“The Light of the egoistic desires (Klipot) is when we think that if only we had a million dollars, then we would be happy.”
– From the book The Point in the Heart

Question: It is written that Klipot tempt the souls. What does this actually mean in our sensations? What is the temptation?

Answer: The will to enjoy beckons us, “Go there! Do that! Earn more! Take it! Steal it! Succeed!” All this happens inside the egoistic Kelim or desires in a clear, simple form where the benefit is clear to every person.

This is the work of Klipot, and very great work indeed! It is necessary to understand that Klipot help us; they are help against our ego. Their work is blessed.

Since we are all in a broken state, what else can influence us? The Upper Light cannot affect us because there is a law of equivalence of form. I cannot hear or perceive the Light and it does not influence me. Its influence on me takes place from “behind the scenes” because the Light is present everywhere, but it influences me through an intermediary.

The practical influence on me that actually makes me move happens through Klipot. They are what I understand and have a connection with. Therefore, there is a system of impure worlds (Klipot), which is my uncorrected environment, in which I, too, exist in an uncorrected state. That’s why we understand each other: what’s worthwhile for me to do and what isn’t, why should I do something and for what purpose. It’s clear that I should earn more, make the whole world work for me, and use everyone. I understand the world and the world understands me, and we don’t have any problems. We cannot complain about anyone because we are the same and so is the whole world.

We are in a broken state that is detached from the Upper Light and is opposite to it. In this state the Light cannot influence us. All the actions that nevertheless help us to awaken and reach correction take place by virtue of the system of Klipot. So say “Thank you” to them! It is written that Pharaoh brought Israel closer to the Creator. This is his work. And he really does work very hard.

Would I move from my current place by the will of my mundane egoistic desire? I wouldn’t move at all! Even a grain of sand cannot be moved unless it is affected by a force. Moreover, in order to move a person from his place and in addition, to make him move not mechanically as an animal, but to awaken him to development, it is necessary to give him a great motivation or driving force. This is what the Klipa does, being a system that knows no rest.

Look at what it is doing to the whole world and how it brings everyone closer to correction! For the time being it is doing this work instead of holiness, the forces of bestowal. Holiness is unable to do this because we do not have any connection to it.

One exists against the other: The broken me is in a broken world, whereas the correct me reveals the corrected world. The world around me immediately changes to the degree of my correction or lack thereof.
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From the 3rd part of the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 12/14/10, Beit Shaar HaKavanot

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Question: I wish to see the whole world awake and aware. How do I achieve that?

Answer: You cannot step out of the boundaries of what the common system of the souls’ correction reveals today. And it reveals a great deal. The question is: To what extent can we can affect it?

The world does not yet feel the need for Kabbalah as it cannot tie what is happening to its correction. Man doesn’t want it. When something bad happens to me, I seek someone to blame and never blame myself. That’s natural for egoism, so we always turn our back on correction.

In such a setting, we must do whatever we can. And what we can’t, we should then at least lay a path by which the next generation will be able to walk upon and follow. The place of work is given to you by the Creator, and He can’t be argued with.

The world is awakening but not at the rate we would like. The Creator has other plans. After all, the impressions that are being imprinted in the souls on the path of evolution have to reach their depth. And this takes time.

We would prefer to charge forth; however, having learned the design of the soul, we realize that between its two states, there lie millions of actions performed in the will to receive (desire). At times, a computer “freezes” for thirty seconds, and there is nothing you can do but wait.

And still, with time the process accelerates. It used to take half an hour to download one simple program from the Internet, and now we download whole movies in half a minute. And yet, in any case we need to be patient: There are too many actions that have to manifest in the collective desire of Shechina (Divinity). Our urge to rush derives from our ignorance of the importance and necessity of each such action.

Therefore, we simply “press the gas pedal to the floor,” meaning that we give the world as much as we are able, regardless of whatever its response. It isn’t up to us. The world has its own evolutionary pace. Look at the tremendous efforts there were made by Baal HaSulam, and only 60-70 years after his desperate appeals something is beginning to move.

We don’t see the entire scope of egoism approaching correction. We need to thoroughly count our modest forces in order to utilize them for dissemination with the utmost efficiency. If not, our words will miss people’s ears and won’t plant anything in their hearts.

