Writings of Rabash, “Rungs of the Ladder”
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The Book of Zohar — Selected Excerpts, “Excerpt Items for Passover,” Item 117
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Talmud Eser Sefirot, Vol. 6, Part 15 “Histaklut Pnimit,” Item 24
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Writings of Baal HaSulam, “Inheritance of the Land”
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Writings of Rabash, Letter 66
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Talmud Eser Sefirot, Vol. 6, Part 15 “Histaklut Pnimit,” Item 1
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Writings of Baal HaSulam, “Inheritance of the Land”
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Writings of Rabash, “Steps of the Ladder”
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The Book of Zohar — Selected Excerpts, “Excerpt Items for Passover,” Item 317
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Writings of Baal HaSulam, “Inheritance of the Land”
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Writings of Baal HaSulam, “The Essence of the Wisdom of Kabbalah”
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The Book of Zohar, “Night of the Bride”: All the days of exile are called night, for this is when the Creator’s face is concealed from Israel, as the impure forces rule and separate His loyal servants from Him. Yet, this is the time when the bride unites with her husband…
The union between the bride and her husband (The Zohar uses the word “husband” instead of “bridegroom”) occurs thanks to the Torah and Mitzvot (Commandments) of the righteous, referred to as “those who keep the Torah…”
The point in the heart, the spiritual awakening during the long exile—which means in the duration of six thousand years—grows only by darkness, by the feeling of exile. We must turn this darkness into Light each time until, after the six days of action, we reach the seventh day of the seventh millennium, a state of total Light.
Therefore, all of our work is to accept the state as darkness, as night, and turn it into day. We determine that the state, the feeling we have received, is day and not night.
It seems as darkness with regard to our ego, with regard to the desire to enjoy, and with regard to our desire to bestow it seems as an opportunity and as Light.
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From the 3rd part of the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 5/21/14, The Zohar
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Writings of Rabash, “Dargot HaSulam,” Article 936
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Writings of Rabash, “Dargot HaSulam,” Article 930
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Writings of Rabash, “Dargot HaSulam,” Article 932
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Writings of Baal HaSulam, “Introduction to The Book of Zohar,” Item 20
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Writings of Rabash, “Steps of the Ladder”
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The Book of Zohar — Selected Excerpts, Parashat “VaYera”
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Talmud Eser Sefirot, Vol. 6, Part 15, “Histaklut Pnimit,” Item 21
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Writings of Baal HaSulam, “Introduction to The Book of Zohar,” Item 19
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Maimonides, a great 12th century Kabbalist, philosopher, physician, and astronomer, dedicated quite a few medical articles to meals and the need for nourishment. In particular, he wrote, “The food must be chewed thoroughly to receive pleasure,” otherwise the food will be harmful, “and thank the Creator for this.”
In the spiritual world, food is the Upper Light that we need to receive in order to bestow, meaning for pleasure and not because we want to satisfy hunger, and we have no other choice.
It is said (even among those who were not Kabbalists) that in order to chew food, it is necessary to chew 72 (Ayin-Bet) times with the teeth. From the spiritual point of view, the teeth chew Ohr Hochma, dividing the desire into a multitude of fragments, so that it will be possible to mix them with Ohr Hassadim. And in the physical world this is expressed in the mixing of food with saliva when one chews.
It is necessary to eat quietly among friends or family (it is desirable not to eat alone), so that at every moment we feel thanks.
That is how it was with my teacher Rabash; the meal went on in total silence; nobody said a word. We were even very careful with our movements so as not to disturb others remaining within their inner thoughts.
In general, with our current education, we are used to talking during a meal. People gather in a coffee house or in a restaurant for conversation between them, to connect and so forth. And here everything is completely different; everything is done in silence, working within yourself but in relation to others. So Rambam writes that it is “necessary to eat in quiet among friends or family, and to feel thanks at every moment.”
I hope that eventually we will get to have meals like this.
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From the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 4/17/14, Questions and Answers with Dr. Laitman
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Writings of Baal HaSulam, Shamati #173: “He said about saying L’Chaim (to life) when drinking wine, that it is as our sages said, “Wine and life according to the sages and their disciples.” This is perplexing: why specifically according to our sages? Why not according to the uneducated?
The thing is that saying “L’Chaim” implies higher life. When we drink wine, we should remember that wine has its spiritual source, which implies “the wine of Torah,” the Light that comes as a reward, and so we say, “L’Chaim!,” a reminder that we should extend the Light of Torah, called “life.”
The corporeal life, however, is called by our sages, “The wicked, in their lives, are called ‘dead.’” Hence, it is specifically our sages who can say, “wine and life.” This means that only they are qualified to extend spiritual life. Uneducated people, however, have no desire for it or the tools to extend it.
Wine symbolizes Ohr Hochma (Light of Wisdom), which I want to receive in order to bestow (with Ohr Hassadim). If I can keep the Ohr Hochma with Ohr Hassadim (Light of Mercy) and not violate the accommodation between them to feel life, then this energy enters into us in a positive way.
But if I don’t have enough Ohr Hassadim, then Shevirat HaKelim (the shattering of the vessels) happens and I fall again into the egoistic desire. So I seemingly analyze whether I have enough Ohr Hassadim for receiving the Ohr Hochma so that one Light can be clothed in the other. And then Ohr Hochma is revealed, and the next level is revealed in me.
An analysis like this is called L’Chaim, to bestowal with faith above reason. Receiving for the sake of bestowal is a process of eating that is expressed in the word, “L’Chaim,” meaning that I am doing this for the sake of spiritual life.
