scientific  perspective, in utter precision [of definitions based on practical, repeatable experiment], and by means of simple recognition of practical, useful things.
– Baal HaSulam, “Body and Soul”

Needless to say, today our generation has already recognized that metaphysical philosophy contains no real [based on practical experiment] content upon which it is worthwhile to spend one’s time. Hence, it is certainly forbidden for anyone to take any spices from their words [for examining oneself, the world, and their reasons and purposes].
– Baal HaSulam, “Body and Soul”

Philosophy loves to concern itself with His Essence and [seemingly] prove which rules do not apply to Him [based on negation]. However, Kabbalah has no dealings whatsoever with it, for how can the unattainable and imperceptible [that has no practical experimental data but only one’s own guess work] be defined?
– Baal HaSulam, “The Wisdom of Kabbalah and Philosophy”

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Baal HaSulam’s article “The Teaching of the Kabbalah and Its Essence,” section “Spiritual Expressions”: The spiritual has no image, hence it has no letters to contemplate with. Even if we declare in general that it is Simple Light, which descends and extends to the seeker until one clothes and attains it in the amount sufficient for His revelation, this, too, is a borrowed expression. This is so because everything that is called “Light” in the spiritual world is not like the light of the sun or candlelight.

For a person who does not yet perceive spirituality, spiritual concepts are a total jumble of abstract words. He is like child who doesn’t understand the meaning of the words and simply repeats after adults. And when you reproach him with “What have you done?” he cheerfully echoes, “What have you done!”

In other words, we do not understand the spiritual phenomena the words reflect, and like children repeat the words after the Kabbalists. Yet, gradually we have to approach their true meaning and feel what is hidden behind these words.

All spiritual concepts express a desire and the sensations within a desire since nothing else exists in the whole of reality. There is a desire (spiritual vessel) and something that enters it. The impression within a desire is called “the Light.”

Desire is divided into five levels: Keter, Hochma, Bina, Zeir Anpin, and Malchut. Accordingly, we reveal within desire five types of the Light: Nefesh, Ruach, Neshama, Haya, and Yechida. The sum of these five Lights and five desires defines the “name of the Creator,” meaning someone who influences me. The Creator is the one who created desires in me and gave me screens for them. He is the one who arranged everything in a manner that I feel His impact the way I do. He did everything. All I do is feel the consequences of His actions.

Therefore, all I perceive is called “the work of the Creator.” I call Him by the name that is instigated by the sum of my desires and Lights that I feel in them, that is, by the impression I receive. This is how words are formed in spirituality.

We only need to understand ourselves, and then we will reveal the Creator within us. This is why we call Him “Bo-reh” (come and see). The name of the Creator is me sensing His property of bestowal appearing in me. At first, we, like children, repeat vague words after Kabbalists: Keter, Hochma, Bina, AB, SAG, and so forth. Eventually, however, we will have to attain their meaning and begin sensing them.

From the 4th part of the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 8/6/10, “The Teaching of the Kabbalah and Its Essence”

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Kabbalah TV Channel 66’s Kabbalah for Beginners, “Tishri Holidays”
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Excerpts from my upcoming book, A Guide to The Book of Zohar

The Upper worlds do not exist in corporeal space; rather, they are like qualities without space, volume, weight, or size. When a person exists in his inherited egoistic desire, his qualities paint for him the picture of “this world.” But once the “point in the heart” awakens in him, he begins to want to attain the Upper dimension.

By working on himself in a group of friends who study the wisdom of Kabbalah, he begins to draw the Light from the degree of “Infinity” which descends onto him from Above through all the worlds. This Light creates within him the need to achieve the quality of bestowal (Malchut of the World of Atzilut) along with his group. Having achieved that level, he begins to feel the Creator and to bestow to Him just as the Creator bestows to the person.

The common desire of the souls united in the Malchut of the World of Atzilut ascends to Zeir Anpin, then higher to Aba ve Ima, and higher still to the World of Infinity. Then the Light descends from the World of Infinity through all the degrees back to the souls and fulfills them. With this fulfillment the souls grow and unite with Zeir Anpin who bestows to them. This is called the unification of ZA and Malchut, the Creator (Kadosh Baruch Hu) and Shechina, the merging of the souls with the Creator.

Many such actions are necessary before all the desires within the souls actualize themselves and bring about the adhesion with the Creator. When all the desires are corrected and bestowing to the Creator, just as the Creator bestows to them, it will be the end of correction (Gmar Tikkun).

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Baal HaSulam’s article “Preface to Panim Meirot uMasbirot,” Item 7: Now you can understand their words about the verse, “I, the Lord, will hasten it in its time.” The Sanhedrin (98) interpreted, “Not rewarded – in its time; rewarded – I will hasten it.”

Thus, there are two ways to attain the above-mentioned goal. Through their own attention is called a “Path of Repentance.” If they are awarded that, then “I will hasten it” will be applied to them. This means that there is no set time for it, but when they are awarded, the correction ends, of course.

If they are not awarded the attention, there is another way, called “Path of Suffering.” As the Sanhedrin said (97), “I place upon them a king such as Haman, and they will repent against their will,” meaning in its time, for in that there is a set time.

There are two paths before us that lead to the same goal, and we are at their intersection. At every given moment we should feel that we are at the crossroads that determines our freedom of will, and the choice here is very simple: to take the path of the Light or the path of suffering.

A third path does not exist. We must advance by one of these two paths and decide at every given moment what our next step will be. Your foot is already up in the air, and now you have to choose where to land it: on the path of Light or on the path of suffering.

The moment will pass, and you will once again have to make a choice. Your foot has been lifted from Above to force you to make a step, and it is up to you where to place it, on which of the two paths. In accordance with our choice, you will receive the strength and the means to advance since you have to keep moving ahead, one way or the other.

If you advance by the path of “Beito” (natural development, in due time), the forces of nature are pushing you onward against our egoism since you wish to advance led by your ego. Hence, you are impacted by the forces that oppose your egoism, trying to keep you in bestowal. But on the path of “Ahishena” (hastening time), you start to consciously convince yourself through the environment that being in bestowal is worthwhile. Thereby you draw the Surrounding Light, and it returns you to goodness.

On the path of “Beito,” you receive blows and learn through them. Sooner or later it will result in your request or prayer for correction and advancement like you would have by the path of “Ahishena.” Conversely, if you initially take the path of the Light, you will save time on the first segment of the path, where you would have otherwise wasted time through your lack of desire to listen and exert your own effort.

There is no time to think about where to land our foot! Everything depends on the preparation of the spiritual environment.

From the 4th part of the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 8/4/10, “Introduction to the Book, Panim Meirot uMasbirot”

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