Baal HaSulam, “Introduction to The Book of Zohar,” Item 65: You already know that there is an inverse relation between Lights and vessels: in the Kelim, the Higher ones grow first (see Item 62), which is why the first were more complete in the practical part than the last. But with the Lights, where the lower ones enter first, the last are more complete than the first.

Question: What is the meaning of the “practical part”? Does it refer to practical Mitzvot (commandments)?

Answer: These are Mitzvot that we fulfill between us on a physical level because our intentions are not yet sufficiently revealed. We don’t have a desire that is deep enough yet.

The same thing is also typical of the evolution of humanity. With time we gradually advance from physical work to mental work, to more delicate areas, whether it’s precise mechanics, nanotechnology, biology, etc.

This is already the work of the heavy vessels, those that have a great Aviut (thickness) of the desire. When you resist it, there is a whole variety of Lights that match the current depths of your ego. You begin to work with the Lights, with the intentions, with the delicate but strong vessels, like with a laser beam instead of manual instruments. Even the thought itself becomes a means that allows us to change the world, and we are already close to it.

Before, when we had a small desire we couldn’t penetrate the inner part of the world and discover all its components. Without a great evil inclination we couldn’t divide, classify, and organize it

There is the practical work and there is the work in our intention: the former is always in GE, while the latter is in AHP. As long as the vessels are pure, on the Aviut level of the root phase, phase one and two, there is an advantage to the actions. In other words, the intention in this state is called an action. It says: “Do everything that is in your power.”

This action isn’t performed manually, but the intention is small. In the meantime it isn’t supported by the great thickness of the desire and isn’t established on top of the resistance. I don’t establish an opposite intention to what is revealed inside me yet.

On the other hand, the real intention rides on top of the strongest desire on the third and fourth level of Aviut. This is where the real ego is concealed, against which I must work. It’s no small thing anymore. When a small child obeys his mother even when he doesn’t want to, it’s one thing, but if you ask a 15-year-old boy who already feels mature enough and overcomes the strongest inner resistance to do so, it’s a totally different thing. This is the difference between an action and an intention, and this has to do with both the Mitzvot of do and don’t do.

Question: So what, in this sense, are the physical actions that we perform in the group: duties, etc.?

Answer: These actions are also considered according to the intention. It says that Mitzvot don’t need an intention, which means the right intention of in order to bestow. But still everything is considered according to the intention, even if it’s egoistic for the time being but goal oriented.

“I want to reach the Creator.”

“What does that mean?”

“I don’t know, to be good.”

“But to be good is in order to bestow.”

“So I want to act in order to bestow!”

The truth is that I have no idea what bestowal is and I only say that I want it, but it’s enough in order to be part of the correction.
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From the 2^nd part of the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 2/27/14, Writings of Baal HaSulam

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Every person must discover 613 desires in himself and correct them. Only to this is it worthwhile to aspire in dissemination in public life, in everything. Everything that is aimed at this goal, you need to accept. And everything that is against it, you need to cancel. In this there can be no compromise; only the higher law, the adherence of the Kli and the Light, should determine what it is up to us to do.

We hope that we will discover all 613 parts of our desire to receive, and through connection in a group we will succeed in clarifying them, we will see their egoism and begin to work on their correction for bestowal. And this is possible to do only through the Light that Reforms, which is called the Torah.

Therefore all of our existence is possible only thanks to the Torah and the Mitzvot, meaning we must discover the 613 desires of unfounded hatred and correct them to bestowal and love, which is called keeping the Mitzvot. A Mitzva symbolizes that through the Upper Light that is called Torah, we cleave to the Creator and with this we give Him contentment.

This is because today in relation to Him we are like ungrateful children. Imagine to yourselves that your children don’t want to know you, they despise and hate you, are against you in everything, they don’t even want to look in your direction. That is how we behave today in relation to the Creator. And even this is not a sufficient example, because we don’t love our children like the Creator loves us.

Therefore we give the Creator great contentment when we begin to approach Him, to love, to discover our good relationship, opening our heart and soul before Him. All this brings Him great joy. Try to describe and to feel this condition: What terrible sufferings we invite from Above through our behavior today! The Creator is waiting for us to turn our faces towards Him and begin to get close, to recognize Him and agree to accept all of that good that He wants to give to us. And it could be that ultimately we will understand that this is truly the eternal good.
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From the Talk at a Meal 2/21/14

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Question: I was at a convention in Israel for the first time, and I cannot be freed from the feeling of fear of losing something great. I felt a very great difference between being in my group and being here, in the Bnei Baruch group. The thought haunts me all the time. Isn’t this ego, or is this a normal fear of losing that intensity that is felt in a congress?

Answer: This intensity doesn’t disappear anywhere. It exists on the spiritual plane. If you are connected to it, then you are in it. If you are detached, then you lose it, and after that, you can connect again. This is eternal.

