The Zohar, Chapter “VaYakhel (And Moses Assembled),” Item 226: It is forbidden to read in the book of Torah, but only one alone, and everyone listens and keeps silent so that they hear his words as though they had just received it from Mount Sinai. And above the one who is reading the Torah there should be one standing above him, ascending to the Torah, and keeping silent so that only one speaking will be heard and not two.

One should not forget that we are talking about one person. The one who reads the Torah and the one who listens to it, the nation, the Creator and the creature, the mountain and the pillar by which people are praying, all these properties exist in one person. All of them are his inner states. We have to recognize them within ourselves and find out what exactly every word or property relates to.

We are dealing with the revelation of the upper nature to the creature according to the similarity of properties in the degree of the corrections it undergoes. Reading means revelation.

If a person is unable to imagine the true state, it is better to not imagine anything. Otherwise he will begin to imagine a corporeal picture: How they take the book of Torah from a cabinet, bring it to the raised platform from where the Torah is read, and start reading it. That’s all. However, this is not what The Zohar is talking about.

True, these are all symbols reflected in corporeality. However, from them a person has to rise to the original form. Instead of the imaginary world that is being revealed to us now, he needs to reveal the true world: the desire to receive pleasure corrected in all of its parts that manifest in some form, as well as the book of Torah, the revelation of the Light within the desire.

Our desire is constantly changing. It is similar to the letters constantly flying out and becoming revealed, while the vowel marks (Taamim, Nekudot, and Tagin) fill the letters. This way a person reveals the Light within the vessel or desire. This is called the reading the book of Torah, about which it is said that a person has to write the book of Torah on his heart. The heart is all his desires.

Then all my desires, all my properties, and everything existing within me will turn into the letters of Torah. When I want to organize them correctly, I fill these letters with “tastes (Taamim),” “dots (Nekudot),” and “crowns (Tagin).” Then I have the text of the book of the Torah, which I live and sense on myself. This is my spiritual life. The person himself becomes the flow of the text of the Torah. No person is separate from the Torah or separate from the letters of the Torah. All of it is the person himself.
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From the 2nd part of the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 8/31/2011, The Zohar

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In the world of Infinity, the Light and desire merge into one whole with no difference between them. We are incapable of understanding how it is possible: Do they blend that much or just become alike? How can these two different qualities, reception and bestowal, merge into one?

It happens that one is much stronger than the other and overshadows the other with its power so much that the other becomes absolutely inconspicuous. But this is not something we call becoming one whole. At the moment we cannot grasp how two opposites can merge into one, yet nevertheless remain as two opposites.

For our rational mind, one cancels the other because this rationality is very limited and not capable of combining two opposites. This begets the whole complexity of perception, of our ability to understand the spiritual world and its concealment from us. Our present organs of perception do not capture spiritual reality, even though we are in it.

In order to gain independence and freedom of will, we have to come out of a spiritual state and return back to it from its complete absence. Like the Creator created the creature as “existence from absence,” the same way we should come to His “existing” reality—out of absence: attain reality out of absence thereof.

Then, we will understand what the creature is and from it, who the Creator is. As it is said: “Know Him by His actions.”

Therefore, the world of Infinity divided into two parts: the Light and the vessel, which merge and remain in unity in it. The descent of the worlds from the world of Infinity into this world means the divergence and separation of the opposites that merge into one whole there.

The lower the worlds descend, the further the opposites separate, in a cone-like manner, and get closer to our world becoming two completely separate poles. And now we are capable of perceiving them—one separate from the other, understanding that they cannot co-exist.

That’s why truth and faith, or knowledge and faith, the desire to receive pleasure and the desire to bestow, the work for oneself and for the other, I and the Creator, exist separately in our consciousness. It turns out that the truth of the world of Infinity: “He and His name are one” get separated in our world. And a common vessel, desire, divides into multiple parts; people become opposite to and separated from one another.

Therefore, we see that our fates are completely different, and we don’t understand why one person is given such luck, while the other punishment. We see that there are good and bad times, ascents and descents, and inequality among people. After all, one person earns a lot and easily, but the other labors hard and barely earns a living.

Some are healthy, the others are sick. One was born a prince, and the other was orphaned and left on the street. It only seems to us that all this “injustice” exists, but in reality, everything is arranged absolutely perfectly.

In fact, our vision divides all reality into separate incidents and different times. Therefore, some parts separate from others for us, and we begin to attribute each state to different people, assuming that one is blessed, while the other has bad luck.

