“Introduction of The Book of Zohar,” Article “The Donkey Driver,” Item 81: “My Sabbaths.” Et [“of,” this word appears only in the Hebrew of “My Sabbaths”] comes to include the Sabbath zone, two thousand cubits to each side. This is why he added the word Et [Aleph-Tav]. “My Sabbaths” is in plural form, the upper Sabbath and the lower Sabbath: two are included together and concealed together.

Sabbath stands for complete correction (Gmar Tikkun). In reference to time, the entire process when we are preparing ourselves for the complete correction is called “Saturday night,” and in reference to distance it is called “2000 cubits.”

All of us have already entered into that period. This is a reason why the world is experiencing all these painful events which force us to hasten our correction.
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From the 2nd part of the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 1/10/2011, “Introduction of The Book of Zohar,” Article “The Donkey Driver”

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Question: How is it possible to differentiate a real desire from an excessive one? How can I know that I’m not asking for excessive things?

Answer: Bestowal is never excessive. It is unlimited because there was no restriction on the Light of Hassadim. Ask as much as you want; don’t limit yourself. The most exorbitant requests are fine. There is no calculation with the Light of Hassadim.

The calculation begins only when you shift from the Light of Hassadim to the Light of Hochma, reception.
From the 1st part of the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 1/26/11, Writings of Rabash

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Question: Why did Kabbalists keep Kabbalah hidden from the people of Israel for thousands of years, while they did reveal its secrets to the Greek philosophers?

Answer: It had occurred long before, hundreds of years before the fall of the Second Temple. At that time, many scientists and philosophers of the nations of the world (not only the Greeks) used to come to study with Kabbalists. They were studying the people of Israel, attempting to understand them.

As an example, Alexander the Great, who started with the goal of expanding civilization throughout the world, used to surround himself with scientists and philosophers who studied the life of the people of Israel at that time. That is why he treated them so benevolently.

Scientists strived to comprehend the wisdom practiced among the ancient people of Israel who lived according to spiritual laws. This wisdom was visible to the naked eye, and based on how the government and society were arranged, it was evident that these people’s lives were founded on unique traditions.

There was an enormous difference in how the people of Israel lived compared to other nations, considering we are speaking about barbaric times. In Israel, the system of social relations was perfect in that a person was completely secured, more than by today’s medical insurance or unemployment benefits.

The Talmud describes those times in the following way: There was no child who didn’t know how to read and write or how the world was arranged. The educational system (Levites) included every person. This was first established by Moses while in the desert after the exodus from Egypt.

There was no lawlessness since it is written, “Anyone who buys a Hebrew slave, it is as though he buys a master for himself.” There was no division into upper and lower classes in the society. Never were people recognized for their wealth, unlike in the other nations. Rather, it was the sages who were honored.

People who came to visit from other places were surprised and couldn’t understand how it was done. It might work if such rules were established in a small community, but to have such laws govern the whole nation? After all, no less than three million people departed from Egypt, who later multiplied. In those times, it was a large nation.

There was such a bond between people, such a system of justice, special events and holidays, and an accurate calendar that the people followed so that everything was organized like in a fine clock mechanism in sync with the upper clock. This clock ruled over the entire public life since it was an absolutely perfect system, identical to the spiritual one.

Everybody knew what he or she was supposed to do; they knew it internally! There was no need for a ruler who would have to enforce order by military force and police that would control and punish. Every person innately felt how they should act, and this was a society of integral equality.

A king would serve the people, rather than abuse his power. It was a totally reversed pyramid. The one who had a more exalted position felt even greater responsibility for the others.

It was radically different from how other peoples lived, and this is why their sages came to study. It was an era of prophets from whom many scientists of other nations gained their knowledge. Naturally, just like Abraham wished to transform all of Ancient Babylon, the prophets never rejected those who desired to learn the laws of the universe.
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From the 4th part of the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 1/10/2011, “The Wisdom of Kabbalah and Philosophy”

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Dear Friends, please ask questions about these passages from the great Kabbalists. The commentaries in brackets are mine.

What Is a Prayer?

There is no happier state in a man’s world than when he finds himself despaired with his own powers, meaning that he has already toiled and did everything he could possibly do, but there is no cure. This is so because at that time, he is worthy of a whole prayer for His help, for he knows for certain that his own work will not yield him the benefit. As long as he feels that he has some power of his own for the work, his prayer is not whole since the evil inclination rushes in and tells him that first, he must do all that he can, and then he will be desirable to the Creator.

It is said about that, “The Lord is high and the low will see.” After one has exerted in all sorts of labors and has become disillusioned, he arrives at a point of true lowliness. He knows that he is the lowest of all people because there is nothing in his entire body that is good. At that time, his prayer is whole and he is answered by His generous hand. The writi

ng says about that, “And the people of Israel sighed because of the labor…and their cry rose.
– Baal HaSulam, Letter no. 57
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Question: Why can’t I ask for correction on behalf of all? And if I do, how do I make sure that my plea is for all and that I am not deceiving myself?

Answer: A person pleads from an aching heart. But this is why we are given a mind, the environment, and the Surrounding Light so that we don’t act solely from our egoistic desire.

What I feel within my desire is regarded as a prayer. If I am simply chanting some words while my heart feels something totally different, it won’t help. You may fool somebody else this way, but it doesn’t work with the Creator.

This is why I have such instruments as the teacher, the group, and Kabbalistic texts. All together, it is regarded as the “environment.” I turn to this environment artificially and wish to receive support and additional strength from it. The environment starts influencing me in response, which is called the “environment’s support.”

