Question: How can we please the Creator? How do we find out what pleases Him?

Answer: The Creator receives pleasure when we enjoy ourselves. This is why we need to attend to the development of our desires. It is not enough to remain on the degree of “bestowal for the sake of bestowal” (Bina), and especially not on the miserable degree of this world, the still level of spirituality (Domem de Kedusha). One cannot be satisfied with this.

To be on the still degree of spirituality means failing to take one’s own initiative, failing to develop. But the purpose of creation is to receive everything that the Creator wants to give. It is written: “The cow wants to feed the calf more than the calf wants to suckle,” so if He is good and wants to give me goodness, I must develop my desires infinitely.

However, I can attain an unrestricted spiritual vessel only under the condition that I receive for the sake of bestowal. Then I completely open myself to the Light. But when I receive pleasure egoistically, I am unable to receive more than a spark of Light called a “thin candle” (Ner Dakik), which is our life in this world. This is the reality that becomes revealed in my egoistic desire.

Yet a higher, spiritual, reality can exist on the zero, “still,” level, when a person restrains himself, stops receiving, and is content with little things. This is called the “still level of sanctity,” the very beginning of development.

But the attainment of the vegetative, animate, and human levels of spirituality depend on the development of the degree of “fear,” the development of the desire to bestow. And this development is gradual: We develop fear within us, meaning the degree of bestowal, and receive for the sake of bestowal. Then, our desire to receive pleasure starts growing. We see that we lack trepidation and once again begin to cultivate it. Such is the process of development.

The very first “commandment” that pertains to our correction is described in The Zohar: the commandment of “trepidation, fear.”
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From the 1st part of the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 7/6/2011, Shamati #38

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Question: What does it mean to become “ready for correction”?

Answer: A person ready for correction is the one who has reached this state and, according to his properties and the law of the equivalence of form, is able to sense some new, special phenomenon. It’s when he sees that it could not come naturally, but only as a result of the relationship between the two, the upper one and the lower one.

We need to understand that there are the Creator and the creature, and an abyss separates them! There is no connection between them. And only to the extent to which the creature shows its readiness to become like the Creator, to that extent will it sense the Creator within itself.

This readiness is given as special good luck, good fortune, to the extent of one’s willingness to cancel oneself and bow, if he is willing to continue on this path no matter what might happen. He can check whether he is still on the correct path, whether he fits this group (although, how much the group fits him depends on him as well), and if he does not abandon his efforts and continues, he will attain spiritual revelation.

But a person does not know from where it will be revealed. Our earthly minds and hearts can never know about the next states. They are always revealed so suddenly and in such an unpredictable form that it is impossible to expect them in advance. After all, we acquire a new nature. That is why if one continues faithfully and with perseverance, if he goes, bowing his head and valuing the greatness of spirituality, he will reach the goal.

Now, you have neither the feeling nor the mind to understand what was said, but you will acquire the feeling and the mind by virtue of going like “an ox under the yoke and a donkey carrying the load.” Nothing more is required from us! We will receive everything else, the whole vessel, from Above.

The whole difficulty of our work is that we have to work as if in one place, and revelation is received in the other. I will not get the next stage in my egoistic desires of today, or my earthly feelings and mind, or even in my spiritual attainment with which I am already at some step of the spiritual ladder.

I reach it only because I cleave to it and nullify myself so that big and strong as I am, I turn into a tiny drop of semen and become included in the upper degree. That is why, if you ask how you can reach spiritual revelation, the answer is: “By turning yourself into a point….”

“Good fortune” does not mean winning it like  with the lottery, but what is called: “I have labored and I found!” It happens in every moment; I put effort and “find” something in a totally different place. It really falls on me from Above like a gift. This is called “good fortune” that you do not expect in advance. You may wait for something, but not in the form that you will receive it.
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From the 5th part of the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 7/6/2011, “Matan Torah (The Giving of the Torah)”

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It is said: “I created the evil inclination, and I created the Torah as a spice since the Light in it reforms.” Thus, first of all, we have to reveal the evil inclination, and then, to the extent that we feel it, we we will want to find a “spice,” a “remedy” that will turn it into the good inclination.

