There are many stories in The Book of Zohar that are written in allegorical language (Midrash). They are seemingly describing people and angels (the forces of nature), animals, and plants, which is because the Book’s authors wished to explain all levels of creation to us: the still, vegetative, animate, and speaking.

Baal HaSulam prepared four introductions to The Book of Zohar:

1. “Preface to the Wisdom of Kabbalah (Pticha)”: It is a scientific preface where he explains the structure of the worlds, Partzufim, Sefirot, and the interaction of the Lights and desires (vessels, Kelim).

2. “The Preamble to the Sulam Commentary”: It is connected to the above mentioned preface. Here, he also explains how to work in the three lines, with Lights and desires, if only in a more particular form, closer to each soul.

3. “Preface to The Book of Zohar”: In this introduction, Baal HaSulam explains the perception of reality. He describes how we transition from our ordinary, corporeal perception of reality to the spiritual one, when we start perceiving reality through this world, which becomes transparent, and see the forces working in it instead of the external picture of the world.

Similarly, when we look at the computer screen, we see a certain image. But it exists only pertaining to us since we created this screen and this method of projection on purpose. In reality though, it is merely an external manifestation of information stored inside the computer, on its hard drive. If we could read information directly from the disk, we wouldn’t need to retrieve it onto the screen and read it from it.

The wisdom of Kabbalah is the instrument that allows us to enter the internal, concealed part of reality and see not the external form presented to us at the moment, but rather the internal activity: the forces working behind the scenes of the familiar image of the world.

In this introduction, Baal HaSulam also explains that our perception of reality is divided into four components: the essence, the abstract form, the form clothed in matter, and the matter itself. Until the final correction (Gmar Tikkun), we attain only our matter (desire) and form that this desire assumes: either an egoistic or altruistic one. We cannot know the abstract form and less so the essence. Thus we advance to the final correction.

Hence, the wisdom of Kabbalah gives us a very serious warning not to indulge in fantasies, but rather to be realistic and use a scientific approach while striving to discover the spiritual world in a sound, tangible form.

4. “Introduction to The Book of Zohar”: Here, Baal HaSulam explains various problems a person faces in his or her questions about who we are, what our essence and role in this world is, why the Creator created us so flawed, low, and despicable, why we must walk this entire long path and become equivalent to Him, and so on. In the beginning of this introduction, Baal HaSulam asks these questions and answers them further on.

And in the end of the introduction, there is a very special, well-known, and widespread part where he writes about our correction in our days. There he explains that the world is divided into inner and outer parts. People who feel they belong in spiritual attainment are regarded as the inner part of the world. It is they who must unify among themselves and use The Book of Zohar to draw the Light that Reforms to themselves.

By doing so, they will become the spiritual source and the spiritual center of the world. Having the spiritual force, they will be spreading the wisdom of Kabbalah, and the whole world will get to feel that they have something exalted: knowledge, wisdom, the correct, common sense approach to what is happening in the world, and the answers to questions about it.

The world will begin to understand that these people reside at a much higher degree than all scientists and the so-called great leaders of this world since they possess the knowledge of the forces that act and transform our world in such an unpredictable way.

Then, after resistance and confrontations, the world will still begin to feel drawn to these people and recognize in them the upper force, the upper wisdom. And thus, in the end, the whole world will arrive at correction. After all, correction is basically performed between the individuals who are regarded as the inner part of the world, the ones with the point in the heart, while the rest of the world will only join in and cling to them, just like today in the world the masses live their daily lives while the world is ruled by a handful of others.

And thus, as Baal HaSulam explains in the end of the “Introduction to The Book of Zohar,” the entire humanity will keep developing until the world unifies together, all become as one whole, thanks to the same Book of Zohar, and reaches the same very ten primordial Sefirot that Rabbi Shimon and his nine disciples wrote about.
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From Lesson 4, WE! Convention 4/2/2011

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Rabash, Social Writings, Shlavey HaSulam (Steps of the Ladder), Article “Concerning the Importance of Friends”: Each student must feel that he is the smallest among all the friends, and then he will be able to receive the appreciation of the greatness from everyone. This is so because the greater one cannot receive from the smaller one, much less be impressed by his words. Only the lower one is impressed by what the greater one has appreciation for.

It is said about it: “I learned a lot from my teachers, more from the friends, and more than that from my students.” How can one learn from his students?

