Preparation to the Lesson
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“Introduction to the Study of the Ten Sefirot,” Item 123, Lesson 32
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The Book of Zohar – Selected Excerpt, Parashat “Naso,” Item 334, Lesson 16
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Talmud Eser Sefirot, Vol. 3, Part 9, Item 16, Lesson 10
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“Body and Soul”
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Question: Recently, I’ve been visiting at the hospital frequently and I notice that some patients lack a basic drive for life. People do not cling to life. What has happened to this basic desire?
Answer: It disappears in sick people, and the elderly, and the young. This is the natural course of evolution: The egoistic desire is growing, not only quantitatively, but also qualitatively.
We still judge by quantity; we strive to a greater scale, greater luxury, but in the meantime, the quality changes. And suddenly we discover that development requires something higher, values that do not exist in our world. There are new requests in me, and my environment cannot give me answers to them. It turns out that I have nothing to do here, there is nothing to look for, nothing to live for, nothing to enjoy because I do not just seek pleasure, but want to discover something more essential.
But wait, what essence is there? People themselves do not know what they want.
This is because our world has nothing more to offer them. And then the defense mechanisms of the body push many, especially the younger generation, to all kinds of whims and follies, as well as to suicide, drugs, terrorism, and anything negative. They are looking for something, but cannot find anything. Today, a new egoistic desire is manifested, which sees a wall in front itself: “What have I come to? The world is lifeless. Why am I here?”
People whose mind and feelings have not been yet developed enough become economists, lawyers; in short, they look for success in life. They are still attracted by something, enticed by some benefit. But those who have evolved a bit more can no longer find anything worthwhile for themselves. They initially have no taste for life, and this produces much more serious phenomena than we see on the surface. After all, the media and Internet save many people from suicide. The general opinion makes everyone participate in these “games,” distractions from the main question. But soon, this will end; in six months or a year, the wave will subside, and we will see how media resources and virtual reality lose their popularity.
And then a problem will emerge: how to occupy people? By that time, the number of unemployed will increase; the scale of deprivation will grow. A person will have nowhere to go, even the means that used to be before will disappear…
Question: It is known that the statistics of depression and emptiness are increasing. Where will people get a new desire that will lead them on the spiritual path?
Answer: In fact, it is impossible without the “Light” from above. Of course, we will not be able to awaken them if we do not get the Light for us and for them, according to the principle “the first-born takes double.” Only in this way, will we be able to show them the way, to show them a spark of the Light, which is enough for everyone. In the end, it is our duty.
And if not, the only alternative is a world war. People would feel that that would be better than to continue to live as before. No one will oppose a war. On the contrary, in this month, many looked forward to the end of the world, hoping for at least some diversity. “It hasn’t come yet? Well, let’s wait for the next one…” People will embrace a war, albeit unconsciously…
[96793]
From the 4th part of the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 12/30/12, “Body and Soul”
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Question: How do we reach collective exertion?
Answer: This is all the work in the group. Without a collective effort, without our connection, we cannot attain vessels of bestowal.
We don’t have desires to bestow; there are only desires to receive! In the desire to receive, there is a point in the heart. So how can I build a desire to receive from it? I have to be incorporated in the right environment, with the initial bud of bestowal, the point in the heart.
These GE already belong to the next level with regard to my desires to receive (like phases three and four) and are intended to adhere to AHP of the upper.
By being incorporated in the environment, I build the desires to bestow (GE), and if I am not incorporated, then they don’t exist in me. Then I can say that my desires to receive are my AHP, and to the same extent I am incorporated in the group. If I have brothers in it (my family: Abraham, Isaac and Jacob), with whom I am in a conflict now, then to the same extent I am in Egypt.
My whole path is determined by how I am incorporated in the group: First it is Babylon, then the Land of Canaan with all the adventures there, until I find myself in Egypt, right in it. This whole inclination takes place in the group, together with everyone else.
