We are unconsciously managed by intentions of in order to receive. There is nothing we can do about it since that’s the way we were born. But if we perform the right actions, even if our intention is still incorrect, which means that corporeally we try to be in a circle, in connection, and attracted to mutual guarantee as much as we can, we thus make ourselves suitable for the Upper Light even without the intention of in order to bestow.

We don’t adapt ourselves to the Upper Light itself but rather to its illumination from a distance called the Surrounding Light. This Surrounding Light begins to affect us according to our efforts to reach connection, to reach “don’t do unto others what is hated by you,” “love thy friend as thyself,” in connection and in self annulment. Even if these actions are not accompanied by the intention of in order to bestow, they still bring the Light that Reforms closer to us and thanks to it we gradually acquire the intention of in order to bestow. Thus our actions acquire the intention of bestowal and we begin to ascend the spiritual ladder.

Therefore it is said that “Mitzvot (commandments) don’t require an intention,” and that even actions without the right intentions can begin to correct and bring us to the first spiritual level, to the level of Nefesh of Holiness. The spiritual path begins from this level. Then our actions become more focused, with the intention of Lishma (for its sake), for the Creator, in a more conscious way. We perform 613 corrections on each and every level: 613 corrections on the level of Nefesh, 613 corrections on the level of Ruach, 613 corrections on the level of Neshama, 613 corrections on the level of Haya and 613 corrections on the level of Yechida and then we are rewarded with the great Light, the Light of Ein Sof (Infinity).

Question: Why does it say that “a Mitzvah without an intention is like a body without a soul?”

Answer: It’s about real Mitzvot, but what we do now is not a Mitzvah yet. It says that “a person is rewarded with the goal of creation by keeping the Torah and the Mitzvot.” Torah is the Light that Reforms that comes and corrects our desire with the intention of in order to bestow. Correction is called a Mitzvah.

This means that the Upper Light performs the Mitzvah by correcting the desire, but it is a person who draws the Upper Light. A person who draws the Upper Light does not have the right intention yet, and he only performs all the actions in order to summon the Light that Reforms. When the Light comes, it already performs the corrections that are called Mitzvot. So our role is only to constantly bring ourselves to a state or to stabilize the state that is closest to the Surrounding Light, to the Light that Reforms.
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From the Preparation to the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 10/8/13

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The sages said: “A person should always be involved with Torah and Mitzvot even though it is Lo Lishma, for from Lo Lishma one comes to Lishma.”

In the article “613 Recommendations and 613 Commandments,” Introduction to The Book of Zohar explains to us that a person consists of 613 desires, and to correct them we do the 613 commandments. After all, this is specifically what we were commanded to do: to correct each and every desire and use them for the sake of bestowal.

In general, the desires or the commandments are divided into 248 positive and 365 prohibited Mitzvot. On the “forbidden” desires we must have to impose a restriction (Tzimtzum) and not use them. And with the 248 Mitzvot (desires), we need to use them as reception for the sake of bestowal. And that is how the person corrects all his 613 desires for the sake of bestowal: part of them through action and part of them through inaction.

The Light that Reforms corrects all the desires. Once it was Ohr Pnimi (Inner Light) that filled the desires, and after that it was removed from them and was left outside as Ohr Makif (Surrounding Light). Now all the desires are corrupted with an intention for the sake of reception, but we can link them with the Ohr Makif so that it will influence them and correct them with an intention of being for the sake of bestowal instead of being for the sake of reception. And after that, to the degree of the change of intention to being for the sake of bestowal, that Ohr Makif will enter into the desire in the role of Ohr Pnimi.

In this manner we serve as intermediaries, as “links” between the Ohr Makif and the corrupted desire. This is our work.
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From the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 8/26/13, The Book of Zohar — Introduction, “Rejoicing in the Holidays and Not Giving to the Poor”

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Question: What are “practical commandments?”

Answer: Practical commandments are corrections that we are capable of making today. The entire Torah and commandments are corrective actions that are made with the help of the Light.

As it is written, “I have created the evil inclination, I have created the Torah as a spice.” The evil inclination is the “material,” the egoistic desire. The “Torah” is the power of its correction. A man, me, should be positioned between them.

It is I who organizes a liaison between the Torah and the evil inclination. As it is written, “Whoever attains the Light hidden in the Torah can see with it from one end of the world to the other.” I am the one who defines egoism as evil and the Torah as a spice. My main duty is to initiate the impact of the spice to correct the evil inclination, so I build the whole system, and by doing so, transition from an evil inclination to a good one, which means that I am following the commandments.