If I lower myself and raise them in my eyes instead, then through them I am able to receive. After all, in our souls, we all reside within a unified system. This is why Rabbi Hanina Ben Dosa (1st century BCE), a great Kabbalist, said that he was learning the most from his students because he had an opportunity to nullify and lower himself before them.

So do we in our integral, big group where we must especially value those who are working really hard on self-renouncement, despite the fact that it is doesn’t look so on the outside. This labor is the most difficult since it is directed precisely against the ego. But the more I lower myself, the more I receive. Even in the egoistic sense it’s worthwhile.

In the outside world, we are witnessing the same: By getting hold of ourselves, we can hear the others and learn something. And the other way around: By being arrogant, we learn nothing from no one. If I place myself above the others and despise them, I remain empty.

So, renouncement of self is beneficial even from the egoistic point of view; it is a condition on which I can bond with the group. But while in the egoistic society I lower my head in order to receive from the others as much as possible, in our group, I lower myself before the friends in order to receive from them spiritual influence, awareness of the greatness of the goal and the Creator, the force that will help me rise above egoism. Herein lies the difference: On the outside, I act the same but with an opposite goal in mind.

Each student must extol each friend’s merit as though he were the greatest in the generation. Then the environment will affect him.

I can receive only from a higher degree. Hence, not only do I need to lower myself, but also exalt the environment, the group, and the friends in my eyes.
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From Lesson 5, WE! Convention 4/2/2011

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Rabash, Writings of Rabash, Shlavei HaSulam (Steps of the Ladder), Article “What to Look For in the Assembly of Friends“: The answer is that love of friends that is built on the basis of love of others, by which they can achieve the love of the Creator, is the opposite of what is normally considered love of friends. In other words, love of others does not mean that the friends will love me. Rather, it is I who must love the friends.

As a rule, we approach love of friends in a naturally egoistic way: “Let them love me first, and in return I will love them.” I expect them to demonstrate an example for me, and only then am I willing to follow it. It is similar to setting demands on the Creator: “First you show yourself, and then I will do as You please.”

If I second the group or the Creator on what they have started, after they have already revealed themselves, it means that I am working egoistically. From the group, I must ask only for the greatness of the goal. Nobody becomes aware of the greatness on his own; we only speak of it in order to artificially elevate ourselves to this degree. And that is what makes us grow independently.

If love of friends’ gets revealed to me beforehand, my reaction will be based on purely mercantile considerations. I will respond to the friends as to any well-wisher. After all, it is pleasant for me to deal with him. Therefore, I shouldn’t seek any signs of the group’s favorite attitude toward me.

The Book of Zohar tells about the disciples of Rabbi Shimon: Whenever they got together, they would feel mutual hatred at first, and then they would start studying and overcoming it. So do we start convincing ourselves: “Whatever I see, I see it in the mirror of my ego.” Everyone judges according to their own flaws. Only later do we come to the authentic love that lies above hatred.

Therefore, the key is not to trust one’s own eyes or heart. I simply don’t focus on the others; let them do whatever they want. As to my own behavior though, I must act as my teachers instruct. If I start expecting something from the others, I will never see them do anything good. The Creator intentionally makes it so that I always see flaws in the group since I see them through the prism of my egoism.

I feel resentment and disdain toward the friends; I have no slightest desire to unify, sit down, and talk with them, and I have thousands of excuses to refuse to do it. And yet, I must move all obstacles to the side and understand that it is a game that is played with me on purpose.

If I came to the circle of people who have a spiritual desire, it means that the Creator selected them. And since He chose them, I must “cleave” to them. It is my “womb” where I will grow. I don’t have a choice: I must connect with the friends, indeed believing that they are the greatest of the generation, the best representatives of humanity, who came to lift me up. The group is the elevator that takes me up into the spiritual world.
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From Lesson 5, WE! Convention 4/2/2011

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It’s hard to even imagine to what extent the initial volume of The Book of Zohar superseded that which is left available to us today. It is about 20 times smaller. The majority of the Book is gone. But Kabbalists write that we don’t need more. The remainder of the Book is designated specifically for us, in order to provide us with the necessary assistance.

It is very difficult to discuss The Book of Zohar since it is supremely exalted. Besides, it is written in a very unique manner. Baal HaSulam explains that there are two types of souls: some root in the Inner Light and the others in the Surrounding one.