I transmit the Light that I receive from above through me by conveying it to others, otherwise it doesn’t enter me. This is the law of the upper world. When I receive in order to bestow, by conveying it through me to others, and they in turn do the same thing by conveying it through me, is called, “L’Chaim.”
So when we drink wine, we say, “L’Chaim!” which means that we remember that it is necessary to be concerned about the right reception of the Light of life in order to attain the higher level.
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From the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 4/17/14, Questions and Answers with Dr. Laitman
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Question: What is the connection between us through which we left Egypt?
Answer: From Egypt only desires that want to connect leave, meaning only Israel. All the rest of the parts of the desire to receive that don’t feel an attraction to connection die in Egypt, they are the army of Pharaoh.
We work on the connection between us in a group; but we discover that we are not ready to reach it, so “…and the children of Israel sighed by reason of the bondage….” (Exodus 2:23). This means that we cry out to the Creator and ask Him to connect us.
Question: So what is our work? Must we work on prayer?
Answer: The prayer cannot be artificial, for prayer is the work of the heart. At the end of all my efforts, after I have become convinced that nothing depends on me, I break out into prayer.
It is impossible to pray by the clock, this is not called prayer. Prayer must be adjusted to the feeling in the heart. So at this moment you can be in a state of “Yom Kippur” and in a few more hours be in a state of “Passover.” This is not talking about time but about states.
So why is there great significance to the Passover holiday that is marked on the calendar? It is because the Upper Lights that come down to us from the “end of correction,” through all the steps of the ladder, reach our world and even create a small illumination in it. And we want to connect this illumination with all the Upper Lights of bestowal and love of others, which we yearn to reach, to connect them together to world of Infinity. So also in our world, in the physical branches, we celebrate this state and want to be like it even on the physical level. This is particularly relevant to the Passover holiday.
All the rest of the holidays are very high: Rosh HaShanah (embracing the right) and Sukkot (embracing the left) are great Surrounding Lights. But everything begins with Passover. Therefore it is called the “head” of all the months. The exodus from Egypt is the birth of spirituality, so this spiritual source is the closest to us, found right above our heads. All the rest of the holidays are much higher.
We want to approach this source, meaning to begin to actively connect as much as possible. The symbol of the exodus from Egypt is the first connection between us, and after that we add more and more “meat,” more desires, to that point of connection.
But the first contact is the exodus from Egypt, which is why it is called the “birth” of man—that which we have succeeded in accumulating from the shattered parts through leaping above our ego and the connection between us. This is called a true “miracle.” We receive this opportunity thanks to the influence of the Light; otherwise, it is impossible.
We must seriously prepare for this state because we spend a lot of time together at meals and in lessons with all the groups in the world and try to actively reach a connection. We hope we will succeed in implementing this; we still have time. There is no time in spirituality and we can carry this out very quickly, at least temporarily reaching this state and descending again. And there is also a second “Passover” in another week. Someone who doesn’t succeed in realizing this in the first Passover will get a second opportunity.
Question: What is connecting actively?
Answer: All of our hearts must contact each other in a single point, reaching a point of contact. It is not enough just to want it; rather, we must actively carry this out. The prayer is awakened in a person only at the necessary time that comes as a result of the action in the physical world. If I do something and absolutely suffer from failure, from this point the prayer breaks forth.
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From the 3rd part of the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 4/13/14, The Zohar
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Question: How can we teach the wisdom of connection when the idea of connecting to others seems so repulsive and undesirable in some sectors of society?
Answer: There are indeed certain parts of society who regard the connection between people in a very negative light and who deliberately spoil such relationships in order to delineate the boundaries of each: this is mine, this is yours, and don’t invade my territory.
This happens everywhere today. Everyone tries to be as far apart from others as possible, not to touch anyone and not to be touched by others. People behave in a very politically correct manner: I don’t touch you and you don’t touch me. At the same time, there are many problems in society, illnesses, tension, and stress. All this is felt in the family and in our relationships with our children.
A person wasn’t created by nature to be under constant stress. The fact that continuous stress has become a permanent condition is even worse. This problem is well known and felt among people who live in expensive areas.
It is especially a problem of the middle class. Ordinary people are more open and live differently. This is the reason that they have fewer health problems and don’t need a personal psychologist like people from the upper and middle class.
The simpler the people the easier it is for them to connect and therefore they are healthier. But people who are more “well-off” have greater and more serious health problems although they have the means to look after themselves.
Under these conditions the protective force of the body obliges a person to shut himself off from everyone by a mask of good manners and to guard his boundaries. A habit becomes a second nature and it is very difficult to get rid of it. What is more, society supports this and it becomes a norm.
This is a very problematic attitude that leads to many problems on different levels: from the lowest level, which means our health, to our relationships with children and nature, which lead to all the defects of modern society and even to genetic changes.
A person isn’t made to feel lonely and to treat others as strangers. We are naturally made to connect more strongly with our family as we grow and develop, but we don’t do so.
A baby is connected to his mother on the physical level, and as he grows this connection becomes more emotional but external. As we mature from being a baby, a child, a youth, and an adult, we draw further away from our mother.
Apparently we don’t need her care anymore and don’t ask her to take us in her arms, but we have to complement this connection on the emotional level. We don’t do that and this is the reason for practically all our problems. All the problems and illnesses are actually caused by lack of connection.
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From the 1st part of the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 5/20/14, Writings of Rabash
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