How can we reveal the evil inclination? To do that, a person must find the right environment. If he wants to be included in this environment so that all of them become like one man with one heart; if he wants mutual guarantee and integral unity with everyone, without any distinction, when everyone is responsible for everyone else, similar to the cells of a living body; if he does not judge others but cares about them so they can awaken him; if the main thing for him is his personal internal work; if he tries to be among the friends and bow his head before them only to receive from them the realization of the importance of the goal and cancel himself again so that the importance of his friends charges him with even greater recognition of the goal and the environment; if he is constantly in this circle and works in it, then he receives from his friends their collective, integral awareness of the importance of the goal.

This is no longer his vessel, his desires, but the desire of the collective. This is already Malchut. A single person who strove to raise his request to the group, to Malchut of the world of Atzilut, is now in it, if only he connects with his friends, awakens them, and works together with them. In response, they awaken him, and altogether they become one whole, one desire. Their personal requests become united and turn into Malchut of the world of Atzilut, which is close to us.

If there is unity between them, at least in something, it influences the higher degrees, to which we do not relate. Our feeling, perception, and our reality is only in Malchut.

Thus, our work should be aimed at Malchut of the world of Atzilut, at the connection with everyone else and together, at the unity with the source of the Light: the Creator. This work is divided into two components which, in fact, have to be welded with each other:

• One’s relationship with the group;
• One’s relationship with the Creator.

If we act correctly, we reach the first revelation. It depends only on the degree to which we unite our requests into a single prayer. And then everyone with his personal desire will find out that he is included into Malchut. In and of itself, Malchut is a point, but we “expand,” build it by our desires. The nine lower Sefirot are in the worlds of BYA (Beria, Yetzira, Assiya), in a broken state.
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From the 5th part of the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 7/6/2011, “Matan Torah (The Giving of the Torah)”

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Question: Could you describe all the states that we have to go through from our present condition to the true request for bestowal?

Answer: These are not some kind of clear, sequential steps that we can understand. These states are changing: coming and going.

But it is clear that at the very beginning, when a person comes, it seems to him that he can achieve everything himself, alone, and that he is not dependent on anything, neither on the teacher nor the group. He thinks that books are enough for him to advance.

Then, he has a revelation, and the only question is how much time it would take. Sometimes, egoism plugs his eyes and ears so much that he sees and hears nothing, and thus, it may take years. Sometimes, this happens sooner.

However, all theses stages that we have to experience are the levels of our awareness of our inability to reach the goal and of our dependence on the teacher, the books, the group, and applied efforts of one kind or another. Thus, we rise step after step until we come to the understanding that we depend only on the Creator, the notion that incorporates all previous factors: when I couldn’t manage without the teacher, the books, and the group.

Now, I reveal that everything is included in Him, in the concept I call the “Creator.” And then I really see that everything around me, except me, is He alone, and there is no one else. I understand that I am not able to and cannot, but nevertheless have to persuade myself  to seek Him all the time.
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From the 1st part of the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 7/5/2011, Shamati #5

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Do not imagine the Creator to be somewhere far, in some far-off  worlds, existing separately from you. Everything only exists within our desire; everything becomes revealed within us.

It only seems to us that the entire reality, beside for us, exists somewhere on the outside and is divided into the layers of the still, vegetative, animate, and speaking nature, which are either closer to or distant from us. But all of this exists within our desire.

It only seems to a person as if it were not his, as if it were foreign, and this confusion is given to him intentionally, as a consequence of the breaking. But as he begins to work on attaining bestowal, he gradually, to the extent of his readiness to bestow and sacrifice his egoism, starts to sense these parts of the universe that appeared to be foreign and external to him: the still nature, plants, animals, and people.

Evidently, everything belongs to him, and it only appeared to be foreign to him due to his ruined perception.

This way the Creator awakens a person with His invitations and stings at any opportunity, and the person becomes more sensitive to responding to bestowal. He only needs to carry out the instructions with more precision. This is why the Torah is called an “instruction” (Oraa) so we could use all the means given to us in this world (the teacher, the study, and the group) and transcend it.

It doesn’t matter that one does not understand what he is doing or that he just tries like a small child playing a game. If he really desires to attain spirituality and is prepared to cancel himself before the teacher, the group, and the study in order to change with their help and become manageable clay in their hands, he will begin to feel the changes happening within him.