But if through the teacher I turn to the group, and through the group to the text, then in the end of this chain I come to the Creator who is revealed within this environment. And as a result, I draw His assistance while the environment becomes a means for me. In that case, I receive not just support, but correction.

Everything depends on how I turn to the environment and how I arrange it relative to me: whether I turn to its most internal part or only the external one. The other key is whether I use it egoistically or not. But in the end, everything is measured by what kind of prayer I produce as a result.

If later this plea returns to the environment yet again, and I wish to reveal the Creator there, it means that my first chain of actions was correct. If, as a result of studying, working, and everything I do, I eventually begin to associate my future with the group, with the correct transformed system of ties between us, and look for the Creator as well as for all my future fulfillment there, then I had been doing the job right!
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From the 3rd part of the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 1/23/2011, Talmud Eser Sefirot

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Question: Today I am unable to ask even for my own correction, so how can I ask for the entire world?

Answer: To ask for oneself or for the world is the same thing. Suppose you don’t have enough air. But we all have to breathe, so if others don’t have it, I won’t have it either, and if there is air, it will be for all. It cannot be sliced.

It’s impossible to ask for an individual correction since correction is based precisely on our unification. One can’t ask the Light for oneself because the Light is a universal force of bestowal that dwells between us. If I am an element of an electrical network, how can I ask for the current to pass only through me? It cannot reach me if it doesn’t pass through the entire network.

This should help us comprehend the nature of the global, integrated world which we are beginning to feel now. You can’t ask anything for yourself; it won’t help. If you keep trying to isolate yourself, you will only draw greater blows upon yourself.

Your plea for yourself, your protectionism, “separatism” will help you only in realizing your evil. You will be forced to admit that you are asking incorrectly! And how can this knowledge be passed onto you except by blows? The more you pray about your own well-being, the more you will be beaten until you learn that you can’t ask only for yourself.

You will see that not only does it not help, but it also brings an opposite result. At some point you will realize that fulfillment can be only collective. And if everybody doesn’t receive it, then you won’t get it either for you are the last one in line for it!

Understand what the Creator wants to teach you. And the sooner you will grasp it, the better. After all, if He has to use a number of blows to show you your place in the very end of this chain, how long are you willing to suffer? You’d better learn it fast so you can start living accordingly.

Granted, right now it seems absolutely unreal and undesirable to you. But on the other hand, there is no choice: You will have to come to the same conclusion anyway. So try whatever you may to fool your egoism and run ahead of the blows by asking for the correction of all at least artificially.

During the lesson, let’s ask the Light to come and give us this experience, understanding, direction,and a minimal aspiration for this goal. Let’s do it for pragmatic reasons at least, in order to avoid the blows. After all, everyone receives fulfillment last.
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From the 3rd part of the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 1/23/2011, Talmud Eser Sefirot

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The Book of Zohar, Weekly Torah Portion “Mishpatim,” Selected Excerpts
Download: WMV Video|MP3 Audio

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If life passes, and there are good and bad states in it, then the entire wisdom lies in our ability to enjoy the unpleasant states as well. This is what we call life wisdom: How to treat what is bad so that to see in it either our attitude to, preparation for, or part of a good state.

In fact, it is truly so, similar to feeling hungry before being satiated or tired before getting much desired rest. It cannot be otherwise. There has to be “darkness” before the “dawn,” as it is written: “And there was evening and there was morning.”

For example, I enjoy the thought that soon I am going on vacation. Then part of this vacation I am experiencing already, right now, although realistically it hasn’t started for me yet.

Then I start thinking: “Do I really need to be on vacation? Or, can I start enjoying it right here and now even more than when it starts?” And indeed, when we actually go on vacation, we don’t enjoy it as much because we enjoy the anticipation of and preparation for it.

That’s what the wisdom of life is. When we use it, we always live in beautiful illusions and enjoy each moment. And this is an authentic approach since we never get fulfilled within the desire. Everything lies solely above it.
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From the Talk with Rachel Laitman, before shooting a TV show 1/19/2011

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Question: If all that is needed from the creatures is preparation, what principle does it bring into our work?

Answer: All work is done by the Creator; everything comes from Above, and nothing is up to the Kelim (vessels, desires) except for the cooperative preparation of their attitude to the Giver, to the Creator. Everyone exists together with other souls, with all other created beings and the Creator, the Source. This is the only way we should prepare ourselves.

The principle is very simple. We have to discuss it over and over again, think about it, play with it so that we process it better and better in our desires and thoughts. The vital moment here is to use the environment: We strive to establish interconnection, unite as equals with each other. And as soon as we reveal even a drop of this connection, we will immediately be able to establish a connection with the Creator, the Giver. This is what our first spiritual step will be.

Afterwards, having bonded even tighter, we will enter the second rung of connection with the Creator. And so forth at each new step: In the degree of our bond with each other we construct the Kli, the vessel, fit to receive the Creator’s abundance. In our interconnection, we build the intention to bestow to Him.

So it follows that the key is in the environment, the group, the adhesion with mutual intention, according to the principle of, “Israel, the Torah and the Creator are one.” “Israel” is individual souls, desires, that despite their egoism strive to bond with each other and to become equal, unified, as one man with one heart, in mutual guarantee, in love of others as they love themselves. Thereby, we present the Giver with an opportunity to bestow to us; we bring Him our intention: to receive in order to bestow pleasure to Him.

We are as first blood brothers who unify before their mother. She cannot bestow to each of us separately, only to all of us together. Her love is one for all.
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From the 1st part of the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 1/24/2011, Writings of Rabash

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