We have a problem with perceiving The Book of Zohar because even though Rashbi wrote it for our times, he did so from the height of his soul and used an ancient style from 2000 years ago. Obviously, this book does not suit us in this form because we are at the end of the final exile, absolutely detached from the spiritual world. Therefore, we don’t know how to open up this book and how to use it to work on ourselves.

That is why Baal HaSulam created a "ladder" (Sulam) for us, so we can rise along it to the height of The Book of Zohar. This ladder is built so that there is commentary for every excerpt of The Book of Zohar. And it doesn’t matter how much of this book we understand! The truth is that we don’t understand the commentary or the book itself. Nevertheless, the commentary creates a connection between me and the original text of The Zohar.

The same happens on every degree. As we ascend along the degrees, we enter The Book of Zohar through the Sulam Commentary. Without this commentary it would be impossible to connect to The Book of Zohar.

The Sulam is not necessary in order to understand, but for us to attain inner unity. Even if I don’t understand the Sulam Commentary or The Book of Zohar, but I use them and connect to the source, The Zohar starts to influence me.

At first the Sulam is necessary in order to connect us to the Light that Reforms. Without this we would have no possibility of using this marvelous means.

As I read, I am influenced by the Light through the reading, the study, and the group, and the Light awakens new qualities in me. These new qualities enable me to really establish contact with The Book of Zohar and to start to feel what happens there, what is written there. Only then can we speak about understanding The Zohar.

From the 4^th part of the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 9/16/10, Yahrtzeit Baal HaSulam

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Yom Kippur, the Day Of Atonement, is a state when the Kli (desire) that we need to correct is revealed. Rabash writes in many articles that a person comes to the Day Of Atonement according to his inner state, which can be revealed without any connection to the onset of the holiday according to the calendar.

Each of us goes through these states in our development, including ascents called Rosh HaShana (the New Year), Yom Kippur (the Day Of Atonement) and others. Yom Kippur is a very elevated state. A great Light has to influence us in order to reveal this degree in us and a whole sequence of actions is required. A person must exert great effort within the group, in our unification, where the breaking once occurred. The place of the breaking is given to us so that we can correct it. Then we will understand what is called correction, what the structure of this place is, and how the Upper Force created and continues to support it. As a result, we discover the Creator.

In order to achieve this, we exert effort according to the main rule of the Torah: “Love your neighbor as yourself.” As Kabbalists advise us, we first actualize it in one or several small groups rather than in all of humanity, since that would be impossible. By trying to realize this rule in the unification between us according to the method of Kabbalists, we go from love for the created beings to love for the Creator and discover to what extent we are not in the quality of love and bestowal.

We are not talking about life in this world and how good or bad we feel. We do not check good and evil according to this, nor do we arrive at The Day Of Atonement in this manner. Only by being in a group, aspiring toward the connection between us, and awakening the Light that Reforms, do I come to see how consumed I am by hatred and rejection with regard to my friends, who are trying to unite in order to reveal the Creator within the group.

I reveal the force of the separation, the force of the breaking in me, and only in regard to this force can I say that I have revealed evil. Then, with this evil, I can come to the Creator and demand correction from Him. The Day Of Atonement then becomes a day of joy because I reveal the ailment of egoism, my own nature that needs to be corrected. I reveal the condition, “I created egoism,” and now I can ask the Creator for the Torah, which is the force to correct it. It is written, “I created egoism and I created the Torah for its correction because the Light in it returns one to the Source” (to the Creator).

First we have to work very hard on the unification between us, and then the Upper Light shines upon us from the level of ELUL (which stands for “I am my Beloved’s and my Beloved is mine”). Then we reach Rosh Hashanah, a state where we desire a new beginning, new changes on the path, unity between us, the birth of a new system or a new human being (Adam) in us. And only after going through all of this do we reach a state where we check all ten of our qualities. On the 10th day after the New Year, which marked the beginning of the new path, we come to the Day Of Atonement.

