Question: What should I cling to during the reading of The Book of Zohar, to the group, the Creator, or Rabbi Shimon?

Answer: There is no Rabbi Shimon, no Creator, no group, no Light—nothing. There is an inner impression of a person who is divided into such terms.

I do not know what exists outside of me. I just know that there is something called “I,” and I do not know what it is. And this “I” is impressed by something. I do not know what impresses it either.

Thus, I am in a certain state called “my reality.” I need to investigate this reality now: Who I am and what do I feel? The science of Kabbalah talks about this: how to reveal this state.

We begin from here. This is called to “grasp the meaning of life.” We are talking not about our life on earth for several decades, but about attaining the very essence of reality in which I and what I feel are namely this presence in my first realization: “I” and “feel.”

The entire science of Kabbalah is intended for a person to reveal the true reality—what happens to you when you get a sense of what it is, what this imaginary world that you see presents, and in general, the entire reality, life and death, good and bad impressions.

Why do they come? In order for you to begin to form yourself: who you are, what you feel, how and so on—until you begin to discover the point of stability from which you will be able to watch and start to organize the whole reality. This is what the science of Kabbalah is.
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From the 2^nd part of the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 1/2/12, The Zohar

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If we want to build a place for the revelation of the Creator, then each of us and we altogether have to awaken love between us. However, we should be careful that this does not erase all other sensations. Everyone should critically evaluate his attitude so that “love covers all transgressions.”

This inner work is called the awakening of love in the hearts of friends. It could be manifested outside in some ways, but the main work is going on within a person. And then, as it is written: “Through the love of creatures to the love of the Creator.”

From this world, we get a corrupted impression about love and misunderstand what it is. Love means that I want to help the other reach the best possible state, desire to give him all good; this is the sign of love.

Whatever this love is—love for the Creator, creatures, or friends—its greatest aspiration is to reveal the Creator, which fills all the desires and hopes. This applies to all people.

And if we are engaged in dissemination and wholeheartedly try to offer everyone, in a form suitable for them, the opportunity to discover the power of good, which rules the world, this is an expression of our love—even if we do not sense this love in our hearts, and just act and try to connect our intention to this action seeking to reveal to everyone the method of the revelation of the Creator, and we oblige ourselves to add to that warm, sincere attitude, the thought about the benefit of man. It does not matter what kind of people they are, the worst or the best, because the revelation of the Creator cures all evils.

This will mean that I aspire to love them although I feel no love towards them.

Even from our world we know how love is shown; if parents love their children, it is obvious from their attitude because they want only good for their children, and their successes make the parents happy all the time. Love is manifested in the desire to bring the loved ones to the best condition—the revelation of the Creator. And it is trying to do it with all the warmth, and the sign of the correct action is joy. [Read more →]

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Everything depends only on the intention. Anyone can open a book and study—from a philosopher to a person who sees this book for the first time and doesn’t understand anything in it. But each one will interpret it in his own way, the way he wants to.

The difference between us and all the others: the clever and the stupid, the scientists, historians, philosophers, or kitchen maids, is that, when opening the book, we want to tune ourselves in such a way that will allow us to penetrate through it. I want this book to tell me about myself, I want to reveal my world inside it.

And external readers don’t do this; they cannot see behind printed letters, they seek human wisdom in this. And that’s why they perform all kinds of studies on these texts: what they talk about in terms of notions of our world, which historic events, which style they are written in—as far as the usual material mind can apprehend.

The difference between internal and external reading is your willingness to enter the text and reveal yourself, your inner life in it. But you can’t blame people for approaching these books externally (The Book of Zohar, the works of Ari and so on). Because an inner need to reveal the internal world hasn’t developed in them yet.

The point in the heart is not present yet, the starting point of the line of connection and the beginning of spiritual revelation. If you don’t have this desire, you can’t reveal it.

