From Illusion to the True Reality

539We live in an inner illusion, and therefore we need to bring ourselves to the system that truly exists. Today we dwell in an illusory system, which in Kabbalah is called the “imaginary world” (Olam HaMedume), or our world.

Moreover, for this there is no need to create a matrix in the 21st century, like in Hollywood movies. It is enough to turn to books from 5,000 years ago where all of this is laid out step by step. There is no need to break through an open door.

Our world is a complete illusion. It constantly operates inside us. We only need to create normal, natural, correct feelings and thoughts within ourselves that would give us, instead of an illusion, a true picture of reality.

But this true picture is also inside us, not outside as it seems to us. All of it is entirely within our desires. Light paints certain images within the desire, by comparing its qualities and desires, their difference or their similarity. This is the picture of the world.

Therefore our task is to move from a great illusion to a lesser one, and to an even lesser one, until we approach the true reality in which only light fills us. And everything except for it was an illusory reality, only in its various measures. That is why all worlds are called “worlds,” from the word “olama” (concealment), which indicates that we live in concealment from the true reality, the world of infinity.

People imagine another reality in the form of pictures: walls, ceilings, floors, or something else. But I imagine it in the form of inner experiences and sensations.

For example, I ask you: “Do you remember what state you were in the day before yesterday?” This is how you remember this state, and it may be simultaneously associated for you with some place and time, that is, with the coordinates “time,” “place,” and “movement.” And then I ask you, “What are your experiences, your sensations?” and then you convey them to me, as if extracting them from your memory, from your archive, and you describe them. That is, you immerse yourself in this experience again and explain it.

This is similar to how it happens in the spiritual. There is no material volume there. This volume is called “desire” in which I begin to feel my past state again and in some way transmit it to you. That is all. Only inside the desire.

It’s just like in our world. Suppose you detach yourself from everything that is around us and imagine that you and I are in some cosmic space where there is no up, no down, nothing—emptiness. But within us there exist certain shared empathies, sensations, thoughts, memory, and everything else. So these are what constitute, as if were, a spiritual state.
[350056]
From KabTV’s “I Got A Call. Matrix” 9/19/10

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Daily Kabbalah Lesson – 12/1/25

Preparation to the Lesson

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1st part of the Lesson — Lesson on the Topic “Work with Faith Above Reason” (11.2.2020)

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2nd part of the Lesson — Recording of Rabash, Writings of Baal HaSulam, “Study of the Ten Sefirot,” Vol. 1, Part 4, Chapter 6, Item 12

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3rd part of the Lesson — The Book of Zohar, “Beresheet -1, ‘Let There Be Light'”

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Audio Version Of The Blog – 11/30/25

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Thus, We Ascend…

260.01Question: How do we ascend upward?

Answer: If, in a small state (Katnut), the lower one clings tightly to the upper one—who has descended to him in order to help and is standing nearby—then when the upper begins to rise, he lifts the lower together with himself. And all the lower needs to do is hold on to him more and more firmly.

The ascent of the upper to his place means that he constantly adds bestowal and returns to his own state. The lower must constantly add effort on his side. He cannot add bestowal, he has no such qualities; all he can do is cling to the upper, tighter and tighter.

It is as if you grabbed the end of a rope, and suddenly the rope began to rise, pulling you off the ground and lifting you higher and higher. And the farther you get from the ground, the more frightened you become, and the more tightly you cling to the rope. This is what it means to hold on more firmly to the upper—that is the work of the lower.

The upper performs the acts of bestowal, while the lower cannot bestow, he only annuls himself.

The difference between the degrees—if I was on one degree and rose to another—is in the depth of desire that is corrected by the screen. For example, if I had Aviut Alef and I ascended and received Aviut Bet, then I must annul myself even more.

The upper adds depth of desire and ascends. Ascent is not movement in space; it is an increase in the depth of desire and the strength of the screen. This is how the upper ascends. And accordingly, the lower must annul himself. But relative to what does he annul himself?

