Lesson Preparation
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Lesson on the Topic: “The Work in Faith Above Reason”
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Talmud Eser Sefirot, Part 4, Chapter 5, Item 1
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Writings of Baal HaSulam, “The Teaching of the Kabbalah and Its Essence”
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Lesson Preparation
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Lesson on the Topic: “The Work in Faith Above Reason”
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Talmud Eser Sefirot, Part 4, Chapter 4, Item 5
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Writings of Baal HaSulam, “The Teaching of the Kabbalah and Its Essence”
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Lesson Preparation
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Lesson on the Topic: “The Work in Faith Above Reason”
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Talmud Eser Sefirot, Part 4, Chapter 3, Item 11
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Writings of Baal HaSulam, “The Teaching of the Kabbalah and Its Essence”
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Knowledge of Hebrew is very important in studying Kabbalah. It is unlike the sciences of this world, for example physics, which can be learned in any language. Kabbalistic terms in Hebrew directly correspond to spiritual vessels, lights, and actions.
While reading the Kabbalistic text, we do not just read words, but go from desire to desire, revealing the Creator through the change of letters and their sequence.
Each letter is a spiritual symbol, and each word is a matrix. It is like a special secret code, an encryption. Each word, letter, order of words, and the root of each word come from the relationship of lights and desires. The Hebrew language was created on this foundation. It is the only language that has arisen not for corporeal use, but has descended from Above to define relationships between lights and desires.
Therefore, knowledge of Hebrew helps us penetrate deeper into the connection of light and desire, to feel its taste and understand why it is exactly the way it is. We can feel the harmony embedded in the Hebrew language and the internal interconnection of the forces of nature that are expressed through its letters.
When translating Kabbalistic text to English or to any other language, the essence of the explanation that is included in the word itself is lost. Translation gives a more external understanding of the action, whereas the Hebrew word expresses the inner meaning of the desires, their connection between each other and with the light, and the form of filling.
In addition to letters in Hebrew there are vocalization points, crowns over letters—TANTA (Ta’amim-Nekudot-Tagin-Otiot – tastes-points-crowns-letters)—which show how these properties begin to unfold.
There are 22 letters in Hebrew: nine from Bina, nine from Zeir Anpin, and four from Malchut, and five more letters at the end of words, that is, the symbols standing on the Parsa. The exit of the light builds points (vocalizations) that disappear. Vowels are almost never used, they are just implied.
Letters, points, crowns over the letters are all very important. They can reveal the entire wisdom. If we knew the inner meaning of the words and of the order of words and letters—all this is the entire revelation of the Creator to the created beings.
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From the 2nd part of the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 5/14/18, Writings of Baal HaSulam, “The Giving of the Torah – 1”
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A person gradually begins to sense that this world is controlled by one power that has the goal of bringing us to a specific state. This realization changes his entire life because he begins to relate differently to the study, the group, the teacher, and the methodology of Kabbalah, realizing that everything that happens is purposeful. Nothing happens accidentally. Everything is planned and develops according to a program in which nothing can be changed.
All the stages will be revealed in their own time, whether I want it or not. I can hasten my personal development, but I do not change my states in any essential way by doing so. I only experience them differently and they seem more pleasant to me. If I develop my reasoning, then I understand that everything happening is right and I agree with the path along which the Creator guides me. In life, there is nothing to change except our relationship to it.
We exist in a completely interconnected, ideal, integrated global system, which is called Adam (Human) or the world of Ein Sof (Infinity). This is a complete system of HaVaYaH, created by the Creator in order to give us the ability to experience the qualities of the Creator—love and bestowal. It must develop from a single point and bring us to complete perfection. 1
A person has to battle his enemies on the material level, as is customary in our world. At the same time, his main work is in changing himself internally so that “all his enemies repent” and turn into friends. In every person (and even in the inanimate, vegetative, and animal levels), one must try to see the actions of the Creator in relation to oneself.2
We draw the Light to ourselves only if we are engaged in a group because we exist in a closed system of the collective soul called Adam. If our actions are in accord with this system, then we awaken its inner force, the “upper Light.” This Light must be internal, but it currently exists for us as surrounding Light because we do not feel it within ourselves.