When you do have the first point, the surrounding Light can already stick to it. It still cannot enter it, it only surrounds it from all the sides, but because of this we already can’t be in a state of rest. We feel that we exist in a field of forces of the Light, which shakes and swings us.

If I don’t have this point, I don’t feel any field, Light or fluctuations and I feel like everything is fine. But as soon as the Light starts irritating this point, a problem appears and we proceed…. [Read more →]

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Baal HaSulam, “The Essence of Religion and Its Purpose”: In this article I would like to resolve three issues:
A. What is the essence of religion?
B. Is its essence attained in this world or in the next world?
C. Is its purpose to benefit the Creator or the creatures?”

Evidently, these three issues cover the entire, immense topic of religion. So, what is religion?

A person living in this world has these three questions about his life. He wants to know: “Who am I? Where do I come from? Who governs me? How do I exist? Where am I going?”

Animals are not concerned with this. They are born naturally, live under the rule of their instincts, and die without asking themselves any questions. The questions awaken only in the human race, and then not in everyone. Ninety percent of people do not think about this at all. They accept birth, life, and death as given. What happens is obvious and clear for them.

However, what if a person thinks about something greater, about the reason? This reason comes from the Creator.

As we know, each stage is divided into four levels of Aviut, that is, the depth or coarseness of desire. If a person already has reached a deeper, more corrupt level, he has more questions. He experiences various fears, wants to earn money, seeks the truth, and digs deeper. Thus, people become scientists and philosophers, and in general, develop a particular attitude toward life.

At the last step of this ladder, a person begins to relate to what is happening objectively, independently of himself. It is not just a scientific approach; he wants to discover the secret of life in spite of great personal interest while remaining as independent in his judgment as possible.

A traditional scientist obtains data, ignoring himself, without revealing his own relationship to the subject. He studies only material nature in which there are no answers to questions about the meaning. That is why scientists and philosophers cannot discover the dimension that lies above this life, unfolding in the five bodily sense organs.

However, if a person realizes that he must reveal the essence of life above his nature, apart from himself, then he should disconnect from this life, rise above it, and become a real scientist. He cannot remain a prisoner of his own nature that dictates to him his world view and behavior.

So, in search for the meaning of life, we must reach such a level where we are really independent of our nature, that which is the most objective and completely separated from everything that exists within us. How can this be? It is a big problem, and the wisdom of Kabbalah deals with this above all.

Our progress in life is divided into two stages. In the first stage, we must rise to the level of independence, armed with all necessary facilities, tools, and details of perception to occupy the “no-man’s land” where we owe nothing to anyone: neither to this world, nor the future world, nor egoism, nor bestowal, nor the good inclination, nor the evil inclination, nor the Creator, or the creature. We must stand in the middle, in the place called Klipat  Noga or the middle third of Tifferet.

We do not understand how this could be. After all, there is nothing but the Creator and the creature, nothing except the Light and the vessel. And since we are talking about ourselves, about the creature, then by definition, we are in the vessel of the created desire. How can we be brought to such a state where we will depend neither on ourselves nor the Light? How can we walk the razor’s edge? Who actually makes decisions in this situation, and what side may we choose if we are neutral?

Here, we have to understand that making an impartial analysis of our life is possible only if we rise above ourselves, above our own properties. Thus hanging in the air, we become independent of ourselves in the first place. Then we, possibly, will find that we are under the authority of the Creator and will have to get rid of that as well. How could it be otherwise?

So, to answer the question about the essence of religion, it is necessary to understand the origin of my life, who controls me, and where I am going. After all, I am carried by the flow, but will this knowledge help me? Could I change my fate to the better? Revealing the meaning of life, could I improve it, or to the contrary, is my ignorance bliss?

