Question: How can I compel myself to investigate the upper worlds within myself, when this external world increasingly presses on me and tempts me with temptations and distracts me from the goal?

Answer: It is arranged so deliberately! Nothing is outside the will of the Creator, who specifically “washes” you in this way within your own egoism so that you may attain Him. Not a single thought or feeling arises in you that would hinder you. Everything is directed only toward attaining the unity and singularity of the Creator.

Question: But you say that the Creator does not exist, that He is only the measure of my attainment and revelation. Then who is it that “washes” me; is it myself?

Answer: No! It is the Creator who loves you in this way. He is the one who sets all this before you. You must turn to Him, “There is none else besides Him.” From Him alone come both the bad and the good.

Question: What tools are needed in order to investigate what is spoken of in Kabbalah?

Answer: Whoever engages in Kabbalah discovers these tools within himself.

Question: So a person is not born with these tools?

Answer: A person is born with a predisposition for them.
[231917]
From the Kabbalah Lesson in Russian, 4/15/2019

Related Material:
Where Is The Creator Revealed?
The Creator Is Waiting For Your Call
I’m Happy To Be In The Hands Of The Upper

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

It is known that the nature of every branch is equal to its root. Therefore, the branch desires, loves, and covets every conduct in the root, and does not tolerate and hates any conduct that is not in the root. This is an unbreakable law that applies to every branch and its root. Because He is the root of all His creations, everything in Him, and which is extended directly from Him, is pleasurable and pleasant to us (Baal HaSulam, Study of the Ten Sefirot –  Inner Observation).

The upper force, the Creator, is the quality of bestowal. We love what exists in Him and not Him Himself. For example, I love to eat well, but I do not love to cook food; I want to have a lot of money, but I do not want to work hard.

We love to enjoy what is in the Creator. However, in order to attain this, we must acquire His very qualities, yet we cannot; for us it is completely unrealistic and seems very distant and unpleasant.

Question: In what way do I, and my nature as a branch, coincide with my root?

Answer: In that which is good in the Creator is also good for me. All the fulfillments represented by the upper Light are pleasant to me: He created me this way. The only problem is that I am opposite to the Creator in qualities.
[235901]
From the Kabbalah Lesson in Russian, 7/8/18

Related Material:
The Law Of Roots And Branches – The Most Important Law In Kabbalah
Is There A Direct Connection Between Root And Branch?
Spiritual Qualities And Their Manifestation In Matter

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

Preparation to the Lesson

Video: Play Now | Download

Audio: Play Now | Download

1st part of the Lesson — Writings of Baal HaSulam, Shamati #62 “Descends and Incites, Ascends and Complains” (11.17.2021)

Video: Play Now | Download

Audio: Play Now | Download

2nd part of the Lesson — Writings of Baal HaSulam, “Preface to the Wisdom of Kabbalah,” Item 130, 131 (10.29.2021)

Video: Play Now | Download

Audio: Play Now | Download

3rd part of the Lesson — Writings of Rabash, Article 4, “What Is the Prayer for Help and for Forgiveness in the Work?” 1988

Video: Play Now | Download

Audio: Play Now | Download

4th part of the Lesson — Writings of Baal HaSulam, Introduction to The Book of Zohar, “Who Is This?”

Video: Play Now | Download

Audio: Play Now | Download

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

Listen to an Audio Version of the Blog
Download:MP3Audio

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

Question: The reflected light forms the Kli of bestowal, which includes the light of Hochma, clothed in the light of Hassadim. What is the relationship between the reflected light and the light of Hassadim?

Answer: The reflected light (Ohr Hozer) is produced when the Kli finds the strength not to participate in the passage of the light through itself.

It protects itself from the influence of the light and thus comes to a state where, from that moment onward, it wishes to receive the upper light only for the pleasure of the Creator.
[347933]
From the 3^rd part of the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 9/5/2025, “The Study of the Ten Sefirot“

Related Material:
Explaining Ohr Hozer
Revelation in the Reflected Light
How The Reflected Light Became A Vessel For The Light

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

Question: Reality is presented to a person in the form of “He and His Name are One,” but we perceive only the Name. How can one discern Him precisely in this name?

Answer: The Creator does not decide for a person in which state he wishes to be in connection with the upper light. We are not yet able to reveal this.

Question: Now the friends are asking you questions, and I find that I am waiting for your answer. At the same time, I lose the very question because my desire to receive is greater than entering into the need of the friend. How can I make the friend’s desire in clarifying the question my own?

Answer: I think you simply need to read the same text several times and include yourself in it more attentively. Then you will develop a clearer connection with it and a more directed desire toward it.
[347809]
From the 3^rd part of the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 9/2/2025, “The Study of the Ten Sefirot“

Related Material:
Questions about Spiritual Work—253
Questions about Spiritual Work—252
Questions about Spiritual Work – 251

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

Question: (from 11-year-old Idan) If the Creator spoke with people in the Bible and in the Pentateuch, why does He not speak with us now? And if He does speak with us, with today’s generation, then how can we know about it?

Answer: The Creator is constantly speaking to you, but you do not hear Him. He lives in your heart and addresses you, but you do not want to open your heart!

He knocks on your heart as on a door, but you do not open because you do not hear His knocks, you lack hearing, Bina, the quality of bestowal. If someone knocks on the door and you have a hearing problem, you do not hear it. The “ear,” hearing in spirituality, is the level of Bina, the force of bestowal. If you were receptive to bestowal, to love of your neighbor, you would hear that He is addressing you.

Question: What does He say?

