On The Book Of Zohar And The Sulam Commentary

The Secrets of the Torah in The Book of Zohar Occupy the Level of all 125 Degrees in Completeness

Rashbi and his generation, the authors of The Zohar, were granted all 125 degrees in completeness, even though it was prior to the days of the Messiah. It was said about him and his disciples: “A sage is preferable to a prophet.” Hence, we often find in The Zohar that there will be none like the generation of Rashbi until the generation of the Messiah King. This is why his composition made such a great impact in the world, since the secrets of the Torah in it occupy the level of all 125 degrees.
– Baal HaSulam, “A Speech for the Completion of The Zohar

The Sulam (Ladder) Commentary is a Complete Interpretation of all the Words of The Zohar

But in our generation we have been rewarded with the Sulam (Ladder) commentary, which is a complete interpretation of all the words of The Zohar. Moreover, not only does it not leave an unclear matter in the whole of The Zohar without interpreting it, but the clarifications are based on a straightforward analysis, which any intermediate student can understand.
– Baal HaSulam, “A Speech for the Completion of The Zohar

The Sulam Commentary on The Book of Zohar is but a Ladder to Help the Examiner Rise to the Height of the Matters

The depth of wisdom in the holy Book of Zohar is enclosed and caged behind a thousand locks, and our human tongue too poor to provide us with sufficient, reliable expressions to interpret one thing in this book to its end. Also, the interpretation I have made is but a ladder to help the examiner rise to the height of the matters and examine the words of the Book itself.
– Baal HaSulam, “Preface to The Book of Zohar
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Children Of A Global Crisis

Dr. Michael LaitmanQuestion: The number of children with the inability to socialize is on the rise. Why is it happening and how can they be helped?

Answer: Today we witness many strange and unclear phenomena in humanity. The wisdom of Kabbalah gives them a general explanation: We are now completing the period of humanity’s egoistic development and entering a period of its correction. The period of egoistic development lasted for 5771 years, from the time of Adam up to our time. The correction consists of not employing the egoism for receiving and absorbing everything into oneself or using others for self-fulfillment.

Upon reaching the end of its development, the egoistic desire feels emptiness and a lack of fulfillment. It can’t develop any further, neither in regard to normal social behavior and interaction, nor in the sphere of science and culture, nor education and family relations. Humanity is experiencing a crisis because our life is built on the egoistic nature that has reached the end of its development. This is precisely the cause of social disorders, autism, and developmental and behavioral problems.

The affect of medical advances is also at work: In past generations such children simply didn’t survive because no one knew how to deal with them.

Only the general correction of egoism can help these children. After all, they are a part of society which is spoiled relative to the entire “organism” of humanity. If we begin to correct ourselves and strengthen the positive force of love and interaction within the society, we will cure these children.

We’ll suddenly see that they are beginning to feel, react, and understand more and simply live. We give them a life force by studying Kabbalah as it draws a positive force into our world. This is the only means for overcoming all problems related to the general crisis.
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From a TV Program “Ask the Kabbalist” No. 187 July 7, 2010

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Let’s Experiment!

Dr. Michael LaitmanQuestion: Kabbalah is an experimental science. Can we relate to the current convention as to an experiment?

Answer: Each of us is a Kabbalist and a scientist in a sense that he carries out an experiment on himself and experiences the application of Kabbalah, its conclusions and correctness personally.

Some 30 years ago I was reading the well-known book Shamati (I Heard) and I understood, perhaps, one one-hundredth of a percent from it. Then, with each year, re-reading it and feeling its result on myself, I compared what was going on with me to what was written in the book and was astonished to discover that this book really described everything that was happening with me. And so I keep re-reading Shamati over the course of 30 years (I received it in 1979), and each time I discover that this book talks about me.

Even after ten years this book will reveal itself to me as a source that describes everything about me. Everything! This is because the person who wrote it began from the bottom, as do all people, and then ascended spiritually and wrote it from a spiritual level which I am not able to reach yet.

And if I were to rise higher, then I would suddenly discover that this book no longer speaks of the states I am going though. It would become clear to me; I would clearly see that the author reaches only up to a particular level and no further.