In the end, what will be will be. So, the question about the essence of religion is very complex, and approaching it, we have to solve a few preliminary tasks.
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From the 4th part of the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 11/24/2011, “The Essence of Religion and Its Purpose”

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Shamati #240 “Inquire Your Inquirers When They Inquire Your Face”
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The Book of Zohar – Selected Chapter “Beresheet (Genesis),” “Let There Be Lights,” Item 108, Lesson 27
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“Introduction to the Study of the Ten Sefirot,” Item 20, Lesson 14
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Writings of Baal HaSulam “The Freedom,” “Taking After the Collective,” Lesson 17
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Before starting to read or hear text that carries spiritual information, one must first attune himself to the place spirituality is revealed. It is written, “From love for the creatures (meaning from love for friends) one comes to love for the Creator.” Therefore, from the beginning we must imagine the group, the right connection between us, within which we await revelation.

All of the science of Kabbalah is devoted to the revelation of the Creator to the creatures. And success depends on how correctly I imagine the place of this revelation, meaning its conditions: the aspiration to it, a high evaluation, gratitude, and at the same time—suffering. Good impressions and bad, meaning great inspiration and great despair. All of it together.

But in the end, I focus on a reality in which I await the Creator’s revelation—the quality of bestowal, which rules over the whole universe from concealment. “There is none else besides Him”—the force of love and bestowal.

Once I attune myself this way in order to cling to this quality as much as I can imagine it with my entire heart and soul, in my heart and mind, aiming all of my thoughts, desires, and forces at it, I can then read the text. It might be talking in technical terms, such as Talmud Eser Sefirot, or be a legendary tale—that doesn’t matter. Behind all of that, I try to see how it describes the relationships between me and the upper force of bestowal, meaning how much I correspond to it.

This is what the book or the reader’s voice tells me about. No matter what the form in which I receive information about the Creator’s revelation, I will be ready to perceive it.

When we look at our life, in it we must also try to see how to reveal the attitude of the Creator, who “clothes” into the world. And first of all, obviously—in a group. He awakens all of us together, “day and night” (meaning in different states—ascents and descents) so we would finally reveal Him in the connection among us.

All of us together are like a musical instrument that must be tuned well and correctly by establishing the appropriate qualities, mutual connections, and harmony between us so the instrument would play correctly. When that wind blows, which played on David’s violin, then like that violin, we will play together.

In general, a person should try to see the expression of the upper force in all events of his life, even though he does not understand why and how things happen. On one hand, in regular life we must try to act normally and be the same as everyone. But at the same time, internally, we should relate to everything as if it is the revelation of the Creator to us.

For the time being this is like a game—it is not real because you still don’t know exactly how to decipher the picture that appears to you, but still, you have to search.
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From the 1st part of the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 1/3/12, Writings of Rabash

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People who have spiritual attainment know the laws of the universe and understand the nature of the masses. They not only have knowledge, but also experience of their own development, which also began from the lower, inanimate level. They have gone through inner corrections and have learned empathy, concessions, love. They have acquired the necessary “toolkit” to take care of the masses. They always act for the good of the people rather than for their own benefit because they live in a different, spiritual nature.

Question: What is their care for the world aimed at?

Answer: They want to “raise a lad in his own way.” In his own way, but to raise him, meaning to gradually cause him to advance by means of studying, explanations, and examples rather than by suffering. These sages carry out the main work, attracting the Light, while the masses receive the benefit from it.

Today the masses suffer: some are left without jobs, some are hungry, some have bad health, problems with their families, children, and so on. In the meantime, the sages attract the Light that reforms and teach people on a simple, accessible level, enabling the Light to flow to the masses and correct them.

As a result, people receive the Lights of Nefesh and Ruach, while the Lights of Neshama, Haya, and Yechida remain with the sages at their higher degrees, according to the reverse order of the Lights and vessels.

Thus, the masses receive fulfillment which precisely corresponds to their desires. People want good children, well-being in their families, a sure pension, health, activities, a good household, a pleasant vacation, safety, etc. They don’t have desires of a different level, and they don’t need them either.