We reside in the integral system of souls, and the connection between us runs both in the internal stream between the souls and also in the surrounding field. Any electrical system is designed this way, having resistors (resistance circuits), capacitors, and inductor coils. All of this works together, both electromagnetic fields and the resistors between them. Some parts of this system accumulate energy within them, while the others turn the electrical current into a magnetic field and vice versa, the field into electrical current that runs inside it.

The system of souls works in a similar manner. The authors of The Book of Zohar also had to have these two types of souls. This is why they studied in a very specific fashion. They sat in a circle. Rabbi Shimon would talk about what he was attaining, while all his disciples were listening, discussing what he would reveal, asking him questions, and receiving answers. Rabbi Aba would hear what they were saying and write it down.

All of this was occurring during the conversation. Naturally, the conversation essentially lay in the transmission of the forces and Lights between these souls that originated in both Inner and Surrounding Lights. Rabbi Shimon had a soul coming from the Inner Light, and Rabbi Aba from the Surrounding one. Hence, Rabbi Aba was able to record everything Rabbi Shimon said in a concealed form so that today any person can buy The Book of Zohar, read it, and understand nothing.

To attain this Book, a person must undergo a certain preparation in connection with the friends. They have to form the same exact model of relationships between them as the authors of The Zohar did. Organizing such a group (it is not mandatory to have only ten people in it; there could even be 10,000) and striving to unify and wishing to discover what the Book is talking about in their mutual connection, they become similar to Rabbi Shimon’s group. And then they receive the influence of Light from it.

Since some of us belong in the Inner Light and some in the Surrounding one, we begin receiving the impact like a radio receiving waves. Then we start hearing what the Book is saying, at the rung of Bina (hearing is the level of Bina) and even seeing (at the level of Hochma), depending upon our spiritual degree. And if we haven’t reached mutual connection at the level of Bina, then we are still preparing for it.

Therefore, a sign of spiritual advancement is when we, as a group, while reading The Zohar, start sensing this text as the same forces and properties The Zohar is describing. This is the essence of the Book itself. This book is an instructor, a working manual. When penetrating it, a person feels how he rises with this book and discovers spiritual degrees, as if he is ascending a ladder indeed.

I very much hope that during our lessons when we start reading The Book of Zohar, you all together will keep the right intention in order to gain as much as possible from this source.
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From Lesson 4, WE! Convention 4/2/2011

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The higher the frequency at which we make our choice, again and again, in favor of the point in the heart, in favor of unity, the faster is our path. When we get together at large conventions and become included in one another with our desires, then I perform one action and all the others perform a multitude of other actions which join mine. If I remained alone, I would never complete this work!

However, the Creator helps us. He divided the huge desire He created into many parts. When each part carries out its work, it adds that work to everyone else.
It turns out that if there are say 800 of us, and over the course of several days at a convention each of us makes 100 actions, then it will turn out that each one made 80,000 actions. That’s because we are all connected together! And besides the people present in the convention hall, there are many more friends all over the world who join our broadcasts.

Before coming to teach this lesson, I received letters and greetings from Moscow, St. Petersburg, Israel, Germany, and many other places. Look at how many people have gathered at our centers worldwide. Right now on the screen we see Tel Aviv, the Galilee, Rehovot, Minsk, Columbia, Donetsk, Tbilisi, Chile, Odessa, Beer Sheba, Haifa, Ashkelon, Hadera, and many more.

There are many of us and if we use the days of the convention correctly, then we will leap onto the next level and will possibly realize the law that is called, “He made efforts and found!” This can happen. It all depends on us.

If a large amount of people join us and each person includes everyone, then each person receives a sufficient force. We have worked on our unity very well and have thus acquired knowledge. We studied and prepared for the whole year, constantly discussing that there is only “we,” that we are together, and that the spiritual world becomes revealed only in the connection among us. So let us hope that we will be able to implement that unity.
From the 1st lesson at the WE! Convention on 4/1/11

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One of the laws of working in the group is very peculiar and seemingly extremely egoistic: We must cultivate envy within ourselves. It is said: “Counters envy, increases wisdom.”

I should envy all my friends but with a “good” kind of envy. I wish to see them all as great and to be like them. I am not “green with envy” as I don’t wish for them to lose their advantages. On the contrary, I wish to become their equal.