However, the cause of that is our distorted perception. And it will remain such until we correct it. Then, everything will join into one whole, and we will see a perfect world.
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From the 1st part of the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 8/23/2011, Shamati # 43

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The Zohar, Chapter “VaYakhel (And Moses Assembled),” Item 217: The meaning of the book of Torah on this day. It is written, “And they read in the book, the Law [Heb: Torah] of God, distinctly, and they sensed and understood the reading.”

The secret of the book of Torah becomes revealed only between us. If we manage to create a space between us, which on one hand will be determined by the level of hate between us, separating us from each other, and on the other hand above the hatred, will create a connection between us, the hatred will give us the power of resistance, “a resistor,” while the connection between us will provide us with the current to operate this resistor.

Then, the work becomes revealed based on the current running through the resistor: We can operate an engine, heat or cool it down—anything can be done. These two opposite forces can benefit us when each one acts against the other.

Everything depends on the type of resistance that becomes revealed. The ego is constantly exploding, showing many opposite forms, detachment, hate, and the rejection between us. We want to remain in the same connection and love, but since our ego is constantly changing, our relationships also experience transformations.

The Light is at absolute rest, but our desire to receive pleasure is constantly changing, manifesting itself in various forms without any break. Therefore, we are constantly revealing new states called Partzufim. Thus, if we want to reveal the secrets of The Book of Zohar or the book of the Torah, they are only revealed in the connection between us.
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From the 2nd part of the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 8/31/2011, The Zohar

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Question: 70 years ago Baal HaSulam warned people that the Holocaust was coming, but no one listened. Today we also warn of dire developments and the possibility of a world war. Why don’t we draw a clear parallel to the words of Baal HaSulam as proof that we are right?

Answer: The very quality of the human ego is such that it cannot see this scenario. People are simply unable to discern it.

And yet the present situation is different from that of the last century. 70 years ago Baal HaSulam studied with 5-6 of his regular students, but today there are many thousands that study his materials, which at the time he couldn’t take outside of the group. People the world over are beginning to accept this message and identify with it. Naturally, each to his own measure, but still.

There’s nothing you can do; these are the laws of evolution. If you could see the entire magnitude of Malchut that needs correction, you wouldn’t have these questions.

Imagine that you’re sailing from Europe to America without a map, and even when you’re only a few miles from land, you still can’t see it; you think that you are lost in the very heart of the ocean. Your field of vision is limited to the horizon, and you see only water until the very last moment when the edge of the continent appears over it.

The first to see it will be the person that sits at the highest point, provided there is someone on your ship who has climbed higher and sees further. “Land!” he’ll shout. But you won’t see it yet. Will you believe him?
[52960]
From the 5th part of the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 8/29/2011, “The Nation”

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Turning Above with an appeal (raising MAN) is an action we do not feel. It is a consequence of many actions, deeds, hours of study, work on dissemination, uniting with the group, and internal analysis. All of this accumulates more and more until we reach a state where this cup overflows.

That is the reason why a person does not know when it will happen. He is putting in the effort, training, trying to prepare himself, and finally, he comes to execute this action as a result of all the great, provisional preparation. Then, he can say something about it.

However, in reality, this action is accumulated outside of himself, and it actually is not him preparing and finally executing the action. That is why it is said: “Each penny is accumulated into a big account.” Then, this common, large account activates in the upper one, forcing it to take action. All of the actions obey the law of equivalence of form, and that is why it happens when the appeal of the lower one begins to correspond to what the upper one is ready to do to him.

MAN is a prayer, an appeal, a desire, with which I turn to Above, and this is the only thing that I am capable of doing. When I call to Above with an appeal, I do not know whether it is correct or not. I do not know whether I have or have not done it because a prayer is called “the work in the heart,” and that is why we do not feel how we raise the prayer, the sparks left behind after the breaking (Reshimot).

We do not know what is really going on in the depths of our heart, and we only feel the consequence when we receive the answer to our prayer. The answer is felt in the heart. It expands and begins to perceive new phenomena from a different dimension, which is something that a person has never felt, understood, or known before.

The heart widens as a person comes out of himself and incorporates more and more into his circle. First, his circle includes a part of the world and then, the entire world, all of the upper worlds, and the spiritual steps.
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From the 1st part of the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 8/24/2011, Shamati #81

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The entire work occurs above concealment. If everything is revealed, what else is to be done? Concealment allows me to be independent and to establish my work and position myself.

For the time being, a child is not as knowledgeable as we are and does not understand what we do. But it is this lack of knowledge in particular that enables him to eventually rise higher and become smarter than us. It helps him to receive from us our knowledge and besides, to add something from himself.

If a child knew everything we do at once, he would not grow up. Hence, an animal born with all natural instincts fully masters its natural program in a few days and does not develop any further.

