“Introduction of The Book of Zohar,” Article “The Donkey Driver,” Item 88: They said to him, “But you have not told us your name, and where is your dwelling place?”

He replied to them, “My dwelling place is good and of great value to me. It is a tower floating in the air, great and honorable. And those who dwell in that tower are the Creator and one poor man. This is my dwelling place."

It is a problem when during the reading of The Zohar we begin to enjoy the narration because the pleasure muffles our inner search.

Question: But what do I need to look for here?

Answer: Let us say that I am taking a walk with my friend, and we receive pleasure from it on the spot. We are walking and enjoying every step of the way: The birds are singing, the grass is green, there is a nice breeze, the sun is shining. This is called a stroll because we enjoy the actual walk.

But there is another way to walk. We walk covered in sweat, it’s hard for us, and we curse the entire journey. But why do we continue walking? It’s because we want to reach the goal, and it is impossible to make it there in a nice and pleasant way. The path is so unpleasant that we would gladly give it up if we were able to reach the goal in one jump.

Basically, there are different ways to treat the journey: as a walk or as a means to reach the goal. The walk is not a means; it is a goal in its own, which we immediately attain. Now you need to decide for yourself the process that you are in: Are you even moving? Are you taking a walk? Or are you walking towards the goal?

If you read The Zohar and enjoy the actual reading, you are taking a walk. You feel good and you are not thinking about the distant goal. “What a beautiful narration! I am enjoying every word!” This is a walk.

You lack the intention, the inner search, the aspiration of unity with friends. You will see it as soon as you think about connecting. And then this will no longer be a walk, but a journey toward the goal.
[32504]
From the 2nd part of the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 1/11/2011, “Introduction of The Book of Zohar,” Article “The Donkey Driver”

Related Material:
Remote Control For The Soul
What Kind Of Changes Are Waiting For You
A Challenge For The Imagination

Filed under: Daily Kabbalah Lesson, Group Work, Inner Work, Q&A, Zohar | Add Comment →