“Brothers go down to Egypt,” means that the desire to receive that separates them grows and they turn it to in order to bestow, which means that the children of Israel multiply in Egypt. During the first seven years, their number grows, and then come the seven years of famine, which is the time to start the correction.
They carry on in the same direction, but now they see that Egypt enslaves them and doesn’t let them attain a higher level. This is called that “a new king arose in Egypt.” But in fact, the same work in the group continues and as a result the states that are described in the Torah are revealed.
This whole story is fulfilled only in a person’s connection to the group. It is in the connection that everything the Torah tells us about is revealed. The Torah tells us only about a person’s connection with the Creator in order to bring Him contentment. There is not a word in it about anything else.
[96622]
From the 1st part of the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 12/25/12, “The Introduction to the Study of the Ten Sefirot”
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Baal HaSulam, “The Wisdom of Kabbalah and Philosophy“: The reason is that although this love is merely a consequence of the gift, it is still far more important than the gift itself. It is like a great king who gives an unimportant object to a person. Although the gift itself is worthless, the love and the attention of the king make it priceless and precious. Thus, it is completely separated from the matter, being the Light and the gift, in a way that the work and the distinction remain carved in the attainment with only the love itself, while the gift is seemingly forgotten from the heart. Therefore, this aspect of the wisdom is called the “Formative Wisdom of Kabbalah.” Indeed, this part is the most important part of the wisdom.
We are talking about the wisdom of Kabbalah with which I clarify and check the Creator’s attitude towards me and accordingly stabilize my attitude towards Him.
The King is very cunning: He gives me a gift and arranges everything so that in this gift I will feel His attitude towards me and feel shame as a result, since I don’t feel the same towards Him. He takes care that I will decipher it correctly, that I will “read” the situation and will not erase the shame inside me, but instead, the shame will help me resemble Him. When I receive love from Him, when I feel the gap between His attitude to me and my attitude to Him in my shame, I thank Him, although the shame burns like fire. It is this feeling that helps me build myself.
In fact, the shame can turn out to be the right deficiency. If I don’t want to erase it, it is already the right attitude, and now above this deficiency, I have to build my attitude towards the Creator. This means that the shame mustn’t disappear. On the contrary, it should grow, and I should try not to extinguish it, not to cover it, not to cover it up, but rather to turn it into such love, just as I feel it from the Creator and even more than that.
Why is it more? Because love is taken for granted by my ego. Everyone needs to love me. If I receive a gift of $20, I will forget about it after a short while. But if someone takes $20 from me, I will resent it, as if I had lost $200,000. This is the egoistic approach: I always deserve the gift and the harm is unacceptable. If someone says something good about me, I am satisfied until I forget about it. But if someone says something bad about me, I will not calm down until I repay him.
So feeling shame before the Creator doubles the love and helps me build a vessel of bestowal that matches my ego. Otherwise, I will see that only receiving gifts of love from Him is not enough for my ego. I simply must have the shame, the force that doubles the force of love, by allowing me to develop a greater deficiency for bestowal and to fulfill it.
[96715]
From the 4th part of the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 12/16/12, “The Wisdom of Kabbalah and Philosophy”
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Question: What will make me love the other? Why should I love him?
Answer: First, we are not speaking about love for someone close to you, not about your beloved, but rather about someone who is totally “neutral” towards you to begin with. Then we begin to connect because of a common spiritual goal that cannot be attained without a mutual connection.
On the way to reaching the goal, you feel mutual aversion, until it becomes real hatred. You work on this hatred by feeling the “hardening of the heart” each time, by sometimes evoking love and then hating one another again. You experience constant ascents and descents and what is more, you mainly feel aversion and hatred.
You are constantly trying to enter the “niche” of indifference that allows you at least to keep the external framework, although it doesn’t lead to anything. This is the worst state, the “dead” state, when the friends don’t decide to get close to one another because they are afraid to discover hatred. But without hate it is impossible to advance towards love, and only the indifference remains.
