Michael Laitman, On Quora: “Why did Hanukkah start?“

To understand why Hanukkah started, we need to first understand that the Jewish holidays describe special stages in our spiritual development, and also, that the Torah in general only discusses our spiritual development.

As such, Hanukkah is hardly mentioned in the Torah because it is a state we reach in our spiritual development which is still void of the reception of the light of the Torah. Rather, it is a state of preparation for spiritual corrections—the application of an intention to bestow upon our desire to receive—toward the state where we receive the upper light.

In terms of spiritual development, Hanukkah is the first Jewish holiday.

It expresses our development to the first spiritual level, which is called “Bina,” or “giving for the sake of giving,” a pure intention to give and bestow above the human ego that constantly wants to receive for personal benefit alone.

Achieving this state is possible if we surround ourselves with like-minded individuals who share a common spiritual aspiration, and who support and encourage each other to prioritize spiritual qualities of love, giving, bestowal and unity above our inborn egoistic reason, which constantly calculates in the opposite direction, i.e., how we can personally benefit from others.

Hanukkah is the initial level of unification we achieve by attaining a common intention to bestow above our egoistic desires. The word “Hanukkah” comes from two words, “Hanu Koh” (“park here”). It acts as the first pit stop of achieving the spiritual quality of bestowal above our corporeal egoism on our spiritual path to the attainment of greater and greater spiritual qualities upon the ego that also constantly grows.

By achieving the spiritual quality of bestowal and unity above our egoism, we gain the awareness that this is the way to attain the full revelation of the Creator—not just by applying an intention to bestow above our egoistic desire to receive, but that our desire acquires the nature of bestowal, and our reception of pleasure equates to our giving of pleasure.

This describes a very advanced spiritual state, which is called “reception for the sake of bestowal,” the reception of the spiritual light in order to give that light, through which we reveal the Creator via our equivalence of qualities, and enter into a mutual connection and dialog.

For the time being, we can focus on a target that is closer to us: that if we have a spiritual aspiration, we should seek a society of like-minded individuals with a common goal, and then in such a society, develop a new sense of bestowal and unification—”giving for the sake of giving”—above our inborn egoism, and by doing so, we will discover the state called “Hanukkah,” the first pit stop on the spiritual path.

Therefore, Hanukkah is our initial exit from a world of darkness—living in the confines of our narrow egoistic self-aimed interests—to a world of light—a world where the spiritual quality of bestowal and unification shines between us, in our common aspiration to unite above our ego.

Hanukkah is thus named “the festival of light.” It marks the start of our discovery of our spiritual state, how our soul lives and breathes according to qualities of bestowal that unify us all. It signifies the first spiritual correction of our desire: the transformation of our egoistic intention to receive for personal benefit alone to an altruistic intention to bestow and positively connect to others. This transformation is called “the Hanukkah miracle,” because of how we rise to a state opposite our inborn egoistic nature, which is all we know in our world, and which can only be conducted with help from a spiritual force that is outside our nature.

From this initial spiritual correction, we can continue our path of spiritual corrections, and advance to a state of full similarity with the spiritual quality of bestowal.

The custom of lighting candles on Hanukkah symbolizes these spiritual corrections that we carry out in our souls on the spiritual path.

The Greeks in the Hanukkah story are the egoistic reasons that calculate “What will I get out of it?” when confronted with an environment that encourages exiting our egos in order to give, bestow and unite with others. In other words, the Greeks symbolize egoistic desires to receive that awaken when we set ourselves up to rise to the first spiritual level of bestowal and unity.

On the contrary, the Maccabees in the Hanukkah story are the intentions to bestow, which require powerful unity in order to counter the war of the Greeks, i.e., to counter the egoistic reasoning that rejects the spiritual qualities of giving and uniting. The war between the Greeks and the Maccabees thus has nothing to do with nationalities, as it is an inner war between two opposed qualities of giving and receiving, or spirituality and corporeality.

Therefore, it is my hope that we will reach the understanding of how Hanukkah and the other Jewish holidays discuss spiritual corrections, our rising in unity above our inborn egoism. The more that we succeed in understanding, applying and spreading this awareness, the more we will see a positive human society blossom with harmonious connections of love and bestowal between people replacing the current egoistic and destructive ones.

