Comment: As desires grow, my appetite increases and my needs change. What was enough for me yesterday no longer satisfies me today.

My Response: Naturally our desires evolve. When a person begins studying Kabbalah, many new desires emerge. Suddenly one may discover a new appreciation for food that previously went unnoticed or seemed unimportant.

Sexual desires also intensify and often become a significant obstacle for those advancing spiritually, as they stand in stark contrast to one’s relationship with the Creator. It may seem that physical intimacy with the opposite gender is unrelated to spiritual connection with the Creator, but they are deeply connected. In this world, sexual desires become a profound challenge, and the Creator uses them to unsettle men with such issues.

This phenomenon has occurred for all Kabbalists, and much has been written about it. The spiritual union with the Creator, known as “Zivug de Haka’a,” is described in Kabbalistic texts as resembling physical intimacy in our world. It is a parallel dynamic, one opposing the other.

The left line entices a person with these thoughts and desires, while one must rise above them by using the right line, alternating between left and right. These challenges manifest less noticeably with food, as it is a more animalistic need for sustenance. Over time however, even food-related desires may become more pronounced.

Sexual desires typically do not emerge immediately. In the early stages of study, a person might say, “I feel nothing; such animalistic things do not interest me.” But ask the same person a year or two later, and it may already be a significant issue. After another year or two, it becomes an even greater challenge.

Thus it is said, “Anyone who is greater than his friend, his inclination is greater than him.” It is also noted that those nearing spiritual connection with the Creator experience the most distinctive and intense drives in sexual relationships. This is not about the physical acts themselves but about how the reflection of the upper light, or even how the upper light itself, manifests, depending on whether one approaches from the left or the right line.

Comment: But this sounds somewhat ascetic.

My Response: No, there should be no asceticism. A person should marry and have a family. A man should not study Kabbalah without being married, as stated in the sources. Although we do not impose this as a strict requirement, generally a man is expected to marry and establish a family.

This does not make the spiritual path easier, but these conditions are necessary. In our world, we must create a reflection of the spiritual world. Just as spiritual connection and advancement toward the Creator are essential in the spiritual realm, the physical world mirrors this process through relationships and procreation. This is something we are obligated to fulfill.
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From the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 9/3/19, Writings of Baal HaSulam “There Is None Else Besides Him”

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Between Two Lines
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