On the spiritual path, there is a place of work on the part of the Creator and a place of work on the part of creation. We say that “there is none else besides Him,” “everything comes from above,” “everything is in the hands of heaven but the fear of heaven.” The Creator determines everything; nothing happens without a decision from above; this is true.

However, there is an important component here, one of the four parameters that depends on the person: the influence of society. We are talking about the development of an external society that affects a person.

It is as if a seed were to determine the parameters of sunlight, moisture, rainfall, minerals in the soil, fertilizers, and various other factors that affect it in various stages of its development. It is as if the seed itself regulates their quantity and sequence. If the seed could do this, it would constitute free choice in its own development.

It is obvious that a person cannot transform himself into something else; however, he determines what develops. Through this process, they come to understand the forms of their own development and the entire system that controls, corrects, and holds dominion over them, that is, the thoughts, attributes, and actions of the Creator.

This means that the human truly takes the place of the Creator in creation. By learning and subsequently intervening in the parameters of their environment, they determine what unfolds. Thus, by choosing their environment, a choice made in accordance with their understanding of the Creator, His qualities and actions, His thoughts and purpose, the human attains the level of the Creator.

However, the foundations, that is, a person’s inherent qualities, do not change and cannot change. After all, a person does not understand what their foundation is just as they do not understand what Atzmuto (the essence of the Creator), or the unattainable essence of anything is. Only matter and form clothed in matter are accessible to him, but not abstract form and essence.

But by giving him the opportunity to perform the same actions upon himself as the Creator would perform, he is allowed to know the Creator, His attitude toward creation, His plans and thoughts, that is, to come to the Rosh (the head).
[361873]
From the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 9/12/26, Rabash, “Rosh Hashanah”

Related Material:
The Only Free Action
The Only Free Choice
What Is Free Choice?

Filed under: Daily Kabbalah Lesson, Free Will, Spiritual Work | Add Comment / Ask Question →

Talks about the Steps of the Ladder, Part 266

What Does It Mean to Be Prepared?

Everything depends on preparation. It is for a good reason that we are in a stage called the “time of preparation.” Afterward, there is no longer a problem. When we enter spirituality, spirituality acts on us. In spirituality, our nature and character do not matter. We do indeed remain with our nature and character, but only with regard to general corporeality and not with regard to spirituality.

When we are in a good state, we should concentrate on the study and reading as much as we can and also think about the bad states, so that if they come, we will not sink into them, but will plan in advance how much we want to attach every small descent that comes to our good state, to the ascent, and then we will rise even higher. Where do the ascents come from? From us attaching the descents to our permanent state if we prepared ourselves for this in advance.

Related Material:
Talks about the Steps of the Ladder, Part 265
Talks about the Steps of the Ladder, Part 264
Talks about the Steps of the Ladder, Part 263

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

Listen to an Audio Version of the Blog
Download:MP3AudioAudio

Filed under: Audio Version of the Blog | Add Comment / Ask Question →

After a person receives from above the “charm of holiness” (Chen de Kedusha) through study and investing effort in various actions, as it is written, “Whatever is in your power to do, do,” they begin to understand that actions of bestowal are apparently indeed the most exalted and the best, but they themselves are unable to perform them.

To perform them, he lacks the sensation of the greatness of the Creator, that is, faith, that grants the heart strength to overcome the intention to receive and to acquire the intention to bestow. The sensation of the Creator shifts a person from thoughts about oneself to thoughts about the Creator.

Where can one obtain this faith? Rabash says that only the environment can help a person in this. According to what we have studied and what is written in the articles, this is the only thing that truly depends on a person. If he engages in this, he receives the strength of faith through work in the group and is then rewarded with acquiring the intention for the sake of bestowal. This is called crossing the Machsom.

At every stage, in every state that a person goes through, it is necessary to distinguish between lights and Kelim. If a person is in a certain state, it must contain both a Hissaron (desire) and fulfillment. He wants to attain the next state, which also contains both a Hissaron and fulfillment.