That you feel fear is very good. What is the first Mitzva? It is the Mitzva of fear. I could be detached from the spiritual level, could lose it, I won’t be able to bestow, and so forth. This is the main thing. Therefore, you have a very good basis for staying in a good connection with us.
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Question: How do we connect the two expressions: “commandments that don’t need an intention” and a “commandment without an intention” is like a body without a soul?

Answer: “Implementation of the commandments does not require an intention” refers to the fact that even when we don’t have an intention of in order to bestow yet, we still try to connect with the friends and that brings us to the right intention of love and bestowal.

An intention of in order to bestow means that I focus on you and I want to fill you. A person in this world has no such intention. We are born without it, live our lives, and then reach the group. This means that the commandment doesn’t need an intention, so start the way you are.

Even if you have an intention, it is only for yourself and not for anything else (this is how you were brought to the wisdom of Kabbalah). So, study and you will succeed.

Suppose we have two levels of energy. The lower level is the intention of in order to receive that lacks the intention to bestow. There is a phase of preparation (Achan) for the intention of in order to bestow between this level and the next one, and then there is a Machsom (barrier that separates us from the upper world).

Above the Machsom, we discover the intention that is external to me, or to bestow, the attribute of Bina, the Light of Hassadim (charity). Then, there is the intention of to receive in order to bestow, or the Light of Hochma, and there is the end of correction (Gmar Tikkun).

First, we are on the lowest level on which we have a normal healthy desire to receive in order to enjoy.

Gradually, we come to the recognition that we have no intention to bestow.

A person decides, “I must start changing myself,” and so he reaches the phase of the very serious preparation for the intention of in order to bestow called the time of preparation (Zman Achan).

This very hard work may take months and even years. Gradually, under the influence of the Upper Light, a person reaches the intention of bestowal outside of himself.

At the same time, he doesn’t give anything but simply exists as an embryo (Ubar). He adheres to the upper and annuls himself like an embryo, or like a small child with regard to a grownup, without interfering with his growth as he allows the upper to do whatever is necessary with him: “Do whatever you want with me; I agree to everything,” and this is aimed against his growing ego.

When he completes the correction of all his desires, he ascends to the last level where he can receive pleasure in order to bestow for the sake of the Creator.

This is a very high level, and we want to attain it by performing and completing all the corrections.
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Right now we need to clarify which problems must actually be solved before and during the convention. Otherwise this will not be called a “convention,” a convening, a connection.

Question: It is understandable that we need to feel happy about connection. But must we also be afraid of not attaining a connection?

Answer: There is a particular age below which the child is exempt from commandments (Mitzvot) because he is small. After that we begin to educate him and say to him what he is allowed to eat and what he is forbidden to eat, or that one can do something this way and is not allowed to do it that way.

The first commandment is called “fear” in the presence of the Creator. I am afraid of whether or not I will be able to give Him contentment, will this action make Him happier, what will make Him less happy? For this, I must reach an age of maturity, “Bar Mitzvah,” meaning a level when a person is aware that he is responsible for his thoughts, intentions, and deeds of correction. A “Mitzvah” is correction. The question is, have we reached this age?

If we were already like this today, we will feel the fear, the apprehension: “Friends, the goal before us is to give contentment to the Creator! If we don’t do this, it will be very bad.” This will be very bad not for ourselves, but bad for another, for others; otherwise, this is not called a “Mitzvah” if I am thinking about myself. But if we succeed in giving contentment to the Creator, this will be good for the entire world! What will be with us doesn’t matter to us.

This means that we must make many preliminary corrections before we reach realization of this first commandment of fear, of apprehension, of the thought, “Am I giving contentment to the Creator or not?” It’s forbidden for you to get some kind of benefit from this in return for this will no longer be a commandment, this will not be bestowal, this will not be giving contentment to the Creator. It’s possible to bring contentment to the Creator only if there is no self-interest, if one is making Him happy without considering personal loss or gain. We must still rise to this level by making a restriction on our ego so that the result will not be considered in relation to ourselves.
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From the 4^th part of the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 1/27/14, Writings of Baal HaSulam

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Come and see the words of the sage Rabbi Even Ezra in his book, Yesod Mora, (The Foundation for Fear) p. 8b: “And now note and know that all the Mitzvot that are written in the Torah or the conventions that the fathers have established, although they are mostly in action or in speech, they are all in order to correct the heart…”
Baal HaSulam, “Introduction to the Book, Panim Meirot uMasbirot”

Those who engage solely in the dresses of the Torah are gravely mistaken. And when the Creator’s demand is abandoned and the majority of the multitude of the sages of the Torah do not know its purpose, and they consider the wisdom of the Torah with its purpose as mere addition of some quip to Talmudic debates—which, though truly sacred and precious—they will not illuminate our souls.
Rav Kook, Igrot (Letters), Part 2, No. 153
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The Generation We Are Dealing With

Baal HaSulam: “The Merit of Recollection”: And this is the matter of the diminishing value of the generations, until they have reached the last restriction in our generation in which “the wisdom of authors shall reek, and those who fear sin will be loathed,” since this is the state the masses are all in, and they don’t feel any obligation to engage in the Godly work and do not feel any deficiency when it is lacking. This is the form of our generation with whom we deal.