Such envy is quite positive and necessary. It is worth cultivating it within. Essentially, a similar approach is acceptable to our egoism—just don’t overstep the boundary between the good and the bad envy. How do I know the difference?

If I envy someone negatively, I don’t love that person. And the other way around: When I have a positive envy, I love them. Envying another in a good way helps me to ascend and advance since I perceive his influence correctly.

In Writings of Rabash, Shlavey HaSulam (Steps of the Ladder), article “Concerning Above Reason,” Rabash writes:

"Envy that he feels toward the friends when he sees that they have better qualities than his own. It motivates him to acquire their good qualities, which he doesn’t have and of which he is jealous.

Thus, through the society, he gains new qualities that he adopts by seeing that they are at a higher degree than his, and he is envious of them. This is the reason why now he can be greater than when he didn’t have a society since he acquires new powers through the society."

Looking at the friends, one should try to see the good qualities in them that one is lacking. It is a very good test. Obviously, we don’t look at what is on the outside. One is good at singing, another at cooking, another at programming, but we don’t take such things into account. The key is to see how much heart the friend puts into the goal and environment. He wants to attain spirituality, and that is what I should feel envy for.

If I see it in all of the friends, I advance toward entering the spiritual world. Start testing yourselves: How do you feel about the environment? Do you envy the friends in a positive way? Do you value them? If yes, you are moving forth.

If, however, you haven’t yet lost your despise for them and still think that these are not the friends to unify with, you are quite far from the goal. Everyone denies according to one’s own flaw. Rabash writes about it in another article in Shlavey HaSulam, “Concerning the Importance of the Friends”:

"Hence, if one sees some fault in one’s friend, it is not a sign that his friend is at fault, but that the fault is in him, meaning that because he flawed the love of friends, he sees faults in his friend. It follows from all the above that he should not care for the correction of his friend’s faults which he sees in his friend, but he himself needs to correct the flaw he has created in the love of friends. And when he corrects himself, he will see only his friend’s merits and not his faults."
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From Lesson 5, WE! Convention 4/2/2011

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There are books written by regular people about sensations in this world. And there are books written by Kabbalists, people who attain the upper world and write about their sensations in spirituality.

These books are called special, sacred books. Sacred (Kadosh) literally translates “separate.” The spiritual world is completely separated from our egoism; therefore, a person who is describing it from his sensations is writing a sacred book: special or separated.

There is one special book out of all the books written throughout history by people with spiritual attainment. In Kabalistic sources it is simply referred to as The Book, with no mention of its name “The Zohar.” This book is so unique that in relation to it other books aren’t even considered a book. This is because it was written by a special group of people who attained all ten of the highest Sefirot in Malchut of the world of Infinity.

The special meeting of these ten individuals occurred approximately 2000 years ago. Nine students along with their teacher Rabbi Shimon retired to a cave in the North of Israel. They stayed there and studied.

This cave is a very special place. When my teacher Rabash and I would go to Tiberias, we often visited this cave. Rabash really loved to be there. He would stand for a few minutes, and it looked like he was somewhere else, as if he left his body. That’s the extent to which he connected to the spiritual force of the ten Sefirot, the ten souls that sat in this cave while revealing the world of Infinity.

By connecting together they attained all 125 spiritual levels, from our world to the world of Infinity. Baal HaSulam writes in the “Introduction to The Book of Zohar” that such a high level of attainment by a group of people occurred only once in the entire history because they united and studied together.

Only in the final correction (Gmar Tikkun) will we be able to attain the same level that was attained by this group, and we’ll be able to do so thanks to their unification. They wrote in The Book of Zohar how they were able to unite, what happened as a result, and what was revealed in the connection between them. Therein lies the whole power of The Book of Zohar.

And clearly this Book can give us the greatest force of correction for our souls. That’s why this Book is so important.
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From Lesson 2, WE! Convention 4/2/2011

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Question: Can women disseminate Kabbalah through music and singing like the men do?

Answer: As the world continues to advance toward spirituality, there will be less difference between men and women. We see that greater equality in spirituality is founded in nature—after all, we’re now approaching unity.

Why was the aspiration to the equality of men and women suddenly revealed in the 20th century? This is because nature is leading us toward unity, and in unity we’re equal. For now it’s happening on the material level, until we begin rising to the spiritual level.