Eventually you decide that you understand that there is no other choice: “I have to close my eyes no matter what and decide to go for love.”
Question: But what forces and motivates me?
Answer: You want to attain the goal. This desire forces you and motivates you if you are not deceiving yourself, of course. If you are deceiving yourself, you are simply wasting your time. So do some soul searching: Do you want to attain the goal, which means the Creator, the attribute of bestowal? If you do, then the friends and group have been prepared for you, invest in them. And if you don’t, then go home.
We mustn’t give in to routine, and you mustn’t accept the fact that tomorrow and the day after tomorrow will all be just like today. What do you expect? The upper Light is in a state of absolute rest, and it is only by our desires, in our vessels, that we can change reality. Nothing will happen if we don’t act. Israel has no “fortune.” Whoever follows the path of Yashar—El (straight to the Creator) is actually building his own “fortune,” the Light that drips and pours from Above.
[96704]
From the 4th part of the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 12/16/12, “The Wisdom of Kabbalah and Philosophy”
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Question: How can I check whether I am worthy of participating in the Arava convention?
Answer: We don’t aspire for making this a mass convention, but rather a qualitative one. This convention is open to anyone who wants to come, and we don’t want to check anyone and ask for references. We are waiting in this convention for all our friends from all over the world who are really willing to annul themselves before the society.
This is the only condition! A person should make this inner calculation personally. No one knows what happens inside a person, but he has to make an honest soul searching. This will be felt according to his participation, according to his readiness and his devotion.
We don’t need people who just happen to come and who usually don’t participate in their local conventions. We need people who are dedicated to the goal. It is because in such conventions the quality is more important than the quantity. People shouldn’t come in order to just walk around like observers and to criticize things, or to come for one day instead of three days.
Whoever wants to come must be present from the beginning to the end, to dive with his head and heart into the convention. Otherwise, it is not worthwhile coming! This is my warning.
[96571]
From the 1st part of the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 12/26/12, “The Introduction to the Study of the Ten Sefirot”
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“Introduction to the Study of the Ten Sefirot,” Item 121, Lesson 31
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The Book of Zohar – Selected Excerpt, Parashat “Naso,” Item 324, Lesson 15
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Talmud Eser Sefirot, Vol. 3, Part 9, Item 13, Lesson 9
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Question: What does it mean to prepare our spiritual vessels?
Answer: It means to prepare vessels for receiving the filling. It is like bringing a plate, a bucket, some kind of vessel. A vessel is a deficiency in which you can receive a filling. It isn’t some kind of a dish, but your desire.
Is this desire aimed at exactly what you deserve to receive according to the order of the levels? If it doesn’t match our goal, then there is nothing you can bring in order to receive a filling. It is as if you bring a sack that you intend to fill with wine. But this is of course impossible; it is a vessel that is not suitable for liquids.
The desire has to be aimed at the right filling, which means at a stronger connection between us. In the connection between us, we create a desire for an even greater connection so that the Creator’s love will be revealed in it and will evoke in us the same love for Him.
The preparation step for attaining the love for the Creator is attaining the feeling of fear. Fear is the correction of the desires to bestow, GE, and love, which is the correction of the desires to receive, AHP.
The vessel doesn’t exist by itself. It is a result of our connection of at least “ten people” needed in order to attain a whole vessel. The vessel will be complete if we yearn as much as we can to connect internally, by wanting to discover in it the attribute of mutual bestowal, through which we can reach the love of the Creator.
We must let the Light work on something. We don’t give it this chance! It is called “I have come and there is no one.” “There is no one” because we have not created this image by our connection. We are not attracted to it, we forget, it doesn’t seem to be relevant, and doesn’t enter our head and our heart. But if we don’t have the right intention, it is a waste of time studying, since by that we will not be able to rise above the level of the holy still.
So we do actually remain on the level of the holy still by repeating the same thing day after day, like dead people.