Light is drawn to us according to how much our actions are aimed at unity, connection, oneness, and mutual guarantee. You can work very hard and exert a great deal of effort to improve the world, but if it is not geared toward unity, it will not produce any positive results.
It is better to do less, but with the right intention. In other words, the main concern is the intention, and it must be directed toward unity so as to return our system of connection to the form of Adam, a single human in whom all is harmoniously interconnected.3
Looking at the world, we do not see anything external to us, but only that which exists within our hearts. The heart decides who I will see in front of me: the criminals or the righteous. “Everyone judges according to his own flaws,” so if I think that there are inadequacies in others, I must realize that these are my own inner qualities. I will see others either flawed or corrected only in proportion to the correction of my own heart.
The entire world exists in my heart. By correcting my heart, I correct the entire world and all people will appear to me as corrected. It is only in my own personal qualities that I hate, despise, or reject them. If I correct myself to an ideal state, then I will love the entire world.4
We need to praise the Creator as though we already exist on the highest and most corrected level. This is unnecessary for the Creator—we are incapable of adding anything to His perfection. But it is mandatory for us to correct our desire and achieve the state of the Creator.
If we pray or beg for something, it means that we disagree or argue with the Creator, since in each moment we receive from Him the optimal conditions for our advancement. All we need is to ask Him to give us the strength for speedy progress and not to complain about the passing states which come to us from the Creator’s absolute love.
If we ask for the state to change, it means that we reject the way the Creator relates to us. We need only ask for and demand the strength of our correction.5
Having changed myself, I change my state. But if I ask the Creator to change my state, it means that I blame Him for causing me harm. But if I want to change myself, then I do not care about what my state will be. What matters most is my connection to the Creator. I want to change specifically so that I do not blame the Creator from within my own egoism. Because if I feel that I am unhappy, by this I am cursing the Creator because I am dissatisfied with His control.6
We must constantly seek connection with the Creator, in every little detail. Since everything is done by the Creator, we need to insert Him into every action, even the simplest, most mechanical, or instinctive ones, as the cause, the deciding factor, of that action. Thanks to that, we reveal the perfection of the sole upper force in the entirety of creation. This is considered as the work of the human through which we give pleasure to the Creator, having placed Him as the ruler of all.
A person must understand that even the lowest states come to him from the Creator and give him the possibility to achieve adhesion within them.7
If we fail to perceive our descents as a necessary part of the path, it means that we have not reached a state in which we are able to justify them and see advancement in them. Every moment, the upper Light acts on us in proportion to our loyalty to the path, to unity, to building within us the system of connection. By virtue of this action we begin to understand more, feel the perfection of the system and of all of its connections, justify it, and feel that one force acts within it. This is a process of development that demands time, and most importantly, to not leave and not reduce the pressure.8
To have faith in the righteous means that the power of bestowal is revealed within me, giving me the ability to act accordingly.9
What I currently feel is called “reason,” my opinion. What I will feel and decide on the next level will be “above my reason,” and therefore is called faith. “Faith above reason” is the power of bestowal, which is stronger than the will to receive.
Right now, I act according to the will to receive within me. To rise higher, I need to act by the power of faith or bestowal. And so I ask to be given the strength from above to complete the action against my reason and in accordance with the reason of the higher level.
It is as if I rise to the higher level and exist within the upper, doing everything that is in Him. I take His reason, His opinion, and according to it, accomplish the action using my strength. This is called faith above reason.
The upper is a greater power of bestowal and faith than I have. But for him, all this exists “within reason,” attainment, and understanding. He attained the perfection of the global system, having been in the correct interconnection, which is called Adam, that is, a person similar to the Creator. This means that all the connections within this system are similar to the force of bestowal of the Creator. It is as if a computer corresponds to the program and the program begins to work within it.