I spoke about it with Rabash and some other Kabbalists with whom we used to visit. I saw them burning within and being patient at the same time. They were truly “charged,” but what can one do with a child who is playing with his toys? He needs time to evolve.

Therefore, we need to work harder within, among ourselves. In this way, we will be able to pass the awakening onto the world, through the inner network of souls, and people won’t even have to turn on the TV or attend introductory lectures.

Put all your desire in action aimed at building the correct connection in the group as previous Kabbalists used to do. As to the outside audience, release the necessary knowledge in small doses in the degree of their readiness. Feed it from a teaspoon, as you would feed an infant.
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From the 1st part of the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 12/6/10, “Introduction from The Book of Zohar,” Article “Who Created These”

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We are all outcomes of the Light, and therefore, we have to attain it. All of our strongest desires, prayers, and yearnings are aimed toward the Light.

We subconsciously desire this alone, and, in truth, throughout our entire lives we are after nothing but it. All of the other fulfillments and sources of pleasure, such as food, clothes, new cars, and whatever else all come from the Light! We only perceive them in a certain form, as some type of pleasure, such as a car, a child, family, warmth, rest, a beautiful landscape, and so on. However, in fact, there is only Light, which depicts all of these objects for me, and I feel only it.

Therefore, people will gradually cease being interested in of all these things and will instead try to find their source: the Light itself and not its derivatives. I won’t desire to have a certain car anymore because what does it actually give me? It gives me pleasure. Yet, in truth I wish to get this pleasure in its “pure form,” without the actual car. Why do I need this chunk of metal? After all, it pleases me only when I drive it, and when I don’t, there is no pleasure. So, when I get tired of driving, it just stands by the house. But I still seek pleasure!

While we were undergoing our historical evolution, we constantly aspired to find things and "waves" that were more subtle and elusive. That is why everything in the world today is becoming smaller in size; quantity is becoming quality. We are the same: Instead of investigating the corporeal world, we are starting to yearn for spiritual attainment.

People don’t yet understand it yet, but the number of suicides and terrorist acts, the rise in drug abuse and the divorce rate are all indicators of man’s enormous lack of fulfillment. It is so great that, in fact, man is unable to fill this lack in his life. And that is a sign of man’s need for the Light itself, rather than all the other substitutes that the Light can depict in us.
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From the program "Kabbalah for Beginners" on 12/08/10

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Question: Why do we feel comfortable when there are candles glowing in a room?

Answer: We relate a candle to warmth, light, and hope. That is how we perceive it according to our spiritual root.

The candles of Chanukah symbolize the outcome of man’s war with his ego. What is a candle, really? It’s a body that contains oil, a wick inside the oil, and a fire burning on the wick. Each of these components has a meaning: The body is the spiritual vessel or Kli, the oil symbolizes the Light of Hochma that becomes revealed to us, and the wick stands for the discernments we make. All of this together gives us fire, the Light.

When a person makes enough inner discernments, waging a war with his ego, desiring to ascend above it, independent of the egoistic approach where all his actions are aimed only at fulfilling himself, when he desires to get rid of his egoistic nature, this is called “the war of the Maccabees against the Greeks.”

In Hebrew the Maccabees are called Makabim, which is an abbreviation of the phrase, “Those who are going toward the Creator, follow me.” In essence we separate from the “Greeks” inside us – the rational thinking, the egoistic desire to enjoy – and slightly rise above everything earthly to bestowal and love for the neighbor. The level of Bina means, “Do not do to another what you hate.”

In other words, a candle is a good, beautiful symbol of the spiritual nature. That is why we feel so good and comfortable when it glows.
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From the program “Kabbalah for Beginners” on 12/1/10

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From ancient times and almost to our present day, the Kabbalists walked parallel to philosophic thought, until its flame died out. Throughout all our history we have been propelled by our growing will to enjoy which pushes every new generation to accomplish increasingly greater deeds in the field of the ego. By actualizing our desires, we utilize our sound egoistic reason in order to acquire, amass, capture, develop, and so on.

But today egoistic development has come to an end; the time has come for correction. The ego in our world has exhausted itself, having been revealed to its full measure as was needed.

Now, looking at the world enclosed in this “wrapper,” we cannot find anything else with which to fill our lives. And when this renewal ceases and there is nothing else to enjoy, man finds himself in trouble.