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Hanukkah is the first holiday we celebrate in our spiritual development. The entire Torah speaks only about the spiritual development of man, and in fact, Hanukkah is barely mentioned there because this state has not yet reached the reception of the upper light. It is just a preparation for corrections.

Hanukkah is the development of man to the level of Bina, the first spiritual stage, bestowal for the sake of bestowal. And we want to come to this through our connection in the group, above our egoism, the desire to receive pleasure, above mutual rejection, and all the obstacles that prevent us from achieving unity.

The first stage of unity is called Hanukkah, “parking.” When we reach it, gain the power of bestowal, then we understand that this is a means to begin to comprehend the Creator after this step, no longer just through the intention to bestow, but through the act of bestowal, the realization of this intention in practice, in our desire.

This will already be reception for the sake of bestowal, the practical reception of the upper light for the sake of bestowal, which makes us similar to the Creator and opens our dialogue with the upper force: “I am my Beloved’s and my Beloved is mine.”

However, this will happen only later, and for now, we must acquire the intention to bestow on all our desires, that is, to achieve bestowal for the sake of bestowal, which is symbolized by Hanukkah, “parking” on the path to correction.

Hanukkah is a way out of darkness. After all, we do not see the spiritual world, the true reality; we live in complete darkness, locked inside our egoism. And if we want to correct these desires into bestowal, then we go to the light of bestowal. Therefore, Hanukkah is called the festival of light. We begin to open our soul and learn to use it correctly, light the light of mercy, Hassadim, within the soul.

If a person’s desire is corrected, if the power of bestowal is acquired, the light of Hassadim, then after the holiday of Hanukkah one can already begin to use it for receiving for the sake of bestowal, filling the soul with the upper light NRNHY and becoming like the Creator.

Hanukkah is a transition from darkness, from the desire to enjoy, to the light, the desire to bestow, and that is why it is called the festival of light. The tradition of lighting candles on Hanukkah in our world symbolizes the inner spiritual corrections that need to be made in your soul.

The enjoyment of bestowal for the sake of bestowal is that we rise above our egoistic desire. The miracle of Hanukkah lies in the fact that we ascend to the level opposite to the desire to receive pleasure: from Malchut to Bina.

Desires to receive pleasure within a person that resist spirituality are called Greeks. There is seemingly a war between the Greeks and Israel, but of course, this does not refer to countries of this world but only to spiritual concepts.

The Greeks are the desires to enjoy within each of us, the Maccabees are the intentions for bestowal, and the war is between those who want to act for themselves and those who call for bestowal. Such a confrontation occurs within each person.
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From the Daily Kabbalah Lesson lesson 12/10/20, “Hanukkah”

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Michael Laitman, On Quora: “What is Chanukah?“

Chanukah (also spelled “Hanukkah,” Heb. “חנוכה”) signifies the beginning of our feeling the unified force of nature. It marks the initial penetration through the boundary between this world and the spiritual world.

The Hanukkah concepts and customs link to the crossing of this boundary between egoistic and altruistic perception, which requires rising above our inborn desires that prioritize self-benefit over benefiting others.

The Maccabees-Greeks war unfolds internally, within us, between our ego’s reasoning (the Greeks) and the tendency to unite by drawing the force of nature into our connections (the Maccabees).

But how can we possibly cross the boundary of our very human nature, which defines us as the egoistic beings we are?

In addition, our desires to unite, to love and to care about others is tiny compared to the ego, which constantly pressures us to enjoy at the expense of others.

It is on this dilemma that the miracle of Hanukkah comes into play.

Our persistence to unite above our desires for personal benefit attracts nature’s force of love, bestowal and connection, which is also called “light” in the wisdom of Kabbalah.

Even though we have comparatively very small desires to unite, to love and to care about others compared to our self-aimed desires, i.e., materialistic pursuits for money, honor, respect, power, control, fame and knowledge, by creating a social atmosphere that supports and encourages us all to rise above our self-aimed desires, then we direct ourselves to unite above our egos.

Eventually, by participating in such a society that values uniting, loving and caring each other above our innate desires to enjoy personally at others’ expense, we then end up feeling incapable of rising above our ego, since it our very human nature. In the Hanukkah story, this is considered as the Maccabees feeling incapable of defeating the Greeks.

