Preparation for the Lesson
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Workshop
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The Book of Zohar — Selected Excerpts
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Writings of Baal HaSulam, “Preface to the Wisdom of Kabbalah”
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Writings of Baal HaSulam, “Introduction to the Book, Panim Meirot uMasbirot”
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Question: How do you justify the Creator? What is included in this process?
Answer: Justifying the Creator means calibrating yourself correctly in the direction of the real perception of reality. Although we don’t see or feel that way, we do want to feel it.
Let’s suppose that I have a crooked ruler and I constantly measure everything in this crooked manner. Now I want to straighten this ruler by force so that all my measurements and my calculations would be according to a straight ruler.
The straight ruler is the condition that the Creator is good and benevolent and that everything that I see is the world of Ein Sof (Infinity), a wonderful ideal world that is the best world there can be. Whatever I see differently is an indication of the difference between my corrupt and fictitious perception and the right perception, which I still lack. But if I make an effort to attain the right picture, the revelation of the infinite force of the good and the benevolent, that there is none else besides Him, I perform a correction in my senses; I calibrate them so that I can perceive reality correctly.
Then I suddenly see a totally different picture! I was simply cross-eyed and so the world seemed distorted, and now I see its real form. I calibrate my tool that is not calibrated in order to see that the Creator is good and benevolent. The whole distortion was only in my senses and not in the Creator whom I thought had created a bad world. It is because of my corruptions that I saw that the perfect world of Ein Sof is so corrupted. But thanks to the correction, I come closer to the truth and reach adhesion with the Creator, in agreement with Him.
This is the only thing we should do: correct our perception. The wisdom of Kabbalah is the revelation of the Creator to the created beings in this world, but how can you reveal Him in this world? We think that this world is where we are until we die. This isn’t exactly so, but actually a much deeper concept.
The revelation of the Creator in this world means that we should discover and see the world of Ein Sof above the picture of this world. This revelation is a result of our efforts: the moment we really want to see the Creator as the absolute good and benevolent, He will be revealed, since then we will be asking for our correction and so the Light will come and fix everything.
Question: A person usually understands that everything comes from the Creator, but thinks that it is impossible to understand and to justify Him.
Answer: No, we actually come to understand the Creator, to justify, reveal, measure, and attain the whole perception and wisdom. This is actually what we call the revelation of the Creator to the created beings which should fill all of a person’s cells, both the emotional and the mental ones.
[129341]
From the preparation to the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 3/07/14
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Question: How do we advance to a state of Hafetz Hesed?
Answer: Advancing is only possible through the Light that Reforms, in that we strictly carry out those deeds that the Kabbalists advise us to do. Here very strict, relatively simple, consistent work is required, that we must carry out time after time, while the Light influences us and brings us to the result.
But you do this strict work on your desire to receive, on your flesh. You really cut it, pierce it, and strictly continue with those activities. And all the time you are attracting a new illumination onto yourself, and then, “a penny and another penny accumulate to a great sum.”
Question: Must I invest some kind of demand, a special prayer on my activities?
Answer: Your demand must be not to demand anything other than bestowal. And this prayer is also the result of the influence of the Ohr Makif (Surrounding Light). We must pass through a process of detachment from our ego, and this is very painful. And in order to make this pain not too unbearable, it’s divided into very small steps according to a person’s ability to tolerate it.
If you want to hasten this process, the group is given to you. Try to share this process of detachment with it. There exists a unique patent, a wonderful opportunity here that makes it possible for us to do this, the helping Klipa (the egoistic forces).
We constitute one body, a collective flesh, only it is cut into many small pieces. If you were to now feel how they cut your living flesh into many pieces, you would not succeed in holding onto such a feeling. Just imagine that they are beginning to gradually cut piece after piece away from you. It’s impossible to endure this at all.
In order for you to not feel this pain, they gave you a feeling of a lack of contact with everyone. And in such a circumstance you can go through all of these actions. This egoistic Klipa that separates us from one another helps us to pass through these states more easily. This is to say, these two parts, both the Klipa and the Kedusha, are working towards the same goal.
The Klipa really works in the opposite way. If not for this, we could not endure. It disturbs us so that we will attain the best state because it’s attained through connection to a single whole, a unity. But on the other hand, it helps us to overcome the evil because it divides it into many parts. I don’t feel the evil, the disasters, that are happening to someone in some other part of the world. If I were to feel all of the sufferings of the world now, would I be ready to tolerate them? Therefore, it’s said that “the peel protects the fruit.”