Answer: He says: “Let’s embrace! Let’s be together.” But to embrace the Creator means to be like Him, to live in the quality of bestowal and love of one’s neighbor, and this, I do not want! “Give me something for me personally, then come! But with what You are offering me, do not come! I do not want to open to You.” This is what we say to Him.
[36361]
From KabTV’s “Ask Kabbalist,” 4/18/2010

Related Material:
Why Does The Creator Keep Being Concealed From You?
There’s Nothing Sweeter Than Feeling The Creator’s Embrace
How To Understand The Creator

Filed under: Q&A, Spiritual Work, The Creator | Add Comment / Ask Question →

Question 44. What is “vacant” (Part 1, Chap 1, Inner Light, 4)

This is a place that is prepared to receive corrections and wholeness (Baal HaSulam, The Study of the Ten Sefirot, Vol. 1, Part 1).

A place in spirituality is called desire. And the desire can be “empty,” ready to accept corrections, or not ready for it; that is, it can be suitable or unsuitable for filling.

So how does one check if a desire is ready to be filled? A simple, initial desire is not enough, you need to prepare yourself for correction and filling! Therefore, a mere desire is not yet a “place.” A desire that is suitable for use is called a “place.”

Baal HaSulam gives the following example: if a person has an empty stomach that can hold several pieces of bread, this does not mean that he has a “place.” After all, if he is in a bad mood or has some problem, then he does not feel hungry. He is overcome by other concerns.

Therefore, an “empty place” is not just an emptiness, but a readiness to accept corrections or fillings. That is, a certain development is necessary within the desire to enjoy so that it reaches a state called “place” through four stages. And only when the desire develops to the final, fourth stage (Dalet), can it decide for itself whether it wants to be filled and what kind of correction and filling it needs. That is when it turns into a “vacant place.”

And in fact, we reveal the “place” and not the Creator Himself outside of this place as an abstract form not clothed in matter. We reveal only matter and the form clothed in matter. And that is why the Creator is also called “place.” The light is also a manifestation within the place of desire, a form clothed in matter. And outside of this place, we have nothing to speak about.

Therefore, when it is said about commandments of man in relation to the place, it refers to the desire that has received the correct form. It is to this correct form that we turn, and for us it represents the Creator (Bo-reh), that is, “come and see.”

“An empty place is a place ready to receive corrections and perfection.” And everything else is just an “empty stomach,” unable to receive food because a person is immersed in other concerns. It is not called an “empty place.”

“Empty,” by definition, is a place that has been sufficiently corrected to resemble the quality of bestowal, which will be called the Creator, “come and see.”
[47452]
From Daily Kabbalah Lesson “The Study of the Ten Sefirot,” 7/6/11

Related Material:
What Is A Spiritual Vessel (Desire)?
What Is A Bright, Fine Desire?
What Does It Hide, This Spark Of Light?

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

How can I trust myself? I am entirely in the hands of the Creator, and suddenly I am my own master?

Question: A person should not trust himself?

Answer: No. That is why it is said: “Do not believe in yourself until the day you die”

Question: What death are we talking about?

Answer: The death of the egoistic self. And who knows how much egoism is still within each of us?

Comment: So you think that these tests, which people undergo when win lottery tickets or earn millions on YouTube or TikTok.

My Response: That is misfortune!

Comment: So it is not happiness, not something to be grateful for, but rather something to beware of.

My Response: I ran away from it. And I had enough strength; God guided me so well, in general, to avoid all of that.

Question: But if it happens? Then at least it gives some way out, a little loophole. It happens that a talented person starts earning crazy money while young!

Answer: That is misfortune.

Question: But what should he do?

Answer: Nothing can be done. I do not think there is anything one can do against it.

I had such situations, but they were when I met strong, serious people who could tempt me with wealth and so on. No, I managed to keep safe. Of course, it was all the Creator who did it, but I tried to slip away.

Question: Is it a test? Is it how a person is brought along?

Answer: Yes! A person cannot live without boundaries; firm, rigid boundaries within which he exists. He cannot!

Question: And why does the Creator do this to a person?

Answer: To show an example to others through him. “Distribute your treasury to the homeless and set the slaves free.” This is Shota Rustaveli.

Comment: So, the conclusion is if a lot of money comes to you—run.

My Response: Yes.
[347481]
From KabTV’s “News with Dr. Michael Laitman,” 8/20/25

Related Material:
When Money Will Bring Happiness
There’s Never Been A Crisis Of This Dimension
One And A Half Billion Dollars

Filed under: Economy, News | Add Comment / Ask Question →

Question: What does the commandment “Do not do to others what is hateful to you” mean? How can it be universal for both the corporeal and the spiritual levels?

Answer: In order to master the upper world, we have been given egoism, and by transforming it we could adapt to the upper world.

Basically, egoism is an artificial state, so that by transforming it we would understand the structure of the spiritual world. Egoism is not an end in itself; in general, we do not have to correct it. It is a means of correction, an aid in adapting to the upper world.

No wonder, the Creator said “I created egoism.” He created it for man so that by gradually correcting it each time he would understand and reveal the spiritual world more and more.

Question: In the Kabbalistic method there are two principles: “Do not do to others what is hateful to you” and “Love your neighbor as yourself.” What are these steps?

Answer: “Do not do to others what is hateful to you” is a correction of the egoism, meaning the termination of using it as an ego. While “Love your neighbor as yourself” is already a revolution, it is using egoism in the opposite direction, for the sake of others.
[235291]
From the Kabbalah Lesson in Russian, 6/24/18

Related Material:
The Subtle Art Of Spiritual Work
The Passage In The Wall
What Is Hateful To You, Do Not Do To Your Fellow Men

Filed under: Egoism, Kabbalah Study, Spiritual Work | Add Comment / Ask Question →