From the 1st part of the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 3/16/18, Writings of Rabash, Vol. 1, Article 17, “He Who Hardens His Heart”
1 (Minutes 24:03 – 24:27)
2 (Minutes 27:55 – 29:39)
3 (Minutes 34:30 – 36:15 )
4 (Minutes 37:00 – )
5 (Minutes 39:35 – 39:42)
6 (Minutes 42:00 – )
7 (Minutes 46:10 – )
8 (Minutes 49:00 – )
9 (Minutes 59:55 – )
10 (Minutes 61:15 – )
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Lesson Preparation
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Shamati #40 “Faith in the Rav, What Is the Measure”
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Talmud Eser Sefirot, Part 4, Chapter 3, Item 10
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Writings of Baal HaSulam, “One Commandment”
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Jerusalem is the place of the Temple and at the same time the place of destruction. We need to reach a state when Jerusalem, which means “complete fear/respect” (Ira’a Shlema), will dwell in our hearts, in our desire, and with the acquired intention for bestowal, we will build a perfect spiritual vessel there called “the Temple.”
Both the first spiritual vessel—reception for the sake of bestowal—and the second one—bestowal for the sake of bestowal—belonged only to the head of the common soul. The third vessel will include both bestowal for the sake of bestowal and reception for the sake of bestowal for all the nations, as it is written: “My house shall be called a house of prayer for all peoples” (Prophets, Isaiah 56:7). That is, for the entire desire to enjoy created on human level. Everyone will equally receive revelation of the upper force in common unity. Differences between people will disappear and this world will disappear at the end of correction, as Baal HaSulam writes. Only a common desire in which all unite in perfect unity will remain, fully filled with the upper Light.
Everyone will be in complete attainment of the upper force, as one heart, without any differences. On the contrary, the previous separation will work to strengthen the unity, as it is written: “Love will cover all transgressions.”
The restored Jerusalem must be like this. But for now, as we see, it is in a state of total destruction. There is no city in the world that is more divided, torn apart by every possible opposition and contradiction. It must all be revealed as material for correction.
Jerusalem Day reminds us of a needed correction. It turns out that it is not a celebration in honor of the city itself. It is a celebration in honor of the opportunity given to us for deliverance.
We celebrate the day of Jerusalem being given to us as a place of work and the place where correction will take place in the future. Then, the people of Israel and all the other nations as well as the land of Israel and the whole world will be revealed in adhesion with a single Creator.
Through this, Israel will fulfill its mission of being a Light unto nations. The mission of the people of Israel as the head of the spiritual Partzuf in relation to the body is to correct the whole of humanity. However, the correction should spread to all the nations, and the revelation of the Creator in all His might happens precisely in the body of the common soul, that is, in the nations of the world.
It is written that at the end of correction the land of Israel will spread to the whole world. That is, the desire to enjoy that relates to the attainment of the Creator will spread to the entire universe and everybody will unite together and will become one nation of the Creator, as it is written: “They shall all know Me, from the least of them unto the greatest of them.”
Jerusalem relates not only to the unification of Israel, but also to the unification of all of humanity. This particular point, this city, existed even before our forefathers came to the land of Israel; they did not create it from scratch.
The fact that the nations of the world, for example the US and others, move their embassies to Jerusalem is kind of a symbol. However, this does not perform the correction itself—the correction is incumbent upon the people of Israel. The time has come for all those who are at the degree of Israel (Yashar-Kel), that is, striving to reveal the Creator, to unite with each other and with the Creator, and to become the head of the spiritual Partzuf. Our unity, and nothing else, is what’s most important.
