Question: If Kabbalah is a science, then why is it said that the surrounding light acts only on those who believe?

Answer: Faith is the force of bestowal. It is not about believing someone’s words. In the science of Kabbalah, faith is the force of bestowal, Bina; it is not words spoken by someone and accepted by someone else as fact.

In science, it is not customary to believe, and Kabbalah does not use this concept of faith. It is not a religion!

I rely on the advice of the Kabbalists in order to draw the surrounding light upon myself. They tell me what needs to be done and they explain why.

With their help, I study the system, trusting them the way a child trusts a schoolteacher or their parents. A small one must trust the grown-up in order to rise to a higher degree, relying on the instructions that come from there, but no more than that.

In religion, however, in our world, faith is not trust with subsequent ascent and verification, but a fanatical loyalty with one’s eyes closed.

I do not accept the words of the Kabbalists as facts; I implement them and test them on myself. And afterward, having provided myself with a full set of knowledge and evidence, I will be able to continue the research on my own.
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From the Kabbalah Lesson 9/11/09, Baal HaSulam, “Introduction to the Book From the Mouth of a Sage”

Related Material:
Faith Is Bestowal
The Need for Faith above Reason
Faith And Reason

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