At that point, on one hand we are truly in a state of complete despair and lack of strength, and on the other hand we experience great joy because we can now finally cry out to the Creator asking Him to help us with the complete confidence that He will help us. We have this confidence because we have already checked ourselves and reached the realization that we all dwell only in evil, unable to do anything about it. But now, by virtue of the connection between us, we have the confidence that the Creator is helping us and is just waiting for this very moment.

Baal HaSulam writes that “There is no happier moment in a person’s life than when he discovers how absolutely powerless he is and loses faith in his own strength since he exerted all the possible efforts that he was able to, but reached nothing. This is because precisely at this moment, during this state, he is ready for a complete and clear prayer to the Creator!” This moment is called the Day Of Atonement. From this moment on, a person can be sure that he will receive the Light of Correction.

From the 4^th part of the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 9/15/2010, “Yom Kippur”

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“Repentance” means that I felt that I have sinned, but was still unable to proceed by the correct path. I didn’t ask the Creator for the strength to rise above pleasant or unpleasant sensations and to always relate to Him as to the One who does good. I couldn’t bear this and descended.

Now, in order to ascend again, I need the “awakening from below” and the “awakening from Above.” For this purpose, a special stimulation comes during particular periods of time called holidays such as the month of ELUL, which is an abbreviation for “I am for my beloved, and my beloved is mine.” This stimulation leads to new decisions, sensations, and impressions.

And then I ask for correction of the sins that did not allow me to achieve goodness, rise, request the force of faith, and advance spiritually. Instead, they led me to a descent which, of course, was planned by the Creator. Is it necessary for me to constantly stumble and fall? Yes, it is. There is no other way. As it is written, “The righteous will fall a thousand times and rise again.”

The sensation of a sin, even for the second time, is still insufficient in order to advance and feel it in all of its depth. The first time, I merely feel how the Light barely touches the vessel and creates a desire in me. The second time, I am shown the screen against my desire to enjoy. When I sin for the third time, I begin to reveal the attitude to the Creator above the desires.

Therefore, there is no other choice: Everyone must become the complete wicked. Otherwise, it is impossible to be corrected and become the complete righteous. Only impurity turns into sanctity. However, it is only possible to become wicked if one has an aspiration to become righteous.

From the 1st part of the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 9/14/10, “Preparation for the Reception of Torah”

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In a few days we will observe a special day called Yom Kippur (Day of Atonement). However, no one knows what inner state a Kabbalist will feel on that day and when the state called “Day of Atonement” will happen for him. One’s inner states do not occur according to the calendar.

The states that any person goes through can be personal or general. On the general level, people follow the common traditions of each holiday. When a group of Kabbalists reaches unity and through it achieves a certain internal state called a “holiday,” that state will not be related to the general holiday observed by all people. The inner holiday happens in accordance with one’s personal, internal state, whereas a general holiday takes place according to the calendar. Traditions and customs, as well as every single “specific” day, have a higher spiritual root. Therefore, a Kabbalist also wishes to follow the tradition together with others, as it is written: “The Creator stays with His people.” However, at the same time, a Kabbalist also remains in his own personal internal state.

Religious people follow customs and traditions, whereas Kabbalists perform inner actions in their souls by connecting to other souls into one common soul of Adam. By doing so, they please the Creator and correct themselves. Correction is possible only by way of uniting with others, as it is written: “Love thy neighbor as thyself, this is the great law of the Torah.”

People all over the world pray to the Creator (each of them addressing their Lord) and request “forgiveness.” But maybe it is worth explaining to them that repentance works only in respect to “love thy neighbor” and depends on whether you are “for it” or “against it.” We can figure out whether we sinned or not only by comparing ourselves to this rule. This is the only law we have to follow, as it is written: “Love thy neighbor as thyself is the main rule of the Torah.”

If the whole of humankind would virtually get together in order to clarify what is “love thy neighbor,” how powerfully the Creator demands it from us, and how far we still are from this state, that would be a real Day of Atonement (Yom Kippur) and it would lead us to Purim (in Hebrew “Kippur” means “as Purim”), the complete correction.

