At first, when a person begins to be taught, while still on the spiritual level referred to as “a woman, a slave, or a child,” they are told that it is worthwhile to work for the Creator out of fear (Rabash, Article 12 (1987), What Is Half a Shekel in the Work? – 1).

The spiritual levels, conditionally labeled as “a woman, an old man, or a child,” represent dependent states of a person. A woman depends on a man, a child on parents, and an old man on the help of the young.

There is also the state of “a slave,” who depends on his master, that is, on his egoism. Therefore one must approach any person very delicately and carefully, and explain that Kabbalah is concerned with his development for his own benefit.

Kabbalah can help him better understand how to act in this world. And he begins to speculate. “If I understand how to act correctly in this world, I can become richer, stronger, more successful, and healthier.”

It is said that a person must serve the Creator out of fear. This means out of fear of losing, of missing out, of not receiving a reward.

But later, when the person matures spiritually and acquires wisdom, it becomes possible to explain to him—or rather, he himself understands—that it is necessary to serve the Creator from other motivations, and gradually, the secrets of the Torah are revealed to him. 

At this point, a very subtle transition occurs, a dramatic, difficult moment when a person discovers that the entire world is in a state of complete chaos and confusion. Everything is governed by a capricious egoism that grabs whatever it can at any given moment. This state is called darkness.

At this black point, a person feels complete hopelessness, confusion, and lack of control over himself, over others, or over fate. He sees that everyone, like tadpoles in water, are darting back and forth, and he can no longer bear such a life.

He feels himself in total darkness, tries to escape, and begins to cry out to the Creator: “What should I do?!”

And then gradually he is helped from above, and he receives spiritual clarity. This is how he transitions to the revelation of the Creator.

When the upper law is revealed to a person, by comparing it with harmony, he clearly sees the chaos ruling our world—harmony vs. chaos.

This is the drama, the inner tearing. On one hand, there is the upper law, on the other, complete disorder.
And this is actually the best state for a person because it is there that he feels the Creator’s help and salvation.

And he thanks the Creator for this dark state because it is impossible to move forward with the right foot without first stepping with the left.

When he understands this, he anticipates both, and relates properly to both good and bad states since he sees that the spiritual path lies precisely between them, exactly in the middle.
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From KabTV’s “The Last Generation,” 11/6/17

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