The upper, having added desire and a screen, attains a greater level of bestowal. And the lower looks at this bestowal, and feels bad! He doesn’t want it, he is unable, he does not know what to do. Therefore, he must cling to the upper even more tightly so the upper can help him annul his ego, his egoistic desire, relative to the bestowal he now sees before him so that this bestowal does not frighten him.
[52836]
From the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 8/28/11, Writings of Baal HaSulam “Preface to the Wisdom of Kabbalah”

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Prohibitions in Spiritual Work

938.03Question: What things are we forbidden to reveal in our inner work and in the work with the whole world?

Answer: We do not yet have the things that are forbidden to reveal, and therefore we do not know them.

And when we do learn them, then we will see in what way the connections between us are revealed, whether all of them are in the key of our helping one another, because this is the most important thing. We must use this correctly.
[350269]
From the 2nd part of the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 11/26/25, Writings of Baal HaSulam “Introduction to The Study of the Ten Sefirot“

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Understand the Torah

260However, if one’s faith is incomplete, and he engages in the Torah and in the work only because the Creator commanded him to study, then we have seen above that in such Torah and work the light will not be revealed at all (Baal HaSulam, “Introduction to The Study of the Ten Sefirot“).

Question: It is usually believed that for successful advancement we need to study the Torah and observe the commandments. But here it is said that performing the commandments does not lead to the revelation of the light. Or am I misunderstanding something?

Answer: I understand this only slightly more than you. We simply need to try to study the Torah ever more deeply, its causes and its consequences.

In this way, we will arrive at clarifying what these causal connections truly are, and gradually we will begin to understand the Torah.
[350193]
From the 2nd part of the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 11/23/25, Writings of Baal HaSulam “Introduction to The Study of the Ten Sefirot“

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Making Our Way Toward an Understanding of Spirituality

219.01Question: How does one know when it is time to conceal the secrets of the Torah and when it is time to reveal the tastes of the Torah?

Answer: We receive that along with the revelation of the task set before us.

I think we should simply continue studying the articles, examine all the nuances of every sentence, and in this way make our way toward the understanding of the spiritual.
[350190]
From the 2nd part of the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 11/23/25, Writings of Baal HaSulam “Introduction to The Study of the Ten Sefirot“

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A Pedestrian Walking from Point A to Point B

760.2Question: Is it possible to always go by faith above reason?

Answer: Of course it is impossible. But Kabbalists do not discuss whether we can or cannot go this way. We simply must!

And when we cannot, we ask for help, and the Creator performs this work for us! All the work is the work of the Creator and not the person’s. But we need to ask Him to carry it out.

A person is obligated to go all the way in trying to do this work! Even though it is clear from the start that in the end, he will fail to reach the goal on his own. But the success lies in discovering that the Creator will do it, and in knowing how to ask Him.

I am always in this process, moving in a straight line between the initial (current) point and the final goal, which I must inevitably reach.

The final point is bestowal, love for the Creator and the created beings, faith above reason, and bestowal over reception. And once I leave the starting point, I must arrive at the final one.

And on the path I have:

  1. First stage: Do everything that is within your power! This comes first.
  2. Second stage: Complete disappointment in your own strength.
  3. Third stage: Understanding that only the Creator can save me.
  4. Fourth stage: I begin to work together with Him in bestowal (Hafetz Hesed) and love.

But being at the very beginning, I must know that I will definitely reach the end and rely on my own efforts! I cannot fold my hands and simply wait for action from above.

If I do not give my absolute all in the first stage, if I do not do everything possible within my power, then I will never reach despair, I will never reach the understanding of my own helplessness. And therefore, I will never realize that I need help from the Creator. And then, how will I draw the light that returns to the source?

One stage unfolds after another; each stage defines and builds the next state. A person does not truly know where he is or what awaits him in the next stage, in the very next moment. But all advancement happens thanks to his own pushing forward.
[20271]
From the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 8/30/10, Writings of Rabash, Article 35, 1985

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Daily Kabbalah Lesson – 11/30/25

Preparation to the Lesson

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1st part of the Lesson — Lesson on the Topic “Work with Faith Above Reason” (11.1.2020)

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2nd part of the Lesson — Recording of Rabash, Writings of Baal HaSulam, “Study of the Ten Sefirot,” Vol. 1, Part 4, Chapter 6, Item 8

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3rd part of the Lesson — Conversations of a Kabbalist With His Students During the Day

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Audio Version Of The Blog – 11/29/25

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