This is the present situation in the world. What direction do we develop in? Should we fly to Mars or at least to the Moon? What for? Submerge to the ocean floor? What for? Look for species unknown to science? What for?

These days we don’t need anything anymore. The egoistic desire has been fully manifested, and no new whims or aspirations emerge in us. The game is over. This signals the end of philosophy and, in general, the end of the entire rational consumer approach which calls for us to use our reason so as to fulfill our desires. The desires fade, and the mind, which is their direct consequence surrenders its position.

Soon we will see humanity grow increasingly dumb. Looking at it from the standpoint of Kabbalah, it will be downright shocking to see what people are saying, what they’re writing, what TV shows they’re watching. We will come to a point when people will turn into little kids, playing “games” the likes of which would have been considered demented 50 to100 years ago.

This is why philosophy is dying out. Over the past several decades it has been desperately trying to save itself, having been left on the roadside of history. It is no longer being taken seriously since our supply of desires has run out.

We’re no longer seeking any great achievements. Hence, we don’t need human reason, and so the majority are quite happy limiting themselves to the level of the animal one. The cycle is complete and now we must give a faithful account of the “work completed.”

So, while the philosophers were “on top,” the Kabbalists kept quiet, waiting for the egoistic development to conclude. And now that it has, we find ourselves at a breaking point: With the old behind us, we must now reveal the next stage.
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From the 1st part of the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 11/24/10, The Zohar, Introduction, “The Night of the Bride”

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Why should we treat each other nicely? We should do it only in order to attain adhesion with the Creator. Why do I come to the group? It’s only for the sake of the Creator.

If I have other reasons, then I am the same as the Communists in Russia who built the society of the future for their own sake. That is why they are still dealing with the consequences to this day. The only way to correct them is by "fire with fire," meaning with the right kind of communism – Kabbalah.

The Creator must be our goal! Otherwise there are horrible blows awaiting us. The example of that is Russia, which had invested gigantic efforts, means, and money, and made it the topic of discussion everywhere: on the radio and television, in kindergartens, schools, songs, plays, and everything else that people did. Everything summoned people to do just one thing: Let’s unite and be friends!

But look at what happened. Man did not accept any of it and everything immediately turned to egoism even though it seemed like good, proper education that taught everyone: Let’s live in peace all together as one family.

If the Creator does not stand at the head of everything, being the source of the Light that changes a person, then what’s the use of empty words? They do not match the real facts!

As a result, it becomes necessary to make a person follow them coercively through punishment, suppression, and force. We have to draw conclusions from this about what is the right education and how it applies down to the smallest details.

The only way to educate anyone is through example. And you don’t just show your personal example because if a child learns how to behave as you do, this will not be inner correction; he will simply imitate you. Tomorrow he will see a bad example and will copy it as well.

On the other hand, if he has corrected himself and understood it, then he is already protected until that level.
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From the 4th part of the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 11/29/10, "Body and Soul"

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The Zohar, Chapter “The Rose (Shoshana)“: Rabbi Hizkiya began [his speech]: “It is written, ‘As a rose among the thorns.’”…

The rose is Malchut and it includes all the souls that desire to reject their egoism and unite. This is possible only with the help of the Light that Reforms. Every person who aspires to attain the Upper World, to reveal the Creator, essentially aspires to the general unification inside Malchut. She is the place where the Creator becomes revealed.

The Book of Zohar talks about how this place becomes built from desires that are aimed at revelation, from the spiritual aspirations of people who are ready to unite on the path to the goal. We understand that we are unable to do this. However, the Light acts inside Malchut, inside “the rose,” despite the thorns that stand in the way of unity. Whoever desires to reveal the Creator is willing to live with these “prickles” and to make his way through them towards “the rose.”

This is what our efforts should be aimed at in spite of the egoism that pushes us away from the goal over and over again. We must nevertheless overcome the thorns surrounding the rose and unite all our desires into one.

We will thereby evoke the Light that Reforms and reveal the Upper One.
From the 1st part of the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 11/29/10, The Zohar

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Today, we have reached the limit of our egoistic development concluding our thousand year old history, and this is why humankind is experiencing crisis in all areas of life. We do not see where to go further and what else there is to do; hence, the world is falling into depression and drug abuse.