Baal HaSulam, “Introduction to the Study of the Ten Sefirot“, Item 36: We learn from the words of the Tikkunim of The Zohar that there is an oath that the Light of mercy and love will not awaken in the world before Israel’s deeds in Torah and Mitzvot will have the intention to not receive reward, but only to bestow contentment upon the Maker…

Thus, the length of the exile and affliction that we suffer depends on us and waits for us to merit the practice of Torah and Mitzvot Lishma. And if we only attain that, this Light of love and bestowal (Lishma), which has the power to extend, will immediately awaken, as it is written, “And the spirit shall rest upon him, the spirit of wisdom and understanding.” Then we will be granted complete redemption.
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Indeed, there is a common opinion that the primary goal of religion and the Torah is only the cleansing of actions, that all that is desired concerns observing the physical Mitzvot (commandments), without any additions or anything that should result from it. Had that been so, those who say that studying the revealed and practical actions alone is sufficient would be right.

Yet, this is not the case. Our sages have already said, “Why should the Creator mind if one slaughters at the throat or at the back of the neck? After all, the Mitzvot were only given to cleanse people.” Thus, there is a purpose beyond the observance of the actions, and the actions are merely preparations for this purpose. Hence, clearly, if the actions are not arranged for the desired goal, it is as if nothing exists. And it is also written in The Zohar: “A Mitzva (commandment) without an aim is like a body without a soul.” Hence, the aim, too, should accompany the act.”
Baal HaSulam, “The Teaching of the Kabbalah and Its Essence.”

If one wants to correct one’s egoistic desire to receive and change it into a desire to bestow, there is only one remedy at one’s disposal—the Light—under the condition that one is engaged into studying the Torah with the intention to correct one’s desire.
Rabash, Shlavey HaSulam (Steps of the Ladder) “What is the Torah and the Work on the Path to the Creator”

…the Creator gave us Torah and Mitzvot, which we were commanded to do only in order to bestow contentment upon the Creator. Had it not been for the engagement in Torah and Mitzvot Lishma (for Her Name), to bring contentment to the Creator with them, and not to benefit ourselves, there would have been no tactic in the world that could help us invert our nature.

Now you can understand the rigorousness of engaging in Torah and Mitzvot Lishma. If one’s intention in the Torah and Mitzvot is not to benefit the Creator, but oneself, not only will the nature of the will to receive in him not be inverted, but rather, the will to receive in him will be much more than what he was given by the nature of his creation.
Baal HaSulam, “A Speech for the Completion of The Zohar”
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Question: So what is the most important thing that we need to tell people?

Answer: We need to reach people with the fact that without a change in the nature of man from hatred of others to love, we are going against the evolution of nature to an integral form and with this we are summoning greater and greater personal and collective problems.

We must speak about this in all channels of communication, that to acquire the characteristic of “love of the other” is the goal of the wisdom of Kabbalah; this is the correct result of the right spiritual work (the work of the Creator).

This is the difference between the wisdom of Kabbalah and religion: Kabbalah accepts the condition that “You shall love your neighbor as yourself” is the great general rule of the Torah, whereas religion supposes that what is essential is carrying out physical requirements. Therefore it abandons correcting human nature, which is what it was specifically designed for.

Kabbalah considers that if the objective is not “Love your neighbor as yourself,” then the entire Torah is not respected because this is the general encompassing rule of the Torah, since specifically this goal brings the person to the characteristic of bestowal, to Lishma, for the sake of the Creator.

If a person doesn’t aspire to rise above his ego, then his actions only increase the ego. And instead of approaching the characteristic of bestowal and love, that is, the revelation of the Creator, then he moves further from the Creator and transforms into the “mixed multitude” who are the “God-fearing servants of Pharaoh,” all of whose actions are for the sake of their ego, for the sake of reward in this world and in the next world.
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Question: Why do we work especially on the 613^th commandment which is love of others and the 612^th commandment which is fear of the Creator, while these two commandments stem from all the other 611 commandments? This means that these two commandments had to be considered less important than all the others.

Answer: All we have to attain is:

1. Restriction one, the Masach (screen) over the Light of Hassadim, which means over the attribute of Bina; to be above all our desires, to bestow in order to bestow, and this is the 612^th commandment, receiving the Light of Hassadim.
2. Then we have to fulfill the attribute of “to receive in order to bestow” in the attribute of Keter, which is the 613^th commandment, the commandment of love, unity, the receiving of the Light of Hochma in the Light of Hassadim.

All the other commandments are private corrections and actually make up these commandments, and so in Talmud Eser Sefirot we study only about these two corrections. But when we yearn for them we gradually correct ourselves by fulfilling the private desires the soul is made of in all its 613 parts. So think about these two corrections and all the other private forms will be fulfilled in you by themselves under the influence of the Surrounding Light (Ohr Makif).
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