Question: How do we look to you in your inner sight from the other side of the internal screen?

Answer: You look like internal organs of the soul; it’s a spiritual, anatomical picture where only desires are visible. There is nothing else in spirituality. There is one desire and everything is included in it as its parts. Nothing is seen separately and it feels like one common field.
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From the 1^st part of the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 12/10/10, Writings of Rabash

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When opening an article written by a Kabbalist, I must first examine my relation to its author. He must be an unquestionable authority for me while I myself am a mere tiny sliver of wood carried by the water’s current.

I have to be willing to follow him and engage my mind with his, removing all my criticism, feelings, and definitions, absolutely everything. I need to forget everything I know so far, because it has already been processed by my mind, and therefore is flawed. I must withdraw from all my emotions and just enter him.

This is the first stage of the correct reading of a Kabbalistic source: the annulment of self before someone greater, someone who wishes to give me something right now. Later on, I will be able to engage my mind and feelings so I may see how well I connect with what I have read and to what degree I feel and agree with it. But at the same time, I still must be immersed in it.

Not so long ago, it was very difficult to obtain Kabbalistic books, so every piece of paper used by a Kabbalist to scribble on was viewed as a great revelation from above. And even though you didn’t understand one word of it, through these lines you still tried to find the key to spirituality.

And today everything is available in writing, but people don’t want to open these books since spirituality doesn’t entice them. Such is human nature: When everything is too easy to get, it doesn’t seem attractive. But for us, these texts are as vital as air.
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From the 1^st part of the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 12/10/10, Writings of Rabash

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The unique nature of spiritual work lies in the fact that a person has to get accustomed to being in opposite states. And, despite their polarity, he has to be able to live in both, discerning one from the other as a “benefit of the Light coming from darkness,” and thereby advancing.

This is very difficult for the beginner to understand. After all, in the corporeal world, we act based only on our egoistic desire to feel pleasure; there is no desire to bestow here, and so there is only one truth. And everything that opposes it we consider false.

In spirituality, it is the other way around. Since we assemble the Creator based on the created being, then both ends of the spiritual ladder are the truth. And the greater the evil inclination is, man’s ego, the higher he can ascend; once he will be wicked and another time he will be righteous. And every time these states, so distant from one another, arise in one person.

Therefore, we must view these two states correctly, both ascents and descents: We must rise above them. In other words, there is me and there is my state of being. It can be a descent or ascent but it has nothing to do with my “I” because “I” is the point where I wish to achieve adhesion with the Creator. And I must perceive all the successive states as necessary.

I “don’t pay attention to” my feelings or delve into them, but rather, I assess how effective a given state is, if I rise above it, in achieving the final goal.
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From the 1^st part of the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 12/10/10, Writings of Rabash

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The Book of Zohar was hidden for generations and it was prohibited to even look at. Kabbalists themselves promulgated this ban. The secret that is concealed within it is the Light that Reforms, but reaching this Light is possible only by breaking through the protective shield arranged by Rabbi Abba who re-wrote this text. When Kabbalists write books, they express the content so that it is concealed in a special garb, which we must penetrate through to reach what is inside. Their writing is a revelation, but while revealing one thing, they conceal two.

They help us with this concealment that brings us closer, by allowing us, to some small degree, to touch this secret. In fact, if there were no concealment, we would not be able to see anything at all. It is similar to an invisible man who cannot be seen until he dresses. But as soon as he puts clothes on, everybody can see him.

In other words, the concealment of Rabbi Shimon by Rabbi Abba helps us to approach this secret! But on the other hand, it leaves us room for work: If you break through this shield, you will find Rabbi Shimon. Rabbi Shimon brings revelation to us from above to below, so he must disguise himself. He wishes to pass it onto everyone but can’t since we are not ready to receive it. Hence, he cries (crying is symbolic of a small spiritual state, Katnut).

This entire enormous system regarded as Rashbi (Rabbi Shimon ben Yochai) is not a “person” but an upper system that is forced to reduce itself (which is regarded as “crying”) because the lower ones are unable to receive anything from it. And how must he adjust himself, make an “adapter” between himself and the lower ones, as if between a wide pipe and the eye of a needle? So, then another system is engaged, which is called Rabbi Abba, a unique soul that is capable of serving as an adapter that connects us to Rabbi Shimon.