At that crucial juncture, a miraculous light appears—the unifying force of love, bestowal and connection that dwells in nature, which gives us the energy we need in order to overcome our egoistic desires with a unifying, loving and giving tendency. That is the meaning of the Maccabees winning the war against the Greeks.

We prosper when we, on one hand, feel a necessity to win the war, but on the other hand, find ourselves out of options and in despair, i.e., under the attack of the Greeks. While under attack, we feel like we need to keep fighting with all everything we have, however with no success in sight. In any case, due to sensing a responsibility to win the war, we do not throw in the towel, because it would be like agreeing to be locked away in the ego’s solitary confinement.

At that point, the miracle happens—the illumination of the light of unity, love and bestowal. It charges us with its omnipresent energy, and we win the war.

The Hanukkah war is internal, taking place on the boundary between egoistic desires versus those of unity, love and bestowal. Our egoistic desires and thoughts are what filters our perception of the boundless force of love and bestowal surrounding and permeating us, and we revel in the revelation of this force when we win the battle for unification above our egoistic desires.

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My article in Newsmax: “Hanukkah Offers Timely Reminder of Need for Unity”

On Hanukkah, which begins tonight, Jews celebrate their victory over the Seleucid Empire, which attempted to entrench the Hellenistic culture and belief system among the Jews in the land of Israel. This is the going narrative. However, this epos is not quite what happened.

Although everyone knows that the Maccabean Revolt, whose victory we celebrate on Hanukkah, was a civil war between the Hasmonean family and their adherents against Hellenistic Jews, we conveniently tell ourselves that we fought against the Greeks (the Seleucid Empire practiced and promoted the Greek culture of Hellenism). The Seleucids joined the war on the side of the Hellenists only toward the end, but for much of the war, it was Jews against Jews.

The war among the Jews stands for much more than a struggle for power; it is a clash of ideals, of paradigms, of perceptions, of reality. Judah Maccabee, the third son in the Hasmonean family, was the commander of the rebels against the Hellenists, but his whole family participated in key positions. The Hasmoneans were staunch believers in the ancient Jewish tenet of solidarity and mutual responsibility being the foundation of the nation. They believed that it was the role of the Jews to practice ”Love your neighbor as yourself” and be ”a light unto nations” by setting an example of unity above differences. Contrary to that, the Hellenists championed the Greek culture of worship of the self. The Hellenists put the ego at the center; the Hasmoneans put serving the community at the center of their wishes.

The struggle was not an internal Jewish squabble, but a fight over the vocation of the Jewish people — to save the world through its example. If the Jews relinquish their commitment to unity, then what is the purpose of the existence of Judaism altogether? Worse yet, if there are no Jews to unite and set an example, how will the world find unity?

The Hasmoneans believed wholeheartedly in the prophecy of Isaiah 42:6, ”And I will appoint you as a covenant to the people, as a light unto nations,” and the words of King Solomon (Prov. 10:12), ”Hate stirs strife, and love will cover all crimes.” They saw it as their vocation to illustrate how love can be more important to people than hate, how they can rise above it in unity and peace.

The Hellenists, who tried to ingrain the opposite approach, that the ego is king and we should serve ourselves, were therefore not only their worst enemies, but as they saw it, the enemies of humanity. The Hasmoneans did not expect the Seleucids to adopt their faith and principles, but also they would not allow their culture to be overrun by the Greek culture, since then there would be no one to perpetuate the mission that the Jews were given at the foot of Mt. Sinai, to unite ”as one man with one heart” and thereby be ”a light unto nations.”

The Hasmoneans won the war and reinstalled their culture, and to this day, we celebrate their victory. However, their victory was short-lived. Hellenism, they learned, was not an external enemy, but a wily serpent lurking within. Soon after their victory, they, too, began to lose their moral standing and their sons became increasingly corrupt.

In the end, the Hellenistic culture took over the entire land of Israel as the Romans, whose culture derived from the Greeks, conquered the land and exiled the Jews for two millennia. In fact, even today, although Jews are purportedly the sovereign in Israel once more, the culture of the land is still Hellenism, and there is no trace of mutual responsibility or solidarity. If the people of Israel remain this way, they will lose the land once more since there is no need for them if not for the purpose of the creation: to be a light of unity to the nations.

