“Spiritual time” means a certain number of new changes of form that stem from one another. Former and latter mean cause and consequence.

Concerning the spiritual definition of time, understand that for us, the whole concept of time is only a sensation of movements. Our imagination pictures and devises a certain number of consecutive movements that it senses one by one and interprets them as a certain amount of “time.”

Thus, if one had been in a state of complete rest with one’s environment, he would not even be aware of the concept of time. (Baal HaSulam, The Study of the Ten Sefirot, “Inner Observation,” Chapter 9, Item 34)

Question: Can you give an example of any spiritual states that have cause and consequence?

Answer: Of course. Let’s say there is a glass on the table that I push, and it changes its position. The force with which I push it is the cause, and its movement is the consequence.

The same is true in spirituality only on a more internal level. A person changes all the time and goes through all kinds of states.

This is the meaning of our existence—that we can change in this way until we reach a state where we feel that we are changing ourselves in accordance with the purpose of creation, that we ourselves are moving toward this purpose.

This is the movement. This is life.

Question: Is time then both cause and consequence?

Answer: Time is a quantitative movement per unit of time.

Question: Let’s assume that the fact that I feel fear of the upper force is already a consequence. Is the upper force always the cause?

Answer: Yes, the cause is always from above. It is on a more subtle level than the consequence. This is why we say that the cause is always the Creator.
[309323]
From KabTV’s “The Study of the Ten Sefirot (TES)” 2/12/23

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