Finally, Rashbi’s light becomes revealed through the special system of Rabbi Abba that descends to us in the form of the book called Zohar. It is titled by the name of the source from which its Light derives (Zohar means the upper radiance): the Light of Infinity or the Light emanating from the head of Arich Anpin.
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From the 4^th part of the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 12/14/10, Writings of Baal HaSulam

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Preparation to the Lesson

Writings of Rabash, “Article 19″

The Book of Zohar — Introduction

Talmud Eser Sefirot, Vol. 3, Part 9

Writings of Baal HaSulam, “600,000 Souls”

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The fear should be as to whether I can delight the Creator. This cannot happen before we attain mutual guarantee and before everyone worries, in other words, is fearful as to whether he worries about others. I cannot turn to the Creator before that. He may only be a goal, while my concern for others is the condition that helps me focus on that goal. But it doesn’t work without that, as it is said: “From the love of the created beings to the love of the Creator.”

We have to organize our work so that it will be clear to us that these two things are connected and that one exists within the other. In order to focus on the Creator, I need the intention by which three components connect in one line: the eye, the first sight and the second sight. Only by connecting these three parts—Israel, the Torah, and the Creator—can I aim and reach the goal.

It is impossible to aim any other way. If I had one eye and one sight I could turn the gun anyway I wanted to. I can only change the axis, a direct line from me, from my eye, if I focus on the group and through it on the Creator.

So I can test the fear—whether I really worry about everyone or whether I only think about the friends, whether all my work is really in order to bestow, whether I bring myself closer to them, whether I worry about equality and connection in the group, like a father who worries about all his children and feels that he is less important than they are. They are most important for him; they are his masters. Their desires determine his actions.

This is how we should feel every member in the group. If we work this way, then the work isn’t done on the corporal plain but on the spiritual one. The Light will begin to go through us and then we will fulfill the method of Kabbalah in the world. It is because the whole world are parts of our soul. We have no choice; we must bring the Light to the world and correct these vessels. Then these vessels, these people, will come running to us on their own wanting to connect to us. They will feel that we have fulfillment for them compared to the bitter exile they are living in now.

This is how the correct fulfillment should be. Everyone should be mutually connected, which means that I worry about everyone as much as I possibly can so that they would have whatever they need. Under such conditions each one will receive the Torah, which means that in response to his actions, the Light will illuminate and work everything out: both one’s inner connections with the friends and the whole group’s connection with the outside world.

Only then will we have the Torah, the Light that Reforms, only if we are at least inclined to mutual guarantee and everyone worries about everyone else. In that case the Light operates in the group and it has the power to disseminate widely to the world.

Otherwise, “it is best to sit and do nothing,” since what can you go out to the public with? If things are not arranged correctly, you can actually bring about actions that are opposite from the Light. It is because the Light always works automatically according to the vessels and to how they are arranged, whether correctly or not. It will show you your mistakes, which means that you will begin to advance by the path of sufferings. This way can be very difficult and unpleasant, especially when such mistakes spread out in a large crowd. So our work has to be very meticulous and accurate
From the 1^st part of the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 10/01/13, Shamati #38 “The Fear of God Is His Treasure“

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Question: How can we feel all the friends in order to aspire for more connection?

Answer: To do this, we must work together to fulfill one mission. Suppose we get into a submarine and go out to sea. It is going to be a difficult and dangerous experience in which everyone depends on everyone else. I have a very strong feeling that one person’s mistake or another’s malfunction means that we are all going to drown.

We are in a middle of big ocean, thousands of miles away from any shore, deep under the water, and suddenly one of the valves goes out of order. Now it is impossible to pump the water from the ballast tanks. Together, we try to find a solution to resurface.

In such circumstances, in this state, we have to ascend to unity.
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From the 4^th part of the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 10/2/13, Writings of Baal HaSulam

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Question: How can it be that Rabbi Shimon would cry at deciding whether he should or shouldn’t reveal the secret concealed in The Book of Zohar? Can a Kabbalist be trusted with such an enormous secret by which he would harm us?

Answer: Rabbi Shimon wasn’t some ordinary person made of flesh and blood who hid in a cave, but is an entire system, a part of the upper world that clothes in the Creator and receives everything He has according to the equivalence of their properties from Him. At the same time, he contemplates how to manage to pass this Light to the other souls that it is yet required to give birth to and develop.