Israel does not need the patronage of any country. Its strength lies not in its army or economy, but in its unity. If it lacks unity, the backing of powers will sustain it only for so long. But if the people unite, they will not need anyone’s protection since they will have no enemies.

Today, no commodity is more required than unity, yet no commodity is more scarce. Its sole producers are the people of Israel, and they are busy fighting among themselves both in Israel and around the world. As the world looks desperately for solutions to its escalating conflicts, it will turn its eyes to the Jews and ask, ”Why are you making us fight?”

Then, if the Jews do not remember their covenant, to be a light unto nations, they will be crushed once more. But if they do unite, they will shine the light of unity throughout the world, and all of humanity will celebrate the victory of the Maccabees, the joy of solidarity, over the Greeks, the reign of egoism.
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My new article on Linkedin “Is Hanukkah a Jewish Holiday?”

On Hanukkah, which will begin this coming Thursday, Jews celebrate their victory over the Seleucid Empire, which attempted to entrench the Hellenistic culture and belief system among the Jews in the land of Israel. This is the going narrative. However, this epos is not quite what happened. Although everyone knows that the Maccabean War, whose victory we celebrate on Hanukkah, was a civil war between the Hasmonean family and their adherents against Hellenistic Jews, we conveniently tell ourselves that we fought against the Greeks (the Seleucid Empire practiced and promoted the Greek culture of Hellenism). The Seleucids joined the war on the side of the Hellenists only toward the end, but for much of the war, it was Jews against Jews.

The war among the Jews stands for much more than a struggle for power; it is a clash of ideals, of paradigms, of perceptions of reality. Judah Maccabee, the third son in the Hasmonean family, was the commander of the rebels against the Hellenists, but his whole family participated in key positions.

The struggle was not an internal Jewish squabble, but a fight over the vocation of the Jewish people—to save the world through its example. If the Jews relinquish their commitment to unity, then what is the purpose of the existence of Judaism altogether? Worse yet, if there are no Jews to unite and set an example, how will the world find unity? The Hasmoneans believed wholeheartedly in the prophecy of Isaiah (42:6), “And I will appoint you as a covenant to the people, as a light unto nations,” and the words of King Solomon (Prov. 10:12), “Hate stirs strife, and love will cover all crimes.” They saw it as their vocation to illustrate how love can be more important to people than hate, how they can rise above it in unity and peace. The Hellenists, who tried to ingrain the opposite approach, that the ego is king and we should serve ourselves, were therefore not only their worst enemies, but as they saw it, the enemies of humanity. The Hasmoneans did not expect the Seleucids to adopt their faith and principles, but they would also not allow their culture to be overrun by the Greek culture, since then there would be no one to perpetuate the mission that the Jews were given at the foot of Mt. Sinai, to unite “as one man with one heart” and thereby be “a light unto nations.”

The Hasmoneans won the war and reinstalled their culture, and to this day, we celebrate their victory. However, their victory was short lived. Hellenism, they learned, was not an external enemy, but a wily serpent lurking within. Soon after their victory, they, too, began to lose their moral standing and their sons became increasingly corrupt.

In the end, the Hellenistic culture took over the entire land of Israel as the Romans, whose culture derived from the Greeks, conquered the land and exiled the Jews for two millennia. In fact, even today, although Jews are purportedly the sovereign in Israel once more, the culture of the land is still Hellenism, and there is no trace of mutual responsibility or solidarity. If the people of Israel remain this way, they will lose the land once more since there is no need for them if not for the purpose of the creation: to be a light of unity to the nations.

Israel does not need the patronage of any country. Its strength lies not in its army or economy, but in its unity. If it lacks unity, the backing of powers will sustain it only for so long. But if the people unite, they will not need anyone’s protection since they will have no enemies.

Today, no commodity is more required than unity, yet no commodity is more scarce. Its sole producers are the people of Israel, and they are busy fighting among themselves both in Israel and around the world. As the world looks desperately for solutions to its escalating conflicts, it will turn its eyes to the Jews and ask, “Why are you making us fight?” Then, if the Jews do not remember their covenant, to be a light unto nations, they will be crushed once more. But if they do unite, they will shine the light of unity throughout the world, and all of humanity will celebrate the victory of the Maccabees, the joy of solidarity, over the Greeks, the reign of egoism.
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Joseph is called the righteous; a righteous is the foundation of the world. It is Joseph who carries man through his egoism and establishes his connection with Pharaoh. And then, with the help of Joseph, man connects with higher properties, with Moses.