When people pray for forgiveness, it is very important for them to know what to ask for. We weep and beg for so many years, but it doesn’t help. The Creator cannot hear our prayers in this form. That’s because this kind of appeal is opposite to the correct cry: We are not begging to feel love for our neighbors, and the Creator doesn’t listen to any other requests. Thus, we turn our back to the One who can redeem us and scream in the opposite direction. This is what most people’s Day of Atonement is like.

From the 4^th part of the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 9/14/10, “Preparation for Slichot“

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Rabash described the entire spiritual path that lies before us and explained what we have to do to ourselves in order to receive the Light that Corrects and Fulfills us. There is no other Kabbalist in history who did the likes of this for the sake of the Creator’s attainment. But of course, this became possible because he was the right person at the right time.

It is impossible to even imagine how we could advance without the detailed instruction manual we received from him. Without his explanations we would not be able to actualize the method of Baal HaSulam. Now, when we are nearing the practical realization of this method more and more, we are gaining a better understanding of how much we need the detailed explanations of Rabash.

There are thousands of Kabbalah books of tremendous height, but none of them can be used practically in our time. The same is true for the Torah: It can only be understood by a person who already attains spirituality. However, the only thing that can help a person who desires to enter the spiritual world are the compositions of Rabash.

From the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 9/12/10, “What is the Difference in the Creator’s Work Between the Collective and the Particular ”

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Klipat Noga is a state of “half good/half evil,” and it’s a very fragile and stressful state. It is as though a person is standing on the edge between performing a grave crime or, on the contrary, a very good deed should he receive help. However, he swings back and forth unable to lean one way or the other. It’s as though he is split in two without the strength to perform a final choice, not knowing on which side of the scale to place a final, determining grain.

On one hand, he is unable to reject his ego which is the enormous desire to enjoy and his entire egoistic “possession.” On the other, he understands that if he does not free himself from it now with help from Above, he won’t be able to pass to the other side and enter the spiritual world. In this manner, he stands on the threshold not knowing on which side to step. He is like a knight at a crossroads. This is a state where one needs to make a choice.

Here, only the group, only the Upper Light can help a person finally make up his mind and pass himself over to the hands of the Upper One, transitioning to bestowal through faith above reason. The prayer here is not about help since this would mean that a person has already made a decision. The prayer is about the state in which he is unable to choose. This state is the beginning of the year or the beginning of a new change.

On one hand, we feel that we are wicked, and on the other, we lack the strength to reject all these egoistic qualities and states. We are unable to imagine how it is possible to live without them or how to make a step in order to rise above it. Only the Upper Light that comes to us during this state helps us make a choice and elevates us to faith above reason (bestowal over reception). It is then that the New Year begins for us, and this is called “a good record in the Book of Life.”

The Upper Light, the Creator, puts His signature in the book of life for us and guarantees to a person that from now on that person will proceed by the good path. Before this, one should do all that is in his power to bring himself to this choice. The direct translation of a “New Year (Rosh Hashanah)” is a “beginning of changes” or a “head of changes.” They need to occur often for us and always be for the better: toward the Creator who is “good and does good.”

From the 1st part of the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 9/8/10, “Letter 67”

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When we choose the quality of bestowal, “the ugly beauty” (as it appears to our egoism, a state called Tshuva Mi Iria), then after living with her for a while we start to experience the state of love (the 15^th of Av), reception for the sake of bestowal (Tshuva Mi Ahava). We have just completed the Mega Congress where by virtue of our efforts we revealed the “bride,” who is beautiful for attaining the Creator yet ugly to our egoism.

However, just as it often happens in life, now that the “wedding” is over we are revealing problems since egoism is always growing and changing. It is becoming apparent that you married an ugly and quarrelsome woman who is not satisfied with anything you give her. However, in reality she is demanding bestowal; but since you are being influenced by egoism, you are losing inspiration and desire to fulfill your egoism.