But one should be concerned not with the fulfillment, but with the desire. This is our entire work: to be concerned about the Kli and to think about it, because it is precisely the Kli that determines the state we are in.
[360778]
From the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 8/24/26, Rabash, “Who Testifies to a Person”

Related Material:
I Am Not the Master of My Desire
The Result of the Influence of the Surrounding Light
The Need For Spirituality

Filed under: Daily Kabbalah Lesson, Group Work, Spiritual Work | Add Comment / Ask Question →

What does it mean to make a covenant? What is its purpose? A covenant means that from now on, we will be connected. It will be a high-quality connection based on certain conditions, because without conditions, why would we need to draw up a covenant of unity?

That is, from the very beginning of the ascent up the spiritual ladder to its last steps, when we reach the final correction and no boundaries hold us back, a covenant exists between the Creator and us at each step. But each time, it has a different form, a different measure, different conditions.

There are no restrictions on the part of the Creator. He is Good that does good, and agrees with whatever a person desires as long as it is in connection with Him. It turns out, the person sets the conditions of the covenant with the Creator: he wants a connection with the Creator no more than he can withstand and no less than he has determined for himself.

It follows that everything depends on the person: both the terms of the agreement and the desire to make it. The Creator accepts everything. Why is a covenant necessary? If I am strong enough and confident enough, then I set the limits for myself. I will do as I want. Why do I need to sign an agreement with the Creator? What do I need it for anyway?

For example, I do not want any agreement with someone weaker. I will always do as I see fit and as I want; why do I need a contract? An agreement is drawn up when they depend on each other in some way. That is, each of us yields to the other in some way and gives something to the other.

The contract is drawn due to weakness. When does it manifest itself between the Creator and me? The Creator, for His part, shows us that He is very weak because He needs our love for Him, our attitude toward Him, and 100% attention to Him.
[362551]
From the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 10/8/26, Rabash, “What Is Making a Covenant in the Work”

Related Material:
Merit Connection with the Creator
Spiritual Union: Likeness To The Creator
Making A Covenant With The Creator

Filed under: Daily Kabbalah Lesson, Spiritual Work | Add Comment / Ask Question →

Restriction is the “crossing of the final sea (Yam Suf),” meaning the transition from the desire to receive to the desire to bestow without yet establishing a specific level within the desire to bestow. This is what is termed a restriction.

In other words, it is the ability not to turn toward oneself and not to make internal calculations.

At present, we are not aware of this, but every time we do something, even the slightest movement, it is only because our desire to receive decides that by acting this way, it will express itself in the best possible manner and that in this way it will better control the situation.

In short, everything is determined by the desire to receive. And a restriction at each degree indicates the depth to which I become aware of this desire and, accordingly, the extent to which I have control over myself and do not take into consideration my own benefit from the action I am about to perform.

In the definition of restrictions in The Study of the Ten Sefirot (TES), it is written: “One who restrains himself and does not receive, despite passionately desiring to receive, is called one who restricts himself.”

We cannot eradicate the desire; it remains. But I control it and restrain it; that is, I refrain from using it.

What does “refraining from using it” mean? It means not basing any calculation on it. Or to put it differently, according to what takes place in the Rosh (head) of the Partzuf, I make a calculation concerning the desire to receive pleasure for my self. That is, to the extent that the desire to receive is revealed to me, I clearly see how much personal benefit I intend to derive from it, and I perform a restriction on this basis. On this foundation, I begin to make the calculation for the sake of the Creator and to turn to Him. This is the action.

At each subsequent degree, ever greater depths of the desire to receive are revealed to me both quantitatively and qualitatively. Then I see how deeply my thoughts are entangled in this desire, how deeply my calculations are immersed in it, although previously I could not see this. I see how much I am still thinking about myself in every thought, and so it goes, deeper and deeper. Ultimately, the entire volume of the soul is revealed to me in this way.