And to accomplish this, he employs one more spiritual system, Rabbi Abba, which makes it possible to pass this Light downward. With Rabbi Abba and the other 9 disciples’ assistance, each of whom represents one of the 10 Sefirot and is comprised of 10 sub-Sefirot, meaning they contain a full set of 100 Sefirot, after the concealment and reduction of the Light in this specific mechanism, the Light can be adapted to the souls of our generation.

This Light is designated specifically for our time and not for their contemporaries or for the periods of exile. This is a unique correction, just like the one that the sages of the Talmud performed on our behalf so we wouldn’t have to torment our bodies to find spirituality as had been written in those times: “Eat bread with salt, drink water, sleep on bare ground, and study the Torah—then succeed!” But after the time of Talmud, such restrictions are not necessary and it is sufficient to simply study the inner Torah (Kabbalah) without any corporeal limitations.

It became possible because Kabbalists of that time inserted a necessary addition into the spiritual system, thereby adapting it to us. And besides, it corresponds with how close we ourselves approached it thanks to the evolution of our will to receive (desire, ego). They (Rabbi Shimon and the 9 disciples) brought the Light closer to us while we have also come closer to it (by evolving in the reverse direction thereby increasing our ego), and now we have become so close to each other that the effect of the Light alone is enough for our correction. No corporeal suffering is necessary any longer.

All of this occurred thanks to the corrections made in the upper system built by the previous Kabbalists. These sages are part of the upper worlds and the innermost part of it; they are related to the souls. When they perform corrections, they add to the collective system such reformed elements that revive it. Because of them, it comes alive and starts working passing the Light down to us!
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From the 4^th part of the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 12/14/10, Writings of Baal HaSulam

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Rabbi Shimon “cries” (tears are a symbol of a small state, Katnut), as if being unable to understand how to pass to us this enormous Light that he and his 10 disciples unveiled, in order for the souls of our time, beginning with our generation, to use it.

And then, he discovers that it can be achieved with the help of his student, Rabbi Abba. He explains that Rabbi Abba was able to reveal secrets “discretely” because he possessed a unique soul from the Surrounding Light. Hence, through him, through the Surrounding Light, we can receive all corrections.

And generally speaking, all corrections that we receive come only through The Book of Zohar, or through Rabbi Shimon and Rabbi Abba, through the Surrounding Light. And the source of all Kabbalistic books is also The Zohar since all of them were written on its basis. Without The Zohar, no Kabbalist who lived after it had been written would have been able to uncover spirituality and write a book. He wouldn’t have been able to adhere to the Light; after all, The Zohar is its source.

And when Kabbalists have reached attainment through The Zohar, they finally start writing themselves, as it happened with the Kabbalists of all generations: Ari, Rambam, Rashi, Agrah, and others. But all of them had one source. Clearly, we are not talking about those who came before Rashbi, Abraham, or Moses, who are parts of the upper system.

But we have no source of revelation other than The Zohar. Therefore, Baal HaSulam writes about how grateful we should be to such a soul as Rashbi, because without him, the Light wouldn’t reach us and we would remain cut off from the entire upper system.
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From the 4^th part of the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 12/14/10, Writings of Baal HaSulam

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As soon as you are led to the group from above, immediately it starts increasing the value of the goal in order to enhance what is given to you as your first spark. In fact, only by way of this value do you outweigh lies and purchase the truth. And if you don’t receive this value from the group, you will either return to the lies or you will sit idle unable to leave eating yourself up.

But advancing on the path of the truth is possible only when receiving an inspiration from the importance of the goal and the environment. To the degree of this importance, you will be willing to suffer, your ego suffers and the truth grows. After all, it is very painful.

Besides, the group helps me understand that to achieve something is possible only through prayer. A prayer is a plea to transform the desire from receiving to bestowal, from separation and hate to unity and love. I remember how when I was taking a walk with Rabash in the grove near Beit Shemen and I was telling him about all my problems, complaining and screaming for about ten minutes and he quietly listened till he suddenly said: “But why didn’t you ask (Him)?”

We do not have enough of the request: “Why didn’t you ask?” Frankly, our nature doesn’t allow us to come to it, to just ask. Neither our mind nor our heart comprehends that we just need to arrange a plea for correction. And people suffer months and years unable to ask, to raise MAN.
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From the 4^th part of the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 12/16/10, Writings of Baal HaSulam

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