From Rabash, Volume 1, “The Miracle of Chanukah”: The Greek domination is opposite from the Jewish way. The matter of the Greeks means that they work only within reason, which means in the heart and the mind. Clearly at a time when the nation of Israel wanted to work above reason and disregard what the external mind obliges us to do, they couldn’t do so.

This is called the Greeks’ war, which is when the real work begins, which means that the nation of Israel wants to get on the track that leads to adhesion with the Creator. This path is called faith above reason. The Greeks, however, want to control the body, so that it would not give up anything if the mind doesn’t agree to it.

Indeed there are many materials in the wisdom of Kabbalah that are consistent with reason, logic, and a rational approach. Take Baal HaSulam’s articles about nature for example, about the upper Providence and the system of the upper worlds.

When we explain that to scientists and intelligent science lovers they are thrilled and immediately declare that it isn’t about religion but first-class science. Science is based on intelligent understanding, rational analysis, and facts. Science offers the opportunity for debates, research, and data analysis. How does that go along with faith above reason?

According to our current logic, the scientific approach is right and justified. But when we want to transcend the boundaries of the human mind and feelings, to expand them to greater dimensions above time, motion, space and above the sciences of this world, which are based on corporeal thoughts and feelings, there is no one with whom we can argue in our rational search for the truth.

In order to ascend, we must first connect new vessels of perception to our natural vessels. Expanding the mind requires special actions on our part, and here we should listen to the advice of Kabbalists who achieved this themselves and tell us how we should act.

If I want to enter a new dimension, above my human mind and feelings and to acquire new vessels of perception, I have to work against my nature. After all, I aspire for the “space” of the desire to bestow, and so I have to develop vessels of bestowal, which I don’t have.

The whole Torah, which means the Kabbalistic method, is meant for that. It is only in these new vessels that I will be able to perceive the upper reality, to understand and attain the forces, plans, programs, and reasons for everything that also happens in my world.

I discover these new attributes and everything that takes place in them according to my advancement in formatting the vessels that operate in order to bestow and not in order to receive. Thus I learn the actions of the upper force, which we call the Creator, since this force created my corporeal world.

I live in the corporeal world and at the same time develop additional vessels of bestowal that operate in an opposite manner. In this way, I discover the upper world and advance towards a perfect, eternal reality. I fight so as not to stay on the corporeal level but to ascend to the human level, to resemble the Creator.

I have to acquire vessels on the way, the attributes and discernments that are totally in bestowal, which means that they resemble the Creator. All the wars fought in order to ascend and to format ourselves on the new level that resembles the Creator are called God’s wars and we conduct them in order to get closer to the Creator and adhere to Him.

Some of these wars are Maccabean wars when a person concentrates his powers and tries to adhere to the Upper Light by connecting to other people who want to reach the same goal, despite his ego. This connection is so strong that the attribute of bestowal is revealed within it. The connection between them is ignited by itself and burns like the burning bush that burned before Moses’ eyes.

This is a totally internal war and its only goal is to transcend the forces of separation and to reach connection in which we will discover the Light for the first time. In other words, using the terminology of Chanukah, we will find the jug of oil for the candles and it will bring us the Light.
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From the Lesson “The Importance of Chanukah” 12/18/14

Related Material:
Live According To The Mind Or According To Love
Chanukah Is In A Person
The Maccabean Wars

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