Through Joseph we start to get acquainted with the upper system; thanks to him we can unite and try to discover spiritual qualities so that we get closer to the upper force and attain the Creator. Every spiritual attribute is perceived through Joseph, through the Sefira Yesod, through our connection.

Joseph is the righteous, the foundation of the world because only through connection, through Yesod do we attain all other upper spiritual qualities. Joseph in our work is the most necessary and closest feeling to us: connection in a group. Through the point of oneness, we begin to recognize the quality of Joseph.

The Torah tells how the brothers sold Joseph into slavery. They do not understand this property yet because they are higher than him and are not yet familiar with the quality called Joseph. They consider Joseph a younger brother and don’t want him to stand out.

The main thing about Joseph is that he leads us to unification. Joseph does not have his own individual qualities; he combines all other qualities in his striving for connection, and through him, to the Creator. Joseph is a common property in which all the other brothers are included and is revealed thanks to the growing desire to receive, that is, the Pharaoh.

And so, from the quality of Joseph, from Yesod, comes sustenance, the force of life, and the power of attainment. The revelation of Pharaoh also occurs through Joseph. At the beginning of the slavery in Egypt, the Pharaoh was kind and it did not feel like slavery at all. On the contrary, we developed, and all this with the help of Joseph. Joseph is the beginning of the revelation of good and evil in all our lives, and therefore, he is closest to us.

The quality of Joseph is realized through our connection. This is why it is called “Everyone,” combining all the properties in himself and connecting us with the Creator through them. Attaining Joseph is attaining the connection, the essence of our connection. This is the first step that takes us out of this world and leads to the attainment of the Creator, the upper spiritual world.

Joseph is like a tree that brings us all the fruits of life to us. It is the connection with the upper root from which all the good flows into the world. We eat from it, live thanks to it, reproduce, and multiply. It is the place where we connect with each other and with the Creator; that is, the place where we leave the feeling of this material world and enter the spiritual world. All this is done through the quality of Joseph, the closest degree to us.

It is known that in order to move even one step forward, we need to connect in the ten. Yosef is called “Everyone” because he combines all our properties together. Each of the ten people has their own different qualities, but if we rise above ourselves, we can be together. If we rise above our egoistic differences, each of us above their egoism, then we become similar, equal, and can connect to fulfill each other.

This is understood as one attains the Sefira Yesod, which is called “Everything.” When we rise above our egoism and come to faith above reason, to unity in the ten, we create a new spiritual quality that is common to all, called the Creator. It is born out of the bond between us as it is said: “As though you have made me!”

It turns out that by our union, we created the Creator; this is how He reveals Himself to us. The first contact with the Creator, with the upper force, the upper world, occurs through the quality of Yesod.

Distinguished guests, Ushpizin, who come into the Sukkah, organize the right environment for us. And Joseph is the last in this chain as if standing for Malchut.
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From the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 10/8/20, “Sukkot“

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The Torah does not really distinguish Aaron. He accompanies Moses all the time as if hiding in his shadow. Moses acts as a connector between the Creator and the people, and Aaron stands beside him as his assistant and brother.

The role of Aaron is not very clear from the story. But exactly because it is not understood, it is apparently more hidden. It means it is closer to a person, to you and me in relation to our work.

Aaron prepares the vessels, the connection of people with the Creator. Moses comes from above, and Aaron comes from below, from the people, from all the properties of a person, the entire group, the ten in relation to the Creator. And therefore, the role of Aaron does not stand out so much because one must add his work to it. Moses acts as the representative of the Creator before the people, and Aaron is the representative of the people before the Creator.

If I am under the rule of the Creator and there is none else besides Him, then I must always be content in any state. And if I am dissatisfied with something, then it means that I am separated from the Creator. Therefore, I need to return to the connection with Him, and a sign that I have this connection will be my joy in any state, whatever it is.

The quality of Aaron is the most important quality in a person. The qualities of Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and Moses are just preparation from above. And the quality of Aaron is our work from below, which we realize when we achieve faith above reason, that is, mercy (Hesed), which is above all, bestowal, which is above any desire to receive pleasure.