You will have to work by “faith above reason” (in bestowal against egoism) in order to understand that in reality it is precisely the selfless desire to bestow that is beautiful, wealthy, and dignified. It possesses all the good qualities, only you don’t see that!

Let’s hope that we will go through this new phase of egoism’s growth and attain correction. Then, instead of seeing the “poor and ugly” Malchut, we will see all of her beauty, which will be revealed in the quality of bestowal. This state is called “the day of love” (the 15^th of Av).
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From the 1^st part of the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 7/26/10, “15^th of Av”

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Unity Evening for Shavuot “All of Us Together Building A Spiritual Environment”
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There is no holiday greater than the holiday of receiving the Torah. If not for the Torah, we would be confined to leading an animalistic existence for as long as the Earth goes ’round.

Yet, we have received the opportunity to use the Upper Force and with its help, to enter the Upper Dimension, where we continue our existence and life in the spiritual dimension. We can go smoothly from our world and this reality that we now feel, to a new state, a different world or dimension that is in no way connected to the planet Earth and this universe. We can reveal our existence in an eternal and perfect form, complete harmony, without the limitations of the material world.

With the help of the Upper Force, we can reveal the passageway from our world and this flawed life, to a perfect existence. The means of making the transition from our dimension to the upper one is called “Torah.” This is a special force that gradually changes us, leading us into a new state. To the degree we change, we smoothly make the shift to that state, until all of our “earthly” (egoistic) qualities change to spiritual, altruistic ones.

We then gain the opportunity to lead an eternal, perfect existence. Therefore, receiving this opportunity is the most important event of our life, a true holiday!

From the 3rd part of the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 5/17/10, “What is the Preparation for Receiving the Torah”

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Lag Ba’Omer (the 33rd day of the Omer) is a special day, when the Light starts to enter Malchut from the Upper Sefirot. The Light comes to us from Infinity, passing through the World of Adam Kadmon, then the World of Atzilut, then through Partzufim Atik, Arich Anpin, Aba ve Ima, and Zeir Anpin, until it reaches the souls.

Zeir Anpin contains seven Sefirot, each of which contains seven Sefirot. Altogether, 7×7=49. Malchut is the 50th Sefira. That is how we count the days of the Omer, the entrance of the Light into Zeir Anpin, and on the 50th day, into Malchut. That is when our souls, which are included in Malchut, begin to receive the Light.

The unification (Zivug) of Zeir Anpin with Malchut takes place on the 50th day, but the Light enters Zeir Anpin completely on the 33rd day, when it enters Sefira Hod de Hod. Thus, there is Hesed, Gevura, Tifferet, and Netzah, with seven Sefirot inside each one of them. This adds up to 28, and there are five more Sefirot in Hod (Hesed, Gevura, Tifferet, Netzah, and Hod), which equals 33 (Lamed Gimel – Lag).

On this day we celebrate the entrance of the Light into Malchut of Zeir Anpin, meaning the Upper Light enters the system beneath which it already relates to the souls. If it reaches this place, then there’s no doubt that we will receive this Light. We begin to feel it and to prepare for its revelation.

The time from the 33rd day until the 50th day is already preparation. The Light continues to descend lower down and adapts itself for entering the souls. A person who is already in the spiritual world feels this preparation, which takes place before the reception of this special Upper Light, called Zohar.

That is why we celebrate this day. Rabbi Shimon left this world because he completed his mission. He no longer had anything to accomplish in this world because he passed the Upper Light through all the Sefirot down to Malchut de Zeir Anpin. With this, he completed his work.

Together with his students, he conducted the entire Light of Infinity through himself like through a special filter, preparing it to be received by our souls. This is the main work they accomplished. Now, when we look inside this book, even without understanding the words, with our desire we unite with the system they prepared for us, and through it we receive the Light.
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From the lecture in honor of Lag B’Omer 5/01/10

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