[96661]
From the 1st part of the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 12/27/12, “The Introduction to the Study of the Ten Sefirot”
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Question: How should we use the environment in order to establish the right intention?
Answer: It is written, “Every man shall help his friend.” If someone worries about others, it must influence everyone else and awaken their hearts. It works even without words, especially if we can help ourselves by speaking with others mechanically, even against our will, and evoke one another.
If I begin to jump now, I eventually will improve my mood and feel happy. We always start from zero, and it is precisely for this reason that we were given the perception of reality in the form of this world. Thus, we have a chance to enter a state that is inaccessible at the moment.
It gives us a wonderful chance to advance. After all, there are rigid laws in the spiritual world. If you are on a certain level, you cannot change anything. You must enter a level from which you can change your current self.
Thanks to this world, we enter a state that may be mechanical but more advanced. We can sing, hug a friend, talk to him, and be impressed by him when we actually don’t want this at all internally. Thanks to these corporeal mechanical efforts, we begin to wake up. If we were not in corporeal bodies, we wouldn’t have this chance. How else can this be done?
So, this world is very important. On the one hand, it is an illusion that is only in our imagination, a very artificial thing that is external to the spiritual ladder, outside the systems of impurity and Holiness.
On the other hand, it is impossible to manage without it! On every higher spiritual level, even the last one before the end of correction, we wouldn’t be able to do anything if it weren’t for this world.
Therefore, there are reincarnations. We must return to this world, even if we have reached halfway up the spiritual ladder. This earthly reality must exist.
Yet, the question remains as to what this reality is. It very well may be that you were given such an illusion now as if you are living on earth with seven billion people in a big universe, and it is all your reality.
I am also inside you as part of you that you must connect to yourself, and there is another “self” that has nothing to do with you, and who feels his world with seven billion people, the earth and the stars, and that is his reality.
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From the 1st part of the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 12/27/12, “The Introduction to the Study of the Ten Sefirot”
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“I labored and found!” I labored means that I have built a spiritual vessel. Until you have built it, you have not exerted yourself enough, and you will not be able to leave Egypt.
After you complete your exertion in Egypt, you must format it, which is called the union before Mt. Sinai. The slavery in Egypt has hardened our hearts and did not let us unite. After the exodus from Egypt, all our work is aimed at unity.
We wanted to do it in Egypt, but we were not allowed to since unity is already a vessel. Egypt is a state in which you still exert yourself in order to escape your egoistic desire, while it (as it is called Pharaoh or the Creator’s posterior) doesn’t let you complete the building of your vessel.
For the time being, your exertion is missing, but the moment the full measure is accumulated—which means that you have enough feelings, understanding and clear discernments with which you already can feel the next level—then you can leave.
However, what we leave Egypt with is not a vessel yet. Only now, after the exodus from Egypt, can we discover to what extent our vessel is incomplete since it lacks the point of unity among us. In order to unite, we need the Light that Reforms, the Torah. After the escape from Egyptian slavery, we are about to be given the Torah and to receive it.
After we receive the Torah, the Light that Reforms within it helps us unite our vessel. In Egypt, we couldn’t attain unity. It was the domination of Egypt that didn’t let us unite. Now, however, we can complete the building of our vessel.
Then, while wandering in the desert, we will sin constantly, time after time, and correct the sins. By correcting them, we will say each time, “in memory of the exodus from Egypt” since all the other events are derived from it, and in the desert, we gradually correct them.
The exile in Egypt was supposed to last 400 years in order to attain a complete vessel that we later correct. There are no corrections made in Egypt. However, in order to correct evil, we must clarify it each time as if to revive the same sorrow, the same state.
Thus, forty years of wandering in the desert is a chain of endless sins. However, in fact, these are not sins, but the revelation of evil to an increasingly greater depth in order to correct it. The preparation for that was made in Egypt, and, so, we constantly remind ourselves, “in memory of the exodus from Egypt!”
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From the 4th part of the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 12/25/12, “The Wisdom of Kabbalah and Philosophy”
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