To study the qualities of Aaron means to accept him as a guest in our Sukkah. We want his property to build our soul, the right connection between us. To clothe the Hesed property on all of your inner properties called “the people of Israel” means to do the work of Aaron—to take over his property on yourself, on all your desires to receive pleasure.
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From the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 10/7/20, “Sukkot“

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The days of Sukkot represent the building of our soul one Sefira after another. The first three days are devoted to the first three qualities: Abraham, Isaac, Jacob—Hesed, Gevura, Tiferet (HGT). These are the first stages of the Creator’s work within the creation, and therefore they are called the forefathers.

And then we move on to the sons Moses, Aaron, Joseph, and David and complete the entire structure. Therefore, the Sukkah that is built is called the Sukkah of David.

Moses is the main character of the Torah, the main quality. It is he who receives the Torah and passes it on to the people of Israel and the forefathers are the upper system. This is why it is so important to understand the work of Moses within our soul and within the Kabbalistic group.

The main thing is to allow the upper force that has already built the first three qualities, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob to descend from HGT into our desire to enjoy NHY (Netzach, Hod, Yesod). And here all the work proceeds by faith above reason when I annul myself and wish for the Creator to control me and fill me, giving me everything that He has in the qualities of HGT—Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, meaning to bring it into my ten.

Therefore, Moses’s work consists of total annulment before the first three qualities of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob so then the qualities of HGT can be clothed into NHY. Moses is called a “faithful shepherd” because it is important for him to completely annul himself to what the Creator wants to realize through him, that is, with his help, with all the desire to enjoy, with all the people.

The Creator addresses the people through the qualities of Israel that are able to unite and strive for the Creator for the sake of bestowal and acquire His qualities, His form. And then these qualities become imprinted on all of humanity, on all of reality.

Moses’s work is in faith above reason because he is in the middle between the power of faith, the upper force of bestowal, and the lower force of reception. He is the very first of the Sefirot NHY where the upper force is clothed in the desire to enjoy, and therefore he stands in the middle between the Creator and the creation and plays such an important role in the Torah.

The entire Torah tells of the steps of Moses’s ascent. This is the most important practical action because it guides us through all the states and organizes the creations so we can acquire the form of the Creator. Moses’s task is to establish the correct connection between the Creator and the creation, and therefore the Torah is called by his name: The Torah Of Moses.

After all, the Torah is given for this purpose, so that we can gain faith above reason. The quality of Moses, faith, must always be above the desire to enjoy for us so that this desire takes on the form of Moses and begins to work in bestowal.

To imprint the qualities of the HGT within the Sefirot of NHY means to establish the power of the Creator within the creation. Let us do this in one desire and one heart, in a common connection. It is more important here than ever. This is already practical work in connection between us.

Moses was the greatest of all the prophets. A prophet is not a person but a special quality. A desire that is completely devoted to the Creator and takes on His form is called a prophet, i.e., it is the dressing of the Sefirot HGT in NHY.

This is why Moses is called a “faithful shepherd” because he shows us an example, takes care of us, and brings the quality of bestowal to us from above so that by revealing this quality inside us we could gradually build the form of the Creator within ourselves. The quality of Moses brings us to similarity with the Creator, to adhesion with Him.
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From the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 10/6/20, “Sukkot“

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The spiritual Partzuf begins to build from Keter. Keter, Hochma, Bina—these are properties that come to us from above. And we need to reproduce them within us, in the connection between us, that is, not inside each, but in ten.

Therefore, the construction of the Partzuf begins with Sefira Hesed, the quality of Abraham. This means that all ten are working on the quality of Abraham in order to connect with each other through this quality.

It must reign in us and begin to rule us so that we understand and feel that the power of Abraham, Hesed (mercy), clothes in us. Abraham, which the Torah talks about, is a force of nature.

This is where the spiritual Partzuf begins, that is, the sensation of our soul. During the week of the holiday of Sukkot, we will try to realize within ourselves the properties of all the Sefirot: Hesed, Gevura, Tiferet, Netzach, Hod, Yesod, and Malchut. Then they will manifest in us and begin to live. That is, we will feel this spiritual structure, a special atmosphere that connects us, and from it we will reveal all the new elements and forces of the spiritual world.