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From the Preparation to the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 3/2/14
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How does the whole and an individual part relate to one another? How could a small group gathered by Abraham in ancient Babylon influence the development of all of humanity? Why does everything revolve around this group? Why does this group continue its “rotation”?
The problem of this world is that we “count” humanity as if it’s livestock. We evaluate humans by millions and billions; this kind of calculation seems sufficient to us. We just are unable to make qualitative calculations.
It results in a constant conflict between quality and quantity in this world. We proclaim that we are equal. However, how can it be true if one’s possessions are comparable with the assets of a billion others or if one’s health is worth the wellbeing of thousands of others? Are we really equal just because each of us has a body? Is it a criterion that should be used when evaluating human beings?
We are unable to “appraise” others because we lack true measurement tools. What are we comparing: feelings, intellect? How can we equate one person to another?
There is no equality whatsoever! Everybody is born with a specific set of qualities, thus each of us is unique. Even though we would like to be equal, we still are not. Baal HaSulam explains this issue in his article “Peace in the World”: “…we need to work very hard in order to attain true equality among us.”
It also is applicable on the spiritual path. Our spiritual goals are also quite different. Each of us has personal qualities, individual “destiny,” way of advancement, and a unique purpose in the whole system that serves as a common body where each cell is important but all cells and organs are still extremely different.
This explains why the role of Abraham’s group is so important: This entity of people attained a new purpose that was totally opposite to other nations’. Babylon was driven by an egoistic desire that increasingly expanded and enhanced, whereas Abraham’s group, on the contrary, focused on the will to bestow. Egoism can continue growing under the condition and to the extent of advancement of the altruistic desire, by faith above reason.
Abraham students’ advancement dramatically differs from the progression of other nations: The latter have developed intelligence, whereas the first group concentrated on faith. This explains why at the time when Abraham’s group faithfully followed its predestination, they were not developing sciences or culture such as music or dancing. They paid almost no attention to these things; rather, their major exertions were made towards spirituality. It was their only focus.
Later, other nations took advantage of the “fruits” of their work and on this basis they developed sciences, culture, and arts. For example, ancient Greeks borrowed the first “sprouts” of their philosophy from the wisdom of Kabbalah. Later, they admitted this fact.
As we see, the specifics of the relationships between the whole and a part, between small nations and the entire humanity, stayed intact throughout all of history and will be preserved in the future. As Abraham did, we collect friends from all over the world and entreat them to choose a common path to the Creator. Still, we remain a tiny minority. It’s supposed to be like that because there has to be a balance between the quantitative powers of all of humanity and our qualitative energy.
Both parts have to be harmonized. For example, if a small child receives a huge power, he might gravely hurt others, but if he acquires deep understanding of what he is doing without being given extra powers, then he won’t be able to implement his understanding in life. That’s why everything has to be balanced so that our body, intellect, and feelings are correctly proportioned while they grow.
It means that we can even become smaller to the extent of the development of the rest of the world. It is said: “They shall all know Me, from the least of them unto the greatest of them.” They will know Him through us, but they won’t join us by the millions. It will happen only at the very last stage of correction.
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From the 4th part of the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 3/4/14, Writings of Baal HaSulam
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Baal HaSulam, Shamati #53, “The Matter of Limitation”: …This is the meaning of, “Serve the Lord with gladness.” This is so because during the Gadlut it is irrelevant to say that He gives them work to be in gladness, since during the Gadlut gladness comes by itself. Instead, the work of gladness is given to them for the time of Katnut, so that they will have joy although they feel Katnut. And this is a great work.
This is called the main part of the degree, which is a discernment of Katnut. This discernment must be permanent, and the Gadlut is only an addition. Also, one should yearn for the main part, not for the additions.
In our work, we reach an intersection a crossroads, a fork in the road, after which we already have to measure our states along the spiritual road, either inside our desire to receive pleasure or outside it. Everything depends on where we measure our state, our success, our continuous progress.