And this is where the wisdom of Kabbalah comes in. It was awaiting to be revealed precisely at the end of the 20th century, as described in The Book of Zohar and other Kabbalistic texts. This is taking place namely today when everybody understands or begins to feel that they have come to a dead end since our egoism has no direction to grow in.

If egoism continued to develop, we would be running after it without a thought as we have done during all of the previous lifetimes, all our history, each new time trying to attain something, win, improve for the sake of home, family, children, career, and so on. Each generation is like a row of soldiers moving from life to life, from incarnation to incarnation.

Over the course of these life cycles, we did not get tired of running after our ego because our desire was pushing us to do so. It doesn’t matter that it was worthless and we had done it all before and many times. We kept running and did what the ego wanted us to do.

But due to the fact that this egoistic desire has reached its final, highest level, we have started to feel that the road has ended. People don’t even want to bear children any more since they are losing hope that the next generation will live better than the present one.

This is where the wisdom of Kabbalah comes in and says: You can join the good! This is the good future for all humanity. But this good is not in our egoistic ideas and the dimension of this world at all. Here, there cannot be anything good any more.

If everybody wants to receive something into their egoism, they will never be filled. The moment a person starts getting filled, his pleasure disappears. Pleasure and fulfillment are opposite to each other, and fulfillment subdues the desire. And if I don’t feel lack any longer, I don’t feel pleasure from receiving and have to look for a new one.

Thus, all my life passes by in pointless search. But for those who feel that they must find something above this material life, Kabbalists tell us how to join the good.

In truth, I already feel that this world has exhausted itself and I need to find something above it in order to understand “what for?” and “why?” Where is the source of life, and what is its purpose? What was before it and what will follow? I want to know what is beyond, outside of these borders that lock me in this world.

I must know the reason of all that is taking place and see around this world: How each thing begins and ends, how everything is interconnected? Without it, I don’t feel well. This is the way our soul, which is beginning to unfold now is built.

And this is the reason why Kabbalah, the method of finding the soul, has arrived. After all, everything we have experienced thus far was being perceived in the animate body with its five sensory organs. We used to fill the body with tastes the body was enjoying or we suffered pain in the same body.

We have finished with this world; we have filled ourselves with it and felt disappointment. Now we have to go on! Ego keeps growing, but in another dimension: above the body. This is called the evolution of the soul, an inner part that will develop in you, and thanks to which you will attain the Upper reality.

And this doesn’t cancel your current world; it will continue to exist. But you will also attain what is above it, meaning all of the forces that descend from Above and govern our world. You will understand everything that takes place here, below, since you will ascend to the higher roots and uncover the relationship between the root and the branches.
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From Lesson 1, World Kabbalah Convention 2010, 11/9/10

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Rabash, “Make Them Happy with a Complete Building”: If a person wishes to erect a house for the Creator, he builds a perfect structure, for the Creator is perfect. …And the Creator will give them joy, the Light of faith, so they may complete their work.

Our foundation, the matter we are made of is Malchut, the will to receive pleasure (desire). We have to use it as construction material for everything because we don’t have any other. If we receive power from our egoism, we build “structures” similar to the Tower of Babel or the cities of Pithom and Ramses. The buildings come out tall and beautiful, but in the end, they don’t please us because we find them empty.

That is how humanity has been constructing itself for centuries until today, when in the final stage of humanity’s historical development, we have come to realize that everything we have built doesn’t make us happy any longer. Yes, we have erected so much, but all of it is empty and lacks content and true fulfillment. Surrounded by our creations, we feel more desperate than ever before.

Hence, it turns out that we cannot bring joy to ourselves and our loved ones as we don’t take pleasure in our construction work any longer. Only a perfect house will bring us joy, when our home, our Kli, will be filled with the Light. How do we fill it? How do we illuminate our matter from within?

The house must let the Light illuminate it. We build it from the will to feel pleasure, but it has to be home to sanctity, a Temple. Sanctity is Bina, the Light, bestowal; and the house is the Kli, the vessel. The vessel must be fit for the Light to come to it, meaning that it needs to have the intention to bestow.

How do I accomplish that? To bring light into a house, we cut windows in it. “Windows” are cavities, empty desires. In the walls of our matter, we make holes of desires similar to Bina, bestowal, openness, and the Light can come into us. Hence, walls and windows must match each other precisely so that our house built from the will to receive pleasure would be “equipped” with the intention to bestow. And then, it will be filled with the Light.