We evolve due to concealment, due to us not having anything. Gradually, by way of numerous clarifications, I build my personality: new, different from all others, and beyond predecessors. And if nothing was concealed, there would be nothing to add. Concealment allows us to rise to the full height and comprehend.

If I received everything ready made, I would not know what’s happening. But by building each detail and connecting all of them together by myself, I assemble Malchut of the world of Infinity, based on my individuality, on my point of the soul—I get to know creation from end to end.
[53320]
From the 1st part of the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 9/1/2011, Shamati #101

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Question: What is “Truth and Faith”?

Answer: Truth is a fair reward and punishment, when I work and receive what I’m entitled to for my work.

However, we see that life is not always arranged according to this principle. And a person who works more than everybody else does not necessarily receive more than everybody else. If that was the case, the world would be relatively straightforward.

But in order to pull us out of this egoistic straightforwardness, the Creator makes His additions and greatly confuses us. Thus, we see that a fair, true calculation does not always transpire, and there is a place for faith, meaning hope for good luck or some upper help beyond one’s understanding.

Faith destroys the principle of fair truth. This is why people get so confused in this world and hope for a miracle, a blessing, or a miraculous cure. The same confusion exists on the spiritual path as well: On one hand, everything is given to the measure of one’s effort, but on the other, everything depends on luck.

A person should work in order to join these two principles into one. It is written: “Through Isaac shall your offspring be named, but sacrifice him.” Meaning on one hand, you will see him giving birth to your “grandchildren,” all the new successors up to the end of correction, but on the other, he needs to be annihilated. How is that possible?

It is not clear to us now, but it constitutes the very first principle of entering the spiritual world, which Abraham had to adopt according to this story. A person corrects his vision in such a way that for the first time he is able to join two opposites into one.

It means that he ascended to the first degree and mastered a spiritual principle according to which two opposites merge into one whole. And now, he understands how to work with reason and faith above reason simultaneously—with hatred, the sins of which are covered by love.

If a person begins to grasp this principle and takes it into account in his or her work, even without having realized it yet, he will no longer experience difficult obstacles that push him backwards. He feels that these obstacles in particular are meant to advance him and sees that all these contradictions are an opportunity for him to ascend. And then he rises.

On the contrary: “Man’s pride shall bring him low.” If he does not accept this condition and is not willing to join two opposites into one, this becomes an impassable obstacle. That’s why he gets off the track and leaves the path.

Therefore, it is important to direct oneself correctly: straight to the world of Infinity, understanding that the difference between this world and the next one is in our ability to join two poles into one. That sets us a direction, just like taking an aim.

This principle is expressed in various ways: “Israel, Torah, and the Creator are one”; ascents and descents that have to become one whole; the group and I should work together so that I invest into it at the time of ascent and receive from it at the time of descent, meaning so that the group serves as my electrical current “rectifier.”

The main conclusion that follows from it with respect to this world is that we must not destroy a single quality either in ourselves or in the world. We need to bring them all to correction and combine them into one—to rise above them by uniting with the Creator.

We won’t be able to establish a good life and a fair society in our world if we don’t unite among ourselves as equals. Meaning, everyone will work for the benefit of society to the extent of his or her ability and receive according to his or her needs.

But we can fulfill this condition only if we aspire to it for the purpose of uniting with the Creator, meaning for the sake of the quality of love and bestowal that unites our opposite properties into one, infinitely perfect state.
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From the 1st part of the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 8/23/2011, Shamati #43

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Question: Why does the egoism in our world  keep the mind and feelings from connecting?

Answer: It is an obvious fact that when we are very worried about something, the mind vanishes into thin air. And when we try to understand or examine something, then feelings disappear. These two different approaches, sensory and rational, cancel each other out.

This is a consequence of the breaking. Our root is in the breaking, when the screen that used to connect the mind and the heart, calculation and pleasure, disappeared. That is why in our world, we are unable to make a correct calculation based on feelings. And the more we can leave our feelings behind, the faster we can look at them from aside. The more we move away from our feelings, the more we are able to make a sound calculation in the place which has been freed up, on that same interval that is not filled by feelings.

It appears to us that we are able to connect the mind and the heart, but in reality we cannot. If I were 100 percent inside my sensation but started coming out of it by 30 percent, I would be able to work with my mind in the place that is 30 percent free from feelings.

In our world, feelings and the mind cannot work together. If the mind and feelings were connected, it would be the Reflected Light, a spiritual action. Before this occurs the Restriction (Tzimtzum) must happen, the reception of the Light that Reforms, the merger with the upper one by faith above reason so as to acquire the mind and the heart of the upper one, or to work above one’s feelings with the help of  a higher reason.