A person does not know where they come from. Kabbalists say that they come from the Surrounding Light. But we do not perceive the Surrounding Light because it does not become the Inner one, and we only notice its influence by the results. We suddenly begin to understand and feel more; we become prepared to be closer to bestowal, the teacher, and the group.

This is how the Surrounding Light operates, and everything depends on our sensitivity to the changes we must receive. I must desire for them to happen directly within me, within my desire, for the Creator’s image, the image of the giver to dress itself in me, and for my desire to receive pleasure to acquire the form of bestowal.

And so I will attain adhesion: I will sense how I merge with the Creator inside of myself. But I connect with the Creator and exist within Him, and the Creator exists within me. This is why He is called the Creator (Bo-Reh) or “come and see.”
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From the 1st part of the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 7/8/2011, Writings of Rabash

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We do not need anything else but trepidation, which is the proper attitude towards the Creator. One’s work begins when one becomes able to distinguish between “sanctity” (bestowal) and “impurity” (Klipa, egoism).

To be in sanctity means to constantly worry about the Creator supporting us and allowing us to keep the correct attitude towards His revelation, towards the expression of His love towards us. This concern must constantly dominate a person because if he was to break and leave this concern for a certain second, during a certain state on this path, he would immediately fall into egoism, Klipa.

He would begin to use the Creator’s kind and loving attitude towards him for the sake of his own benefit. When he desires to enjoy the Creator’s love for his own sake even for a second, this already is Klipa.

But when he fears whether he will be able to turn the entire revelation of the Giver’s love into a reciprocal attitude towards Him in order to return the same kind of love and bestowal to Him, this is “sanctity.” This way a person raises himself to a level of “sanctity and impurity” determined by his ability to accept the Creator’s love. When he only does this out of fear for returning the same attitude, this is called bestowal, “sanctity.” But when he himself wants to enjoy the Creator’s love, he considers this an “impure desire,” Klipa.

This is called the “screen,” which he always must preserve over him and concern himself with accepting the revelation of Light, the Creator, only in the “Reflected Light.” This Reflected Light determines the degree of “fear.”
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From the 1st part of the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 7/6/2011, Shamati No.38

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We are unable to understand what the intention “for the sake of bestowal” (Lishma) is since we are always in the desire to enjoy, opposite to bestowal. And what seems to be bestowal to us in this world is just another form of egoism pretending to bestow so that when we give to someone, we indirectly receive even more from them.

And that is why we do not understand the meaning of “Lishma,” complete bestowal without any profit for oneself. Baal HaSulam says in Shamati No. 5 (“Lishma Is an Awakening from Above, and Why Do We Need an Awakening from Below”) that it is not for the human mind to grasp how such a thing can happen in the world.

Also when a person is really working to reach bestowal, he begins to understand how unrealistic this goal is. How is it possible to stop thinking about oneself, to receive a thought, action, or desire which is directed to the “outside,” without caring about one’s own benefit? This is because one is only able to understand that he will attain something by engaging in Torah and Mitzvot. There must be self-gratification there; otherwise one is unable to do anything.

Instead, this is an illumination that comes from Above, and only one who tastes it (receives from Above) can know and understand what he has received. And therefore there is nothing to go by before this, not a simple understanding or even a slight perception of what bestowal, “Lishma,” is.

It is written about it, “Taste and see that the Lord is good.” This means that first one needs to “taste,” to receive a sensation, and then one can understand.

Why then should we invest our effort and work to implement the recommendations of Kabbalists if nothing will help until the Creator gives us the other nature? Isn’t it easier to wait until you receive it?

The answer is, as our sages said, “It is not for you to complete the work, and you are not free to idle away from it.” This means that one must give the awakening from below since this is discerned as a prayer. A prayer is considered a deficiency, and without deficiency there is no fulfillment. We need to obtain a desire suitable for filling with the quality of bestowal.

But how can I ask for something that I’ve never tried or needed, something I do not have, and I know absolutely nothing about? It follows, that one’s work is needed to receive the Lishma from the Creator only in the form of a lack and a Kli (vessel). Yet, one can never attain the fulfillment alone; it is rather a gift from God.