If we wish to feel and bring joy while building our house, we must design it so that its form will match the property of Bina. We include the attribute of mercy into judgment, meaning that we make the openings in the walls to let the Light come in through them.

These niches look as flaws to us at first. Rabash gave the following example: A father brings his son to the tailor to get a suit made for him, and the son sees how the tailor starts cutting a roll of expensive fabric with scissors. He feels that the fabric is ruined, but the father explains: “It’s alright; he will make you a suit that will fit well on you.”

In other words, this fabric at the moment is nothing but material that will acquire a shape that will fit you. But the child doesn’t understand. In his opinion, the cuts and the holes in the fabric look like damage. In reality, thanks to this “damage,” we will later give the right shape to it, and the Light will dress in it. Keeping that in mind, we are willing to be patient and even thank the Master for what He is doing!

In our daily work, we discover such new “flaws.” And from them, as from the bricks, we erect a structure, including the walls and the openings for the Light to come through.

When Bina makes a hole in the wall, Malchut feels that the house is damaged. But in truth, it is the opposite approach, a totally new attribute, which isn’t designed to fortify Malchut. Having realized that including mercy into judgment creates equivalence to the Creator in us, we will see the benefit of refusing to hear Malchut’s complaints. When Bina rules over it, all of the house walls can become windows, or acquire the property of Bina.

Such house will be filled with the Light top to bottom. Its material, Malchut, will be purified by Bina’s attribute completely, and there will be no more hollows in it. Without disturbing one another, Malchut and Bina will act as one whole.
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From the 1st part of the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 11/19/10, “Make them Happy with a Complete Building”

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Question: How do we acquire the ability to advance “above reason”?

Answer: “Above reason” is above our “matter,” the will to enjoy; in other words, “above reason” is inside the quality of bestowal. We are unable to rise above our egoism ourselves. This is possible only with the help of the Upper Light, Ohr Makif.

“Reason” means my desire. Inside of my desire I am able to feel, see, and make calculations depending on the probable benefit or harm, or on whether it’s worthwhile for me to use a certain desire or not. As a result of these calculations I reach certain conclusions and then realize my desires. I do not have any problem in this regard. That is how I live in this world.

I am certain about part of these calculations and I have doubts about another part of them. In our earthly sciences we also use the theory of probability whenever we do not have reliable information. However, in any case we have something we can rely on.

On the other hand, “faith above reason” or “above knowledge” is when I don’t have any instruments or means of perceiving. In addition, I don’t even know what “higher” is. If it were simply opposite to reason, then I might be able to calculate how I should act according to my reason and then I would act exactly in the opposite manner. Yet, this would also be a rational calculation.

However, I don’t have the slightest idea of what “faith above reason” is; I don’t know what reason it follows, what sensation and calculation it entails, and in relation to what. It is a certain approach, tendency, or paradigm that does not exist inside me.

Therefore, only the Light can come and give us this approach because “above reason” means “for the sake of bestowal,” meaning not according to the calculation inside the Kli, the desire to enjoy. But if it’s not inside the desire, then I don’t know what it is. How can I find out? I don’t know. And inside what desire?

Kabbalists say: If you start to perceive the desire of your neighbor as your own, if you can make a calculation in relation to his desire, one that is for his good, then that will be above your current knowledge. However, to do that I have to receive super powers that I don’t have. If I receive them, I will be able to go “above reason.” However, for now you cannot jump higher than yourself.

Only the Light that created us can change us. Therefore we have to use the “miraculous means” (Segulot) and perform various actions that awaken the Light so it will influence us. That is how our success will be measured. The mind and the sensations that you accumulate inside your desire to enjoy for now are unable to help you. They can only help you in the opposite form. If you make a daily assessment of what you have attained in spirituality, you will see that in reality you haven’t attained anything even though you put in many efforts.

And the same thing will happen tomorrow. On the day after that, you will get confused in addition. Another day later you will suddenly feel confident that you have become smart. And so on. Every day you add more negative phenomena due to the fact that you reside inside the desire to enjoy for your own sake and you think that only the Light can help you, but it does not come and does not help you.

So what should you do? Start waging war against reason, as it is written about the Egyptian exile.
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From the 1st part of the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 11/25/10, The Zohar

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