There are practical commandments that are possible to follow right away, and there are commandments that are not available to us as of yet. In general, it’s about the methodology of the fulfillment of the commandments (corrective actions) with the help of the Torah (the Light).

“Commandment” is a transition from evil to good, from receiving to bestowal, from egoistic intention to altruistic in each given desire. It is done by the Light. Accordingly, before anything else, I must identify evil with the help of the Light of the Torah. Then, I will be able to make a request that will lead me to a good inclination.

I cope with all stages of this path due to the Light. “Love thy neighbor as thyself” is the general, great rule of the Torah, the corrected form. The corrupt form (the evil inclination) signifies hatred toward our neighbors. Therefore, the Torah is not a scroll of parchment that is kept in a special bookcase but the Light that Reforms.
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From the 2^nd part of the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 7/12/12, The Zohar

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Baal HaSulam “One Commandment”: There is no serving the Creator and keeping the Mitzvot (commandments) except in Lishma (for Her Name)—bringing contentment to One’s Maker. Yet, our sages have already introduced the practice of engaging in Torah and Mitzvot even in Lo Lishma (not for Her Name), since “from Lo Lishma he will come to Lishma”…

Initially, we cannot “just” become similar to the upper force . After all, it is completely giving, and to reach the same level, we too must bestow upon it. As in the example with the guest and the Host, if I want to grow up to the best, perfect state, then I should become like the source of creation.

The Host is filled with bestowal and love, and if I want to rise to His degree of eternity and perfection, then I have to achieve equivalence of form with Him. And it means to delight Him just as he wants to delight me. The wisdom of Kabbalah is intended for this purpose; the method allows, by means of the Light that Reforms, the drawing of the force that corrects us so that we achieve equivalence of form with the upper force, the Creator.

The first and only Mitzvah (commandment) that guarantees the achievement of the aspiration to attain Lishma, is to take responsibility to not work for their own needs, in other words, strictly following what’s necessary to provide for one’s sustenance. In the rest of the time, one will work for the public: to save the oppressed and every creature in the world that is in need of salvation and benefit.

Since this is the “first and only” principle, do not look for solutions elsewhere because there are no other options. It’s clear and certain that, first of all, one has to provide for his existence, and, as soon as his basic needs are met by all means, to take care of others’ well being. This is the correct form of similarity to the Creator.

By providing his basic needs, a person “fulfills” himself on the still, vegetative, and animate degree. We should be like nature on these three levels.

And the human degree that has been growing above the animal degree during, let’s say, a hundred thousand years, belongs not to the body; it’s all within. You will not see it with the material eye, it extends in the mind and feeling, in the inner development. And the person’s entire inner world must be turned to bestowal upon the other.

The earlier, “natural” degrees differ by treatment of the material, the method of communication. But the human degree is clouded, confusing, and incomprehensible to us. What is a “human being”? Sometimes when looking at a person, we say: “This is not a human, he acts like an animal.” Overall, however, we do not have a clear definition of clear external signs by which to identify a true human being. In what exactly is he different from an animal? The criteria are vague.

So, if today we are looking for an internal expression of the human degree, then we call it so by the future state, by the goal to which it’s directed. This is the form that must be turned, likened to the Creator, and then it will be called the “Human Being” (Adam). For now, this is a formal designation on account of future merits.

So, the first principle on the path to the goal is to work for oneself no more than as required by basic needs and to take care of others in everything else. This bar is now before you and if you do so on your own accord, then you will achieve equivalence with the Creator.

Moreover, basic self-care is also part of caring for the other, provided that you hold that intention from the very beginning. After all, “the end of the action is in its initial thought.”
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From the 4^th part of the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 9/22/13, Writings of Baal HaSulam

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Baal HaSulam “One Commandment”: There is no serving the Creator and keeping the Mitzvot (commandments) except in Lishma (for Her Name)—bringing contentment to One’s Maker.

“Serving the Creator” is pure bestowal and “keeping the Mitzvot (commandments)” is self-correction toward bestowal by the Light that Reforms or the “Torah.”

I shall act only in order to bestow, without any benefit for myself. This is why I need the Upper Light; due to it, I can perform actions not on my selfish “fuel,” not based on self-interest. I need the higher force that will give me the opportunity to bestow without any reason, without justification from the point of view of my nature, my logic. And then I can give “for the pleasure of the Creator.”