Therefore, each degree is a particular area within the volume of the soul where I see that I am thinking only about myself, and that all my calculations are connected solely with myself. In addition, there are four stages of Aviut, for example, how much all the organs of my body, every cell of it, think only about themselves, if we draw an analogy with our physical body.

Thus, a restriction takes place after a person becomes aware of how strongly he strives to fill every cell, every desire within himself, based on his desire to receive. Yet, despite this aspiration, he rises above it and turns toward the Creator in order to work with His desires, with His Kelim (vessels).
[360490]
From the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 8/17/26, Rabash, “What Are Commandments that a Person Tramples with His Feet”

Related Material:
The Essence of Restriction
How Can You Be under Restriction?
Restriction On Egoistic Desires

Filed under: Daily Kabbalah Lesson, Spiritual Work | Add Comment / Ask Question →

Question: Must we look for strength to counter the desire to receive?

Answer: If I make any corporeal, material action, it means I have found a justification for it in my desire to receive. Otherwise, I would not be able to carry it out.

By material action, I mean an action within the desire to receive. It is considered material not because it is connected to matter, to substances the five senses perceive, but because I can realize or “materialize” it. It is material in the sense that I can feel it inside my desire to receive.

To any such action, I can attach some reward or advantage, which gives me the ability to do it. But if I am really facing a spiritual action, I cannot do it. “And the children of Israel sighed from the work,” that is, I cannot stand it, I am unable to do anything about it because it is against my nature.

What should I do? Since I am unable to act with the intent to bestow within my nature, I must convince myself through various means, mainly by engaging with my environment, books, and authors, that nothing is more important than taking such an action. In return, I will have a connection with the upper force.

Two opposing conclusions are necessary. On one hand, I am not capable of acting for the sake of bestowing, and on the other hand, that it is of the utmost importance. If I come to this, then, because of the tension between them, an inner cry is born in me: “Why can I not have this?” If this cry is genuine, I get the opportunity to perform such an action, and through it feel the Creator and establish a connection with Him.

This happens through the action itself. Without doing it, I will not have the Kli (vessel) to experience the Creator, spirituality.

Spirituality comes into the Kli I have built; that is, it is revealed inside the action I performed for the sake of bestowal.

Consider how much I have to internalize the importance of spirituality. I cannot find it anywhere else; a little in books, but even more in the environment. After several years of reading books, we can already see they do not really help us: this stage is over, we no longer react to books. But we react to the environment all the time whether we want to or not. This means we must form it at work, at home, and here [during the lesson], so in the end we only feel the importance of spirituality.

Of course, nobody talks about spirituality at work. This means that at work I have to “plug my ears” in a certain sense, to talk with colleagues only about professional topics, not about politics, fashion, etc. At home, I have to discuss only what is relevant and important for the family so that there are no problems. But most importantly, here—the only place where I can hear about the importance of the upper one—I have to “prick up my ears” while demanding that the group talks about what I need.

If that is the case, then when I hear words about the importance of spirituality, it feels like I should do some kind of spiritual action, and I see that I am not capable of it. Otherwise, we cannot see it; we do not know what real effort is when a person is stuck in an action and unable to perform it.

We do not know this because we have no drive for it; we do not have the awareness of importance to think about such an action. However, without reaching such a state, we simply do not move from curse to blessing and remain in the curse without even realizing it.
[360634]
From the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 8/18/26, Rabash, “What Are “Blessing” and “Curse” in the Work?”

Related Material:
How Can I Feel the Importance of Spiritual Work?
Against One’s Will
Life Under a Spiritual Umbrella

Filed under: Daily Kabbalah Lesson, Group Work, Spiritual Work | Add Comment / Ask Question →

Question: Can a Kabbalist know what the next degree consists of?

Answer: What is the next degree? It is an even stronger mutual inclusion in one another than the one we had before.