However, the prayer must be a whole prayer, that is, from the bottom of the heart. This means that a person knows one hundred percent that there is no one in the world who can help him but the Creator Himself. Meaning that a person needs to invest all of his efforts to not receive anything, to arrive at a broken heart. Only then will he finally hear the desperation inside from all the efforts that he invested and realize that only the Creator can help him. And then the Creator hears his prayer.

See how much effort and frustration is needed in order to move from state to state, to attain a deeper understanding that I cannot, I am unable to, I do not want to! And thus, I descend step by step, penetrating ever deeper into the heart, until I reach the true prayer.
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From the 1st part of the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 7/5/2011, Shamati #5

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Question: Which phase precedes fear of the Creator?

Answer: From the very beginning one works only on attaining fear. Fear is called the first commandment. From what moment do we begin to work in fear? It is a long path until we attain fear, until we begin to feel that fear is all we’re lacking.

In other words, fear is the sensation of being dependent on the Creator for everything. But this dependence is acquired not by simply shaking from fear or believing blindly what someone else said. Rather, one feels it after verifying for oneself in everything that one faces on his path and seeing that he is incapable of achieving the goal, the importance of which he was working on for so long that now he cannot escape from it or put it out of his mind. And then one sees that everything depends only on acquiring the right attitude toward the Creator.

One must receive this attitude from Above, in a prepared form; fear must be born from within. And one doesn’t know what this Kli (vessel) is like. We don’t know what fear is. We may mistake it for the fear that pertains to this world. But in reality, fear is whether or not I will be able to sense His love?

This sensation cannot be felt in our world. We can’t even imagine how it would be possible. That’s how far it is from us.
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From the 2nd part of the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 7/6/2011, The Zohar

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Baal HaSulam, Shamati (I Heard) No.5, “Lishma Is an Awakening From Above, And Why Do We Need an Awakening From Below”: When one has already accustomed oneself to work in order to bestow, and not examine oneself—if he is feeling a good taste in the work—but believes that he is working to bring contentment to his Maker through his work, one should believe that the Creator accepts the labor of the lower ones regardless of how and how much is the form of their work….

Question: How can one bring contentment to the Creator? What does this mean?

Answer: Our reality has not changed, is not changing, and will not change; it remains the same. Right now it looks to us as darkness and concealment, yet we nevertheless need to imagine ourselves in adhesion with the Creator.

The only one thing that hinders me from this is that I don’t relate to Him in the way that He relates to me. This is the gap which plunges me into the darkness and causes me to not feel that I am with the Creator and filled with the Light. Instead, I perceive my reality in the form of our world.

That is why I constantly need, like a baby, to imagine for myself that I want to be in attainment, meaning in bestowal to the Creator. Am I really thinking about this? If I take my thoughts to Him through the group, through the friends, so that all of the 613 desires of my heart are corrected towards bestowal, if I am ready to implement all of these 613 commandments, then I am preparing the vessel for the attainment of the Creator.

This is what the whole of the Kabbalistic method is about. We need the efforts; we have nothing else to do.
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From the 1st part of the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 7/5/2011, Shamati #5

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Question: If the Light and the Creator don’t change, what is the “awakening from Above” (Itaruta de Leila)? What does it mean to be awakened from Above?

Answer: The “awakening from Above” is always there. If you’re able to sit and study at this moment, even for a minute, that’s a result of the “awakening from Above.” It gives you strength, patience, and desire. You study instead of sleeping or chasing after the material pleasures of this world. Instead of all that, you’re listening to the lesson and aspiring to something you don’t even know.

Where does this “foolish” and “unrealistic” desire come from? Would a reasonable, sensible person do this? It’s all thanks to the awakening from Above, whereby the Light shines on you from Above and compels you to aspire to bestowal.

The Light is constant and doesn’t change, but you do. Each time you change, and your sensitivity increases, which is why you’re sensing greater and greater influence. You increase the sensitivity of your perception along the degrees of zero, one, two, three, and four until you reach the complete inner degree (HaVaYaH). You do this with your own effort, thanks to your “awakening from below” (Itaruta de Letata).

However, who gave you the initial awakening and inspired you to exert the effort? It was the awakening from Above! Therefore, it is written: “I Am the First, and I Am the Last.”
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From the 1st part of the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 7/5/2011, Shamati #5

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