The “Creator” is something outside of me, be it a person, all of humanity, or the Creator. I do not care who exactly: Everything that goes out of my “body” seemingly disappears and no longer exists in my eyes. This is how I feel. It turns out that “bringing pleasure to the Creator” is like throwing something, losing something forever.

Yet, our sages have already introduced the practice of engaging in Torah and Mitzvot even in Lo Lishma (not for Her Name), since “from Lo Lishma he will come to Lishma”…

That is, even if I am unable to bestow now, I have to act to the best of my abilities, do what I can in the group, in the classroom, etc. And then, after passing a series of states, I will achieve bestowal. Why? Because the actions that the sages recommend to me, even without the right intention, attract to me the Light that Reforms.

It would seem, how could this be? Why by carrying out the advice of the sages, do I attract the Light? In fact, I just read in a book and heard from the teacher that I need to do this and that. How then do I get from this the spiritual force that changes me? Exactly how does this mechanism work?

The fact is that by following the instructions of the great sages, I establish a connection with them and then get spiritual fulfillment from them. I just feel this as the Surrounding Light because I cannot yet tolerate it in my desires. In fact, it fills me, is with me, but I cannot “process” it yet in clear vessels, to really work with it. Nevertheless, it already corrects and “formats” me.

Thus, following the advice of teachers, I connect through them with the Malchut of the world of infinity.
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From the 4^th part of the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 9/22/13, Writings of Baal HaSulam

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Baal HaSulam, “Exile and Redemption”: As long as we followed the path of Torah, we remained safe.

As we all know, all the commandments of the Torah come down to one main rule “Love thy friend as thyself.” All the commandments are the correction and the changing of our desire to receive from the intention of in order to receive to in order to bestow. So if the people of Israel performed all these corrections and kept the principle of love, they wouldn’t suffer from all the afflictions of being in exile.

On the other hand, we have to understand that the exile is essential; we have to feel it and to actually be immersed in it for some time.

It isn’t by chance that a couple of centuries ago Kabbalists in eastern Europe used to exile themselves, a person would leave his home and wander not knowing where to. He walked around among people and encountered different troubles and problems and found himself in different situations that allowed him to “mingle” among all those who hated him.

Such voluntary exile helped hasten the general exile so that it would end much sooner than the predetermined date. Kabbalists didn’t do it for themselves but actually in order to bestow. Today it is hard to imagine what situations and afflictions they put themselves through. Yet, they felt they had to go through all that in order to acquire the real power to turn to the Creator.

Theoretically, however, if the people of Israel had kept the law of love and had not adopted the manners of their neighbors, they wouldn’t have been incorporated in them in exile and wouldn’t have discovered the evil and hatred others feel towards them. So all the bad things that are discovered are actually the same “hardenings of the heart” that we didn’t manage to turn into ascents and which thus have caused us to descend…
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From the 4^th part of the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 8/12/13, Writings of Baal HaSulam

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Question: In the Torah the commandments and the judgments are described. What is the difference between them?

Answer: The laws (Mishpatim) come from the side of the restrictions, and the commandments come from the side of the desire and readiness to carry them out. But in principle both of them talk about one thing: in what way a man needs to become similar to the Creator.

We are not talking about the level of this world. In the Torah, all the laws and commandments are discerned in relation to our ego and how to change it to something that is opposite, resembling the Creator, the property of complete bestowal and love, connection with everyone, where within this connection a huge property of bestowal is discovered, the force of creation called the Creator.

In the revelation of this force there are Taryag (613) egoistic attributes, desires. This is how they are called, “Taryag uncorrected desires.” We need to correct them from the egoistic intention for reception for myself, pleasure for myself, even causing damage to others (this is how we feel self-benefit), for use in order to bestow, meaning, for the benefit of others, and through this, to connect, to adhere, and to resemble the Creator.

There are limits in these actions when I rise above the ego (above my desire to receive) and stop working with it. Afterwards, I change it into a form that I can execute, above it, acts for the sake of bestowal. And afterwards, I myself add this ego to my intention for the sake of bestowal and act together with it for the sake of others, for bestowal.

For example, the thief stops stealing. This is the first commandment. The second commandment is that he gives all his stealing abilities to the benefit of man.

For example, like in the O.Henry story where the thief opens the safe in which a child had locked himself inside.

In this way, there are all the phases: restriction, rising above the ego, and transforming it into the act of bestowal. First is the restriction; I don’t steal. Second, rising above the ego: what isn’t done, that some egoistic reward that isn’t offered to us, which in any case we won’t use and renew actions that cause damage to others. Third, I use the speed of the response, the ability and possibility, to bestow and to give, in a way that is directed only to love.