In other words, despite the distances, the differences, and all the disturbances that each of us and each of our groups will experience, including disturbances in relation to another group, we must strengthen the connection between us. This is what the next degree is.

If we manage to build such a connection between us that nothing can interfere with it, we will acquire a screen.
[362410]
From the Daily Kabbalah Lesson for the holiday of Sukkot, 10/5/26

Related Material:
What Is The Next Step?
Toward Greater Unification
Spiritual Ascent Is Strengthening Unity

Filed under: Daily Kabbalah Lesson, Group Work, Spiritual Work | Add Comment / Ask Question →

Talks about the Steps of the Ladder, Part 265

Chapter 23. Strengthening the Group

The thought of creation is to create a created being that will have the same perfection as the Creator. This is His desire to do good to His creations, in a complete, eternal, and absolute measure. In order to reach this state, the created being must go through the entire path from the extreme opposite of perfection, from lack of perfection to true perfection, which is the degree of the Creator. Therefore, the nature of the created being is evil, the “evil inclination,” the opposite of the Creator’s nature.

The means for passing from one extreme to the other is, as it is written, “I have created the evil inclination; I have created the Torah as a spice,” which means that the Torah was given only in order to purify the created beings through it. That is, it was given to enable the created beings to see the evil within them, to correct it according to the measure of the revelation of the evil, and thus draw closer to the good. The Creator is called “The Good That Does Good,” and we can draw closer to the Creator only if we acquire the quality of good and the action of doing good, like the Creator.

Where will we get this desire from? The Creator gave us freedom of choice. What is choice? There is one action that we are free to perform, which is to choose what influences us, good or bad things. By doing so, we determine our independence and individuality. We can join a society whose entire concern is advancing to the Creator, or a society that advances toward all kinds of other goals. That is our sole choice.

It is written that from the beginning, the Creator does not simply leave us in bewilderment and confusion, but brings us to a good place, to a good society, and tells us: “Take this for yourself, be in it and strengthen yourself. Strengthen the society as you would want it to influence you, so that genuine mutual work will take place, and this will bring you to the goal.” In other words, no one can say that the Creator did not give us an opportunity to choose.

Therefore, the first point into which we are born is the opposite of perfection, and this is necessary. Later, we only discover more and more of its true form, how opposite it is from perfection, according to the extent by which we want to attain perfection. And the end is also clear, absolute, and prepared. The path, too, depends on the structure of the soul, which has already been predetermined by the general structure of Adam HaRishon. But the path itself depends on us, whether we take the Creator’s choosing us and the Creator’s choice to bring us to a group, and build a group increasingly directed at the goal. According to the extent of the flaws that become revealed in us, we will need to improve ourselves.

Indeed, all the work is work in the society, in the group. The actions we perform to organize the society, for dissemination, at meals, on Shabbat, and on holidays, are what advance us. It is not the actions themselves, but the action toward expanding and strengthening the society, both in breadth and in height. This is the only means in existence. There are several necessary conditions: a society, a group, inner work in the framework of the group, connection among the friends, acquiring a strong desire from them, which is called “buy yourself a friend,” and investing in the society. It is actually quite complex, and the results come slowly, but this is the only choice, and according to such a choice, the flaws become revealed, and likewise, the flaws become corrected.

Related Material:
Talks about the Steps of the Ladder, Part 264
Talks about the Steps of the Ladder, Part 263
Talks about the Steps of the Ladder, Part 262

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

Preparation to the Lesson

Video: Play Now | Download

Audio: Play Now | Download

1st part of the Lesson — Writings of Rabash, Article 2 “What Is the Meaning of Failure in the Work?” (1990)

Video: Play Now | Download

Audio: Play Now | Download

2nd part of the Lesson — Studying with Friends

Video: Play Now | Download

Audio: Play Now | Download

Selected Highlights

Video: Play Now | Download

Audio: Play Now | Download

Filed under: Daily Kabbalah Lesson | Add Comment / Ask Question →