Ushpizin is an invitation of a guest, a new force to the group. It is when we make efforts to unite and want this force to be revealed between us as the beginning of our soul. It is known that such a force, the light of Hochma, cannot shine in us constantly, but oozes drop by drop intermittently, drip-drip, drip-drip. When we receive such drops of light, it means that good luck has come to us.

And in order to receive this light, we need to prepare a wide space between us, that is, a connection in the light of Hassadim where everyone is ready to open up to meet the other. The light of Hochma can shine only in the garment of the light of Hassadim. And the light of Hassadim (mercy) is called “wide,” as it is said, “wide heart” and “broad hand.”

The light of Hochma is called Ushpizin, a guest who comes and dresses in the light of Hassadim. And if there is no light of Hassadim, then the light of Hochma cannot come and clothe in us.

We are talking about ten friends who want to experience the spiritual. Therefore, they must unite with each other in mutual bestowal in order to relate to each other “with a wide heart and a broad hand,” which is called the quality of Abraham. If they organize such a connection with each other, then the force of Abraham is clothed in it, the first sensation of the disclosure of an upper force, a higher world, the Creator.

We do not allow any criticism of our friends, no verification, and thus we build the basis of the Kli called Abraham, Hesed, within which we feel the first spiritual revelation. The light of Hochma begins to unfold within the light of Hassadim that we have created.

The main thing is not to make any calculations except for our good association and trying from the bottom of our hearts to treat comrades as equals and to think only about how to give back to them. This means that I try to prepare a place for them for the disclosure of the Creator so that He opens up in each of them. This will mean that I am doing a merciful deed for them.

There can be nothing negative in the property of Hesed (mercy). It is above any clarifications and criticism as simple love for one’s neighbor, only a kind attitude.

We must constantly make efforts to maintain such an attitude, Hesed, because this is the basis of the spiritual Kli, the condition for being in the spiritual space. Therefore, Abraham is called the father of the people. All the spiritual people, that is, everyone who wants to come closer to the Creator, must acquire this property.
[271811]
From the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 10/3/20, “Sukkot”

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The Sukkot holiday symbolizes the beginning of building the soul. The soul begins from the quality of the Creator, the quality of Abraham, which is called Hesed, bestowal, an open heart, everything that is aimed at loving the created beings for their benefit.

Obviously, it is impossible to reach the purpose of creation in this form because the quality of Abraham does not yet have the quality of creation, the will to receive, which must be present in all this process. After all, that is what it was devised for.

We need to correct ourselves because the purpose of creation is to bring a person to the degree of the Creator, to adhesion and equivalence with Him. The quality of Abraham is not enough for this; we need to add to it the matter of creation, the will to receive.

The quality of Abraham, Hesed, fills the entire space created by the Creator. The Creator wants to see all the created beings there, connected with each other in love and unity together with Him. However, there is no creation there yet. Creation appears only after the birth of Isaac, the will to receive that joins the quality of bestowal of Abraham.

Abraham and Isaac are opposite to each other. The result of their combination is also not enough to reach the goal of creation and complete adhesion with the Creator, but it is still a great step that gets closer to this. This is mainly due to the sacrifice of Isaac, the main action performed on this quality, on the will to receive, to which the second day of Sukkot is dedicated.

The patriarchs, Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Moses, Aaron, Joseph, and David, are not people, but are the main spiritual qualities that exist in the system created by the Creator through which we can correct our souls.

However, every person also has to go through all these changes within themselves: first to completely annul themselves before the quality of Hesed, then to awaken a critical attitude a little and allow the will to receive to reveal itself. Then one begins to combine the quality of Abraham, Hesed, with the quality of Isaac, Gevura, by faith above reason.

This means that we use our will to receive only in order to establish over it the control of the desire to bestow. Only in this form do we allow ourselves to work with our egoism. When we correct it in this way, the middle line, Jacob, will come out of it.

How do we ensure that the left line in the ten obeys the right one? Everyone bows their head and lets the others be higher. We are competing by who nullifies themselves the most. The one who will be the lowest will gain the most and rise the highest. This is a competition in who uses more their will to receive in order to bestow.
[271861]
From the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 10/4/20, “Sukkot”

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