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From the 3rd part of the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 5/13/18, Writings of Baal HaSulam, “One Commandment”
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The holiday of Shavuot is not just a date on the calendar—it is a spiritual state. That is why everything depends on whether or not we achieve this state of the giving of the Torah. To do this, we must unite, connect with each other, become as one man with one heart, and stand at the foot of the mountain; in other words, we must understand that we were given very important conditions upon which we must work with ever increasing diligence and unity.
Only by constantly increasing our connection will we climb the mountain ever higher. To rise means to continually increase our connection above all problems, difficulties, and disturbances that the Creator places before us on our path in order to help us connect more and more, and to create a vessel in which the Light of NRNHY will gradually be revealed.1
The connection must be spiritual. However, at that point, tremendous egoism is revealed, real armor, and at the same time, an intention to bestow. To the degree that we unite among each other and with the Creator, we convert the power of each person’s egoism into thick armor. By itself, it is a terrible thing without a drop of goodness, but through unifying means, we bring it the force of vitality, the force of the Light, and it turns into armor against the evil powers.
This is how we convert the evil force into a force of good. These two forces stand against each other. The entire thickness of the egoistic armor is our initial evil inclination above which we build an intention to bestow, bestowal for the sake of bestowal. We unite between us in mutual bestowal and thanks to this, the individual egos of each one of us unite and turn into a resisting power, into defense.
The enemies provide us with this armor, forcing us to turn to the Creator for the strength to unite, and that is why they work to our advantage. If we know how to utilize this correctly, then thanks to it we will achieve restriction, a defensive screen, and reflected Light, by building our own Kli.
The spiritual vessel is built specifically on the basis of tremendous egoism being revealed in each of us. We unite above these egoistic, distant, disconnected desires that hate each other. We do not want to use them in this manner, but we unite through the means of a screen, connecting all these desires to the single upper source, to the Creator.
Below is the pit with writhing snakes—our Malchut. Yet, we do not use this egoism in the usual manner, but only in order to bestow to the Creator, and that is why we unite. Thus, above us appears a screen, and all the snakes’ venom is turned from poison to medicine. It all depends only on how it is used.2
From the 2nd part of the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 5/14/18, Lesson on the Topic: “Shavuot”
1 Minute 1:07:35
2 Minute 1:28:00
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All the main work is not at the conventions but in between them. And every day can be like a convention, like a big ascent or descent—everything accumulates together.
Every day has to be like a new beginning, and even several times a day. We do not have to wait until the previous degree disappears from our feelings. Although, in any case, it is registered for eternity as already corrected by us because we have advanced few steps forward and have achieved a new connection in both quantity and quality. But then this state disappears so that we continue our work further.
The concealment can be caused by two reasons: either we simply allowed the achieved state to disappear or we started to engage in a new kind of connection, in new goals, and therefore the previous degree has already exhausted itself.1
The upcoming convention in Italy is special in a sense that it will bring together many different groups that belong to the united European group. This is the real shattered Babylon that we need to unite.
Europe is the center of all modern civilization, the place that has greatly influenced the history of humanity. Therefore, we must try to unite above all the differences this whole Babylon, which has as if moved from
Mesopotamia to Europe.
With today’s European nations and modern conditions, an entirely new kind of work is required in both quality and quantity. We need to overcome such difficulties as different languages and cultures. Europe is like a miniature world.2
No matter what state we are in, either greatness or smallness, our concern should be only to never leave our root. There is no need to try to keep the same type of connection and even the same intensity—let them change and disappear. The most important thing is to keep the connection itself, hold on to the same Creator, to the same principle: “There is none else besides Him.” It is in relation to Him that we want to renew our unity by reaching a new state, a new deficiency.3
From the 1st part of the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 5/9/18, Lesson on the topic of “Continuing the Congress With an Ascent”
1 Minute 0:30
2 Minute 2:05
3 Minute 62:00
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Lesson Preparation
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Lesson on the Topic: “The Work Between the Desirable State and the Existing State”
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Talmud Eser Sefirot, Part 4, Chapter 3, Item 9
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Writings of Baal HaSulam, “One Commandment”
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