On the right line, we don’t notice the state we are in and accept every state as the perfect state. This means that we don’t take our feelings into account, no matter what the Creator sends us. We always measure everything according to bestowal, which means outside ourselves. On the left line it’s the opposite: I have no other thoughts but thoughts about myself and about what happens to me, and this is the only thing I worry about all day long.
Accordingly, the work along the two lines is different and it depends on what I demand in each state. If it is the right line, I demand to remain the way I am or worry only about how not to lose the direction to bestowal upon the Creator through the environment and through all of creation.
Here I work on my smallness in order to make myself as small as possible. I only want to bestow upon the Creator as much as possible and not to feel that I bestow or that He enjoys my bestowal. This means that I diminish the response in every possible way, cut off all the wires and all the ways by which I can get a response for my action of bestowal, which I try to increase as much as I can.
This kind of work is in maximum bestowal and zero reward. To the extent that I can perform clean calculations with regard to absolute bestowal without a reward, my spiritual level is measured accordingly (like Rosh-Toh-Sof). Thus I already stabilize myself and begin to mutually work with the Creator, as the Creator opens up more and more opportunities for me.
When I am stabilized on the previous level, I ask for more and more powers in order to increase my bestowal. Of course, I have to overcome my ego more and more in order to attain this and in order not to receive any reward in return. And what I do receive from the Creator I have the opportunity to turn into bestowal, and this is extra work in addition to this work. This is how we advance.
The problem is at the actual crossroads, the split that is created. This work is repeated on every level. As we ascend to the next spiritual degree, the shattered Reshimot (reminiscences) are revealed and I have to stand at this crossroads in order to be sure where the left line is and where the right line is. I cannot simply turn to the right and not look to the left at all.
This is impossible because one line is based on the other line. If I follow the right line correctly and reach a certain point, the left line also grows to the same extent, but I cut one line from the other, and so the “trunk” (Toch) and “end” (Sof) of my spiritual Partzuf are created. The place in which I calculate things is called “head” (Rosh). Thus I begin to build my spiritual Partzuf. This is practical spiritual work. This is all based on the picture of the world that the Creator depicts for me as a result of my attitude to reality.
Question: Where is the point of our independence in the drawing?
Answer: We are independent only at the crossroads, but it always exists. We have to constantly feel that we are at a crossroads, as it says: “They should seem new to you every day.” All the time we have to decide and always choose the right line, and instead of erasing the left line, we should advance me on top of it.
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From the Preparation to the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 3/2/14
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We need to feel that we are totally within the Light, like a body that is immersed in water. From all sides, my body is surrounded by water that is closely connected with all of my movements.
In this state, I need to feel that I am within the Upper Light so that through each of my tiny movements, in thought or in desire, in each tendency of my heart and brain, I immediately invite the Light to come to me. This happens immediately without any transition. I need to reach this sensation in my life.
All of us are drowning in these waters and receive oxygen only at the instant when we move towards each other. If our hearts are drawn to unite between each other, then we have something from which to breathe. If the heart does not want to unite, then we cannot breathe without air. We need to feel this state in our spiritual work: We are submerged within a sea of Light, like water, and the oxygen only depends on the connection between us. Thus we need to somehow force our hearts to strive towards unity.
The presence of oxygen depends on our closeness to each other. And then we begin to connect, not in order to receive oxygen, but in order to give joy to the Creator! How can we raise the longing to receive oxygen to longing to give joy to the Creator, even though I am suffocating without air?
In the end, we reach the state where we suddenly cease to need oxygen and feel like fish in water! We don’t even think about it, but only on how we can bring Him joy.
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From the 1st part of the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 2/21/14, Workshop
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Preparation for the Lesson
| [media 1] | [media 2] |
Workshop
| [media 3] | [media 4] |
The Book of Zohar — Selected Excerpts
| [media 5] | [media 6] |
Writings of Baal HaSulam, “Preface to the Wisdom of Kabbalah”
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Question: What is the connection between confidence and joy?
Answer: Confidence brings us joy. The feeling of confidence is a result of the special illumination that comes from Above and sustains a person as if on a pillow of air, thus filling him with joy.
There are two forms of confidence: confidence because of what I have in my pocket, to what extent I am stronger than the environment, or confidence in the environment, of how strong the environment is and the fact that I am incorporated in it, which means that my confidence depends on the environment. It is one of the two.