This already relates to spiritual work. It’s exactly the purpose of the screen: to connect the sensation and the mind, “The Torah and the work.”
[52733]
From the 1st part of the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 8/8/2011, Shamati #45

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Everybody knows that habit becomes second nature. Let’s say I want to learn some craft and offer myself as an apprentice to a turner or a carpenter. I’m not familiar with the material yet, and I am gradually taught how to work with it. That is, I acquire skills (habits) in the work and start to feel the material: How it behaves in response to what I’m doing with it and how best to work with it.

With the experience, I get an additional feeling from the material I touch. It is when we say that habit becomes my second nature. And the things that were previously unfamiliar, incomprehensible, imperceptible, and indistinguishable to me, I start to feel and recognize better. I even discern the details that I previously did not pay attention to at all and which escaped me.

Clearly, nothing happens without a cause, so why does habit suddenly become my nature? There is always the Light that is working on our matter, our desire to enjoy. According to man’s aspiration, his desire to reach a certain state, the Light works on him and brings him closer to this state, enabling him to understand and feel it.

This is how we have developed throughout our evolution for thousands of years: All due to the habits that were part of our nature. The Light stood behind our every desire and helped to implement it. Desire attracts the Light, man evolves thereby, and in this way we grow.

We see how many times a little child repeats the same action, until he or she finally gets used to it (learns) and stops. Young children seem to do such silly things, but for them it is absolutely necessary, and it is nature that pushes them to it because this is how they are supposed to grow.

We, too, constantly grow on the contrast of opposing states, the ups and downs, a feeling of deficiency and its fulfillment. Such is the path.

We find it hard to believe that even now we are in the world of Infinity! But with the help of the ups and downs that we undergo, we begin to gradually get used to this idea. After all, we see that the world appears as it is depending on which eyes we look at it with. When I wake up in the morning in a good mood, it seems to me that all is well and the whole world is good. And if something spoils my mood, the world immediately turns bad.

And yet at the same time, our properties don’t change; it’s only their balance that shifts slightly. If we start changing our properties, then, as Kabbalists say, we see very different worlds, a different reality.

Everything depends on a person attaining it. But reality itself is the same Light of Infinity, and you see what you can currently draw for yourself on its background. This defines your world: a degree of concealment of the Light of Infinity, in which you’re currently present according to your properties. So, if we want to be similar to this Light and bestow as it does, we can draw the Light that Reforms that will correct us and transform our desire to enjoy. And it will want to exist in the form of bestowal.

These actions will become our habit. But this habit always opposes our desire and requires effort until we will reveal in ourselves such properties in which we will experience the form of bestowal, the form of the Creator. This is called the revelation of the Creator to the created beings.

Everything happens by virtue of habit that becomes second nature. We train ourselves to arouse in ourselves desire with the help the environment and the studies in order to come closer to bestowal from a state very distant from it.
[51881]
From the 1st part of the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 8/19/2011, Shamati #7

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Question: If I have fallen down, what do I need to do in order to move forward?

Answer: When you have fallen, you are first of all sorry about it, and you want to come out of the fallen state, to rise above your nature, which you can no longer bear. You are even justifying this fall and you understand that “There is none else but the Creator.”

And then, gradually, you forget about this and you return to your usual state, thinking that there is nothing scary about that and that all kinds of things happen. And so it goes on until the next blow.

How many blows like this will be needed depends on the extent to which you connect your mind to it and work on your falls with the help of the group. The group must become your store-room, accumulating the whole of your mind at the time when you are completely under the control of your feelings, in order to balance it.

And on the contrary, when you fall under the control of the cold, dry reason, and when you do not even know how to awaken feelings inside of yourself in order to be inspired by spirituality, then you receive the impression in terms of feelings from the group.

But you will never be able to possess both, the feeling and the mind. That is why the connection to the group is so necessary for us; it can compensate for the lacking opposite and in a way connect both of them. Under the condition that you lower yourself in front of the group and are ready to accept its sorrow. Then you can connect the heart and the mind inside of yourself somehow.

Although, in reality, they do not really connect, because you are not yet really connecting to the group, but still it influences you from afar. And this indirect “surrounding” influence allows you to somehow connect the two opposites inside of yourself. And this is already helping you to understand a little bit about what the spiritual is and what the connection of these two poles means, when you feel and understand the spiritual simultaneously at the same one place.

This is an absolutely special feeling, in which there is understanding. Such things are almost non-existent in our world.
[52735]
From the 1st part of the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 8/8/11, Shamati

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