We see this with some of the Kabbalistic book authors, although it does not depreciate them in any way! They wrote up to the level which they had attained, and it is the same with each one of us.

On the other hand, what right do we have to interpret, write, and add to the writings of the great Kabbalists of the past? The truth of the matter is that we write what is correct at our levels. It is precisely because we are small that we can write all of this through this level. This way, it is easier for the people who come to Kabbalah to find contact with our material, rather than with the great works of the past because those Kabbalists wrote them from a great spiritual height.

But, ultimately, today we are truly carrying out an experiment on ourselves, and we will keep carrying out this experiment throughout our whole life until we reach the very end of correction. That is why Kabbalah, as compared to the rest of the sciences, does not work outside the person. You are not studying something that is outside of yourself, but rather on yourself, within yourself. So, let’s experiment!
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From Lesson 3 Berlin Convention 1/28/2011

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A Wicked Desire Is A Kind Gift

Dr. Michael LaitmanThe Book of Zohar, Chapter “VaYera (And the Lord Appeared),” Item 167: When the Creator loves a person, He sends him a gift. And what is the gift? Poor, so as to be rewarded by it.

The world we live in is opposite to the spiritual world. A reward in the upper world is considered a punishment in our world and vice versa. For this reason it is said regarding the upper reality: “I saw an inverted world.”

A gift from Above is an awakening through a desire. We all originate from the still level, from “ashes.” In other words, we come from such a low degree of desires, where a person doesn’t feel his or her spiritual existence or his desire for the spiritual, doesn’t know where he came from or why, and is unaware of the purpose or the meaning of life. He doesn’t feel anything. This is our starting point.

Everything else comes only through strengthening and elevating the desire. It is said in regard to this: “I created the evil inclination.” But it’s up to the person to feel and distinguish this creation within himself. Time after time this inclination is aroused in him more, and the person has to determine that it is really evil.

The Creator arouses a desire, however, one must discern that this desire is wicked and turn it from reception to bestowal, from evil to similarity to Him. This is entirely up to the person. It is said: “I am the First and I am the Last.” The Creator gives the desire, and then the person must conduct an analysis and rejoice in the received desire. He is happy to receive the opportunity to recognize the evil within the desire through the teacher, the group, and the books. He realizes that the wicked desire came from the Creator, according to the principle: “I created the evil inclination.”

Then a person develops a proper attitude toward his desire: He wants to change it into good, into correspondence to the Creator, aspiration for bestowal. When a person comes to this decision, he begins to demand that the Creator transforms his desire.

A person then appeals to the Creator with this demand. This action is called: “My sons have defeated Me.” And the Creator grants him the strength, the screen, which transforms the evil inclination into goodness. This is the meaning of “I am the Last.” After giving a person the desire, the Creator now transforms it.

In the intermediate state a person independently determines what he received, what he wants, and what he demands of the Creator, and by means of these stages of development, he advances toward total similarity to the Creator.

Time after time a person gains more knowledge, awareness, understanding, attainment, and love for the Creator who gave him the evil inclination, thereby presenting him with the opportunity to realize how he differs from the Creator and how he can become similar to Him. Thanks to this a person can ask the Creator for the transformation and closer contact, as well as gain independence, perfection, involvement, and adhesion to Him.

A person who understands this process justifies the Creator whenever he receives a wicked desire from Him. In this case I don’t see evil in it, but rather a gift that can be turned into my new reality. I understand that the Creator acts out of love for me, in order to make me independent and similar to Him.
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From the 1st part of the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 2/4/2011, Writings of Rabash

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Daily Kabbalah Lesson – 02.08.11

Writings of Rabash, Shlavei HaSulam, “What Is He Who Does Not Have Children in the Work”
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The Book of Zohar — Introduction: “Torah and Prayer,”  Item 184, Lesson 2
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The Book of Zohar — Introduction: “Mitzvot Torah,”  Item 189, Lesson 1
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Talmud Eser Sefirot 3, Part 8, Item 75, Lesson 41
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Writings of Baal HaSulam “The Essence of the Wisdom of Kabbalah,” Lesson 7
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