We have to preserve the male and female qualities, which is something we are unable to do in our world. We shouldn’t get confused in thinking that our qualities are equal, but instead see their uniqueness. If we fail to see this difference, we won’t be able to create a correct connection.

Nature is distinctly divided into two sexes and we can’t obscure or overlook this fact. We should only find the correct connection, as the wisdom of Kabbalah explains.

In our everyday life we don’t know how to do this. Therefore, we make so many foolish mistakes that cause families to fall apart, and each person goes where ever they want. But with time, we begin to draw conclusions from these mistakes.

In spirituality we have a precise methodology: The women’s desire has to push the men. The women take part in studying and dissemination. Moreover, a woman’s part in dissemination is greater than that of a man because dissemination resembles birth, meaning that it is inherent specifically to a woman.

Possibly the men execute more, whereas the women do more preparation work. The woman prepares while the man goes out hunting or to discover new continents, and so on. He does this so that he could bring it back to the woman and create a new life.

This is why both men and women must participate in the circulation of Kabbalah. I can’t even imagine how we could exist and present ourselves today without the women. There are many women helping me with work and their help is more significant than that of men. I depend on women much more than on men. This is a force that’s more dedicated, consistent, and irreplaceable.

If I see that women are involved in something, I’m confident in the result. But if only men are involved, it’s questionable! However, this isn’t anyone’s fault or merit; these are simply parts that need to complement one another. A man is always in search of something new; therefore, he isn’t consistent. A woman is more stable, which hinders her personal development. But by uniting together we make it work.
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From Lesson 2, WE! Convention 4/2/2011

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Question: How can I be sure in each given moment that I’m advancing correctly in my Kabbalah study and that I didn’t fall off the path?

Answer: Each moment I have to choose between egoism and the point in the heart, as if I’m on a balanced scale. And each time I have to tip the scale toward the point in the heart and unity. There is no other action besides uniting.

Usually we want to study and carry out various actions. By doing so we’re subconsciously running away from uniting. I experienced this myself. It took a long time for me to start hearing this.

I loved to study, organize the material, and convert it into a methodical system. I did everything imaginable accept for working on unity. The sooner we begin to feel that uniting is our duty and become used to delving into this perception, the sooner this habit will become second nature.

We must constantly train ourselves to want to feel the inner world of our friends, their aspiration toward unity and the Creator. If my aim is within them, I stop noticing what they look like on the outside.

After all, in our own families we don’t pay close attention to the faces of our loved ones. We feel their souls, character, and mood. Similarly, I have to constantly try to feel the friend’s desires aimed at the same goal that I aspire towards. This is the desire I wish to connect with.

It really doesn’t matter what the friends look like and what their personalities are like. I only care about one thing: What is their aspiration? This is most difficult for men, and precisely here lies the essence of their work. For women it is easier to switch to this perception because they pay less attention to the external appearance.
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From Lesson 2, WE! Convention 4/2/2011

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I don’t have the slightest chance of making a change unless I unite with my friends. The degree of my ascent depends on the extent of the unity between my friends and me.

Rabash writes about this in his article “Purpose of Society-2.” In order to connect, each person must nullify himself before the other. This can be achieved when each person sees his friends’ virtues instead of their shortcomings. One who assumes that he’s greater than his friends even in the slightest degree, won’t be able to unite with them, and therefore he’s at a great loss.

Some people think that they are unable to unite with a particular group, but they would be able to unite with a different group. They don’t understand that this has nothing to do with the group. They’re simply being shown what they need to see in regard to their egoism, and they won’t achieve a greater success by moving to another place.

Maybe you think that the main group of Bnei Baruch with Michael Laitman is so advanced and “busy.” No one is covered. If you begin advancing, you’ll only face more difficult questions, problems, and obstacles.

Rabash told me in the beginning, “Stay in your town and come to me to learn. You don’t have to move closer to me right away.” For two years I traveled to study with him, sometimes even twice a day.

One shouldn’t think that he’ll have a better chance in a different group and that it’s better to unite with different friends. If you can’t do it where you are, changing the location and the circumstances won’t help. I give you my word. After all, each person receives whatever is his from Above.

There is no need to change where you live or work unless you’re having serious problems with participating in the lesson. Wherever a person is, that’s where he should unite with his friends. If he does this, then he will be led where he needs to be physically and spiritually.
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From Lesson 3, WE! Convention 4/2/2011

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