Thus, the commandments and laws are divided. But in their expression are the restrictions of the right and left lines and the middle line in relation to you, society, and the Creator, with many kinds of subtleties.
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From the KabTV’s “The Secrets of the Eternal Book” 3/11/13

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The Torah, Exodus, 20:14: “Thou shall not covet thy neighbor’s house, thou shall not covet thy neighbor’s wife, nor his manservant, nor his maidservant, nor his ox, nor his ass, nor any thing that is thy neighbor’s.”

A house, a wife, a servant, an ox, or an ass are all a person’s major desires that gradually connect in him, starting from the external vessels to the most inner desires.

“Thou shall not covet,” means that you have to work with your desires in order to bestow and not for yourself.

If until now it was about what you have and how you should work with it, now it is about what the other has and what you cannot use.

To use means to “want.” It isn’t just “thou shall not covet” in the sense of “don’t take” but actually not to covet, so that you will not feel the slightest envy towards the other. Then you begin to understand that if you relate to him you will not even see his image.

Usually you see some good and some bad in a person and envy him a little, etc. You cannot see him as he actually is; you see him in relation to you, whether better or worse one way or the other. If you don’t look at him through the prism of envy etc., you will not see his image.

He will never be depicted to you, since our sub-base is like a compact disc that is sensitive to light, that is behind the camera lens that catches the picture, changes it into electric signals and transmits it to the control so our sub-base perceives everything only in relation to us: to what extent it seems better or worse with regards to my ego.

If I get rid of it in relation to myself, then I don’t see you, you disappear from my sight. What happens? It turns out that the world doesn’t exist. I only see an absolute vacuum.

This means that the corrected state implies lack of envy in me and all the other states with regard to other people and humanity. In that case, I begin to understand that there is no one and that everything disappears. Then I have to find a totally new attribute that will allow me to see what does exist.

It turns out that if my ego is nullified, then the whole picture of the world is nullified and the world does not exist. So what does exist? There is nothing but the attribute of bestowal. But how can I perceive it? I begin to change myself according to this attribute of bestowal and to the same extent I am not compatible with it, I begin to see the differences and vice versa; to the extent that I am compatible with it, I begin to feel this attribute since a contrast has been created. It turns out that the part of the world in which I am not compatible with the attribute of bestowal is still me for the time being and the part of the world in which I am compatible with the attribute of bestowal is the Creator. Then, I and the Creator appear and there is no one but us.

When I gradually attain full correction, it is as if I disappear and only my feeling of the one unique Creator remains. Thus, I reach the recognition that “there is none else besides Him”
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From KabTV’s “Secrets of the Eternal Book” 3/04/13

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The Torah, Exodus 20:13, “Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbor.”

“Thy neighbor” is my friend, and together we work on mutual bestowal, and I have to be totally honest with him. To the same extent, thy neighbor is also the Creator and the teacher. This means that these three factors are essential for shaping my spiritual growth.

At the same time, they must always seem perfect to me and that I am the only one who is not perfect. This is how I always should see myself since this is the only way I will see what else needs to be corrected.

This is only psychological guidance. I reach a state where I see that everyone is corrected and that I am not, in an accurate, gradual manner through constant exercising. Everything that I see around me as negative is all inside me, and everything around me is the world of infinite wholeness. So, there is nothing to correct but myself.

Question: Should these exercises be from the easiest to the most difficult, from a close friend to a teacher and so on to the entire world? After all, it is impossible to deal with the entire world.

Answer: Yes, it is a complex system that is very different and very hard to work with. Only after a person goes through all the states with regard to the friend, the teacher, and the Creator can he work with the world. There, the relationships are more complicated but, in any case, they all add up to the same thing, except for one thing. If someone comes to “kill” you, which means that he totally cuts you off from being able to correct yourself, then you must kill him first. This is the law!

There is no time to think, “Is it good or bad; should I or shouldn’t I?” When someone comes to fight you, you must answer in the same way. These are very clear rules. In this case, “murder” is your collective correction, both for him and for you since it is very complicated to kill a person when you justify him.

It is a difficult action. It is the correction of a great psychological shattering, a tragic moment when, in order to kill him, you must kill yourself spiritually.

This means that it is a very serious problem! It is mutual correction since then you begin to accept every person as a replica of yourself, and it is as if you kill yourself. You must approach this gradually by experiencing everything while moving forward with the friends, the teacher, the Creator, and only then is it possible to approach this state.
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From KabTV’s “Secrets of the Eternal Book” 3/4/13

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