Only later, as part of the general process, will the masses begin to join the sages, and then a mutual inclusion will occur. But again, it will be passive on the masses’ end.

Thus, the great ones descend for the sake of serving the people, but they don’t descend on the inside. Precisely their high degree allows them to pull the masses up, level by level.

Question: Doesn’t this entail a danger of unwillingly causing harm?

Answer: Can a loving mother harm her baby? After all, we don’t attach a policeman to every mother. This is a mother’s nature: to take care of the baby. And the mom doesn’t just take care of the baby, but is imbued by his desires. So can she harm him? All her thoughts are focused on what will give him pleasure, what will benefit him. What formula, temperature in the room, water bottle—a mother does not disconnect from this wave of love even for a moment.

Similarly, the upper one does not have his own desires. He receives desires from the lower one and works on them. Love obligates him to do what is good for the one he loves. I can love either him or myself. If I love the neighbor, then I ascend above self-love, and then I use everything I have to serve him, leaving only the necessities for myself.
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From the 4th part of the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 1/3/12, “The Freedom”

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For some reason we are afraid that if we give up our egoism, our desire will cease to develop. But in fact, it’s quite the opposite; it’s now that we don’t develop it and rather, we use it in its lowest form. This destroys man and the world. The global elite have developed this approach on purpose so that a person will obey and agree to the infinite chase. Everything is arranged so that a person feels satisfied and considers it a “good life.” The top percentile of society fools people and turns them into slaves. A person is told, “What a good boy you are. Work more and you’ll get a bonus.” And he gladly continues the forced labor.

A person doesn’t understand how he is manipulated by society, education, the media…it isn’t by chance that the elite don’t want to change these mechanisms. They want you to remain a fool. Actually the whole world works for them.

When people wake up they’ll understand that they have been cheated and that their life is worse than a beast’s life. Beasts obey nature, even unconsciously, but directly.

But you are being manipulated by that one percent of humanity, and you smile happily as you’re turning on this “skewer.” You don’t even suspect that you are carrying out their orders that have been inserted into your head for decades through the TV screen, newspapers, and other channels. You are in a worse position than a trained dog.

Look at how they oblige you to buy and with what entertainment they feed you. And you obey their orders faithfully from morning to night. You are not free at all. There is a program in your head that totally enslaves you.

Until the elite feel that they are on the verge of collapse, it’ll be very hard for us to bring something to the world. They know what they are doing. They are holding all the strings that sustain humanity. They throw democracy at you like a bone, so that you will play with it by your “kennel.” These “masters of the world” are so proud that they don’t understand that they are destroying themselves this way.
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From the 4^th part of the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 1/2/12, “The Freedom”

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Baal HaSulam “The Peace”: Since Providence extends from the Creator, who undoubtedly has a purpose in His actions, since there is no act without a purpose, we find that anyone who breaks a law from the laws of nature that He has imprinted in us, corrupts the purposeful aim.

We exist in a global, integral world. There is no choice; we must implement all its laws. Once we kept them to a smaller extent since we had less desires, less contact with nature and the world. Today we are more involved with it, and that imposes greater obligations upon us.

When we don’t carry out all the laws of nature, we are incomplete and flawed. Thus our problems and sufferings will increase until they force us to obey them.

After all, we exist within nature. And from this comes the absolute need to execute its laws.

It is interesting that at the levels of still, vegetative, and animate all the laws of nature are executed naturally. There are no mistakes made. If there were a mistake, then it would be a sign that something was unwell. I once told a friend of mine, a veterinarian, about a cat who jumped unsuccessfully before my eyes, and got badly injured. He said that the cat was, without a doubt, ill. An animal doesn’t make mistakes since it obeys its instincts and its calculations are always correct because the laws of nature are at work and nothing more.

Man, on the contrary, can make mistakes in order to complete himself in awareness and recognition, until becoming similar to nature. And this also includes the small volume of our world’s nature, so that we will be able to advance forward and understand that it is not only this inner sphere that we need, but also we need completion until the level of the external sphere, the upper world where the laws of providence and management are.

