Talks about the Steps of the Ladder, Part 140

Are the Disturbances, the Klipot, Greater Than the Desire for Spirituality, for Kedusha?

The desires within us are always balanced one against the other. Why? It is because the goal is to advance us. The closer we draw to the purpose of creation, that is, the closer we approach the Creator and are filled by Him, the more disturbances we are given, so that our path will be more efficient.

It is exactly like how a child who studies in a higher grade is not given problems meant for a lower grade. If they were to engage in lower-level problems, they would regress. They must be given a difficulty level that they are capable of, and even a bit more, so they will have to exert themselves and find a solution through their own strength, and thus grow into the next level beyond where they currently are. Otherwise, they would stagnate and remain at their current low level.

You can see this with people who, after completing their studies and beginning to work, spend their entire lives doing the same thing without advancing themselves further. For example, a person learns to calculate and draft buildings, and then spends their whole life only calculating and drafting. They remain on the same level and do not grow; they become still-like.

In contrast, there are those who constantly learn. How do they learn? They take on problems that are beyond their current ability and seek solutions. In fact, all learning is based on this principle: giving a person problems larger than their current capabilities so that they seek and discover solutions. Through this search, they grow and become scientists and researchers. The same applies to Kabbalah, which is a science like any other, and it follows the same principles.

Therefore, we are given the left line, the Klipot, the disturbances, at least according to the strength we possess from the right line, and even a little more. This is how we see that we are incapable; by experiencing failure, we come to recognize that we need to find a connection with the Creator. Ultimately the goal is not merely for us to overcome the left line and then move to the right, and again to overcome the left and move to the right. If that were the case, we would never leave our will to receive. The goal is that through the movement between right and left, we will acquire a new nature. Otherwise, we would remain as we are in this world.

A different nature can only be attained if we long to acquire the Creator’s nature. This means that we cannot solve the problem through our own strength; we must receive additional strength from the Creator. Therefore, we need to enter into the left side, the Klipa, time and again, recognize that we are incapable, experience failure, and then—at first unconsciously, and later consciously—turn to the upper force, the Godly power, and draw additional strength from there.

Our desire, longing, and brokenness are the vessels that receive additional strength from the right. We thus need the Klipot, for without them, we could not receive additional strength, additional qualities, from the right side.

Related Material:
Talks about the Steps of the Ladder, Part 139
Talks about the Steps of the Ladder, Part 138
Talks about the Steps of the Ladder, Part 137

Filed under: Talks about the Steps of the Ladder | Add Comment →