Confidence is the connection with the environment when I am either stronger than the environment or when the environment is stronger than me, but I am connected to it. The best feeling of confidence is when I am satisfied with a state of smallness. Then, I am surely in arms of the environment, feeling confident like a baby in the arms of its mother.
When a baby grows, he doesn’t feel the same sense of confidence he felt before. He already has doubts and is afraid of everything, while a baby in his mother’s arms doesn’t worry about anything, and that is the best time.
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From the 3rd part of the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 3/5/14, Writings of Baal HaSulam
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Question: Today, many of our friends are going out to meet the public who will be hearing about the wisdom of Kabbalah for the first time. How can we acquire faith through the public?
Answer: Faith comes from the Creator and the deficiency for it comes from the public. We, on the other hand, must be in the middle as the coordinators, as a link. We reach the public with our intentions to delight the Creator since they are the general vessel of the soul that is before us, and we want to make it one so that the Creator will be revealed in it so that we will delight Him.
By going out to the public, we should feel that we are the Creator’s representatives who have received a wonderful opportunity to delight Him. We show the public that we have such good will and an open heart, without any self-benefit or any demands, but only the inclination to do them good.
If we reach the public with this intention, we will succeed. We are in a state of Hafetz Hesed with regard to the public and with regard to the Creator, which means that we receive the ten Sefirot of Hassadim, the level of the priests (Cohanim). The main thing is to prepare properly, just like musicians who tune their instruments. This is actually the way we should calibrate ourselves, as if we draw the bow over the strings of a violin back and forth, thus checking the inner inclinations with which we go out to the public and the inner inclination with which we turn to the Creator. This way, the abundance, the Light, will flow through us to the public without any interruption on our part. The deficiencies of the public rise from the bottom and the Light descends from Above, the desires from below and the Light from Above.
Try to tune yourselves this way, and you suddenly will feel that you are managed totally on the one hand by the public and on the other hand by the Creator.
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From the 3rd part of the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 3/5/14, Writings of Baal HaSulam
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Baal HaSulam, “Introduction to the Book, Panim Meirot uMasbirot,” Item 1: Who would dare extract it from the heart of the masses and scrutinize their ways, when their attainment is incomplete in both parts of the Torah called Peshat (literal) and Drush (interpretation)? In their view, the order of the four parts of the Torah (PARDESS) begins with the Peshat, then the Drush, then Remez (insinuated), and in the end the Sod (secret) is understood.
However, it is written in the Vilna Gaon prayer book that the attainment begins with the Sod…”
In fact, nothing is as simple as it seems. Attainment of Torah is divided into four parts and even they are arranged in an opposite order in comparison to what is accepted by the common folk. People think that they are learning Peshat while, in fact, the Torah is hidden from them and at best is conveyed in the form of Sod.
Vilna Gaon writes that we begin learning from Sod since in the beginning we don’t yet know anything. The Torah describes the arrangement of the worlds; their management by the Creator is intended to reveal the Creator to the creatures. This is, in essence, the goal of Torah, and to do this is possible only through correction of the creature to the condition of “and you shall love your friend as yourself.”
The Torah was given as a means for spiritual realization and its learning is practical, and in this way, the person goes along according to the order of the levels of Sod, Drush, Remez, Peshat.
In other words, first I grasp only a few small hints from the great secret, the darkness that envelops me and prevents me from understanding anything.
Then, the first thread connects me with the Light, with the Creator, with the higher management, and then I begin to understand and to feel a little.
That is how development passes through four stages with four levels of Aviut, and as long as we haven’t absorbed them, this is not called that we have acquired and understood the Torah, for the Torah clothes the Creator and through it the person corrects himself. In that, he turned around the corrected vessel by the Light. He needs to dedicate his entire life to this process. For this, he lives here in this life, and only in this way does he continue in the right direction, the way of the four levels of attaining the system which includes the vessel and the Light.
People think they are learning Peshat even though they remain in the “superficiality” of the text and prefer to understand it “as it is” and not go into it deeper. However, in fact, everything is the opposite for through this approach a person doesn’t understand anything of what is written and the truth is hidden from him.
Peshat symbolizes the removal of the “clothing” from the Torah, from the system of worlds, when I discover them completely. Their uncovering means the removal of the Masachim, the clothing, and the concealments.
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From the 4th part of the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 3/5/14, Writings of Baal HaSulam
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