We must carry them out and through them manage the whole of reality. When we include them within us, “we will pass to the side of the Creator,” and then we will manage the world with the attribute of bestowal.

“To know” these laws, is not simply to know of their existence without actively executing them. “Knowledge” in this case means adhesion, involving both the internal sense and reason, when you invert to be one with these laws and they operate in you exactly like in the animal world of the animate. This is called adhesion.

Thus, we need to unite with the entire world according to the law of love for others. The concept “others” includes the still, vegetative, and animate in nature, the levels that are found under man. After that, one needs to love the Creator. This means to merge into one with all of these laws, with all of these attributes. And then, there is no doubt there will be no error.

When you realize them as they are, in heart and soul, you reach Gmar Tikkun ( end of correction).

Thus, only for humans is there the ability to make mistakes and correct mistakes. Only in this way they develop. Through this, they complete their beastly existence via nature, or in other words, via the Creator, and acquire equivalence to Him.
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From the 2^nd part of the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 12/23/11, “The Peace”

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There are different materials, for example dough, clay or marble, and there is what we make of it. In “Safra Detzniuta” there is an example of a farmer who comes to town and is surprised to see in the market rolls, pretzels, cookies, and other baked goods made from the same flour he produces.

According to evolution, the contact with the upper Light brings about many different forms, but the material that takes on these forms stays the same, and that is the desire to receive. So there are never any restrictions on the desire itself. We don’t do anything at all with it; our actions are only with regard to the forms.

Now our desire has an egotistic form that is aimed against the goal of creation. So we have to restrict this form, but not the desire. Only in this way will it receive a new correct form and we will be able to use it as we please.

Another problem is that we have to agree with the fact that we receive bad and corrupt forms. It is written, “a man’s heart is evil from his youth.” The Creator on his part, created the evil inclination, and we have to demand to advance to goodness.

Thus we have to show great restraint, to be tolerant toward all the forms through which the correction is performed. Some forms are even worse than the previous ones, but that doesn’t mean anything.

Impatience, outbursts, negative feelings, hate—can reveal things we’ve never encountered before on our way to the goal. Baal HaSulam brings the example of a fruit, which as it ripens goes through stages that are opposite from its final form. It becomes more sour, more bitter, less attractive, and only in the last stage does it begin to take its final form. A month before it ripens it can be poisonous. This is just as the darkness becomes thicker before dawn.

So we have to be very patient with the intermediate forms; they serve the development, although they may seem awful. We appreciate a person for his efforts, whether he does as much as he can do or not. The main point is that he shouldn’t be harmful and critical and as for the rest we can wait.

All our studying, all our advancement, all the understanding and the feeling do not appear in the material, but in its forms. This is what we study all the time. The desire is irrelevant. I look at the forms and at the differences between them.

These forms come to us from the Creator, from the Light, but they can appear in us as positive or negative. We are between the two contrasting forms: the angel of life and the angel of death. These two angels are the first nine Sefirot, and the material of our desire is Malchut. We receive the positive forms from them in our desire and the negative ones out of necessity and so we advance.

One cannot exist without the other. Every form should include the two forces that operate on the neutral matter of the desire to receive, meaning the two opposite changes that influence the data.

The desire was created as “something from nothing,” and we study everything that is in it, everything it goes through by the principle of formal education, of knowing the forms that come from the Creator, from the Light. We never study and explore the Light itself, but the forms of the Light on the material, on the desire; just as we don’t feel electricity by itself, but what it brings about, which can be measured and studied.

Eventually, we never attain the phenomenon itself, and we don’t know what the desire to receive is in itself. We only attain its reactions to the Light, and thus learn about the influence of the Light on the desire, when we deduce one from the other.
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From the 4^th part of the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 12/29/11, “The Freedom”

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