Entries in the 'Kabbalah Study' Category

Studying the Torah

528.04Question: When reading the Torah, we study the quality of bestowal and love. How can we attract this force upon ourselves while reading the article?

Answer: Studying the Torah is a multi-step process. Initially, we simply learn to read, translate, and analyze what is in our materials, replace words with spiritual elements and connections, and begin to understand what is really said. These are the conditions.

Question: What are these spiritual definitions that stand behind the words?

Answer: In Pticha (Preface to the Wisdom of Kabbalah) or in The Study of the Ten Sefirot, we study about them. They explain how the light coming to us from the Creator affects us, what desires it reveals, and how it connects us.

By reading the sources, it gradually becomes clear what happens to us during this process: what rises, what shifts, what descends, how we attract the light, how we open ourselves to the light, and what it does when it enters us.
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From the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 3/3/24, Writings of Baal HaSulam “The Torah, the Creator, and Israel Are One”

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Why Didn’t Anyone Want to Buy Newton’s Legacy

219.01Question: When the great Newton died, his relatives wanted to sell his writings. Naturally, they wanted to get hundreds of thousands of pounds for it.

Buyers came from the Cambridge Library, from the British National Museum, bishops, and so on. They would open Newton’s writings, start reading them and pushed them away as if it were a plague. His work remained untouched for many, many years.

The fact is, Newton believed in one God. Among other things, he quoted Rambam and followed the Jewish sages.

He wrote about the uniqueness of God, who created everything, who transmitted knowledge about the system of the universe to the first man—Adam, and then to the chosen few up to Abraham, and then to the Jewish people. This is how Newton defined the role of the Jews in the world history.

However, in a direct way, the secrets were accessible to very few. That is, they were accessible to Moses and carefully encrypted in the structure of the Jerusalem Temple. So, Newton began studying the Jerusalem Temple. In every turn and corner, he saw the harmony of the universe and wrote about it.

I do not know if it is possible to make such a comparison, but Abraham and Moses got such access to the Creator, so Newton wanted to get it too. That is, he wanted to break through to the Creator by means of science. Is it possible or not?

Answer: Through science? I think not. Many people wanted to break through science to a vision of the upper world, the upper governance, but no one was allowed to do it that way.

Question: Can you tell us why? Basically, did he take the first steps?

Answer: On the outside, he took external steps toward this in his discoveries.

Question: Yes, and he also studied Hebrew. But why is it not allowed?

Answer: The fact is you cannot reveal it that way. One must discover new instruments for attaining nature and make it so that nature would reveal itself to him. That is, from the side of man to the Creator and from the side of the Creator to man. I do not think this is possible except through Kabbalah and the science of Kabbalah. In fact, many have tried to accomplish this, but encountered such restrictions that they could not achieve this.

Question: So, after such attempts, is there no opening appearing in the heart or somewhere inside a person?

Answer: It opens up a little and it is opening, in fact, in science.

Question: And then one goes back to science?

Answer: Yes.

Comment: So, this fulfillment of the scientist—shuts everything down.

Answer: You can see how it happens. From generation to generation science somehow moves forward in small steps, but it is in fact not allowed to go further.

Question: You have been doing this all your life, and you say, “Only through Kabbalah.” You seemed to have tried to break through both the scientific method and the method of Kabbalah. And you still say: “Through Kabbalah?”

Answer: Yes.

Comment: Here we have one point you keep talking about called “faith above reason.” That is, the scientist follows the mind. The Kabbalist follows faith above reason.

My Response: Yes.

Question: For regular people, can you explain again what is it, what is the difference between the other sciences if faith is above reason?

Answer: I cannot explain it. A person should seriously engage in self-education, but not from other methods or sources.

Comment: Not psychology.

My Response: This is not psychology. One must position himself in relation to nature so nature will let him in.

It lets you in when a person is ready to serve it in everything for the sake of attaining nature. That is, for the Creator to be above all else for him. This is not a religious attachment to the Creator, but rather a devotion to the Creator in the idea, the adhesion to the Creator.

Question: What is the difference between religion and the science of Kabbalah in this case? You said: “This is not a religion.” Religion too has a direction, it has a specific aim. But here?

Answer: Here one must follow the commandments of the Creator in order to attain Him.

Question: But not there?

Answer: No, religion does not offer a direction to attain the Creator; no.

Question: So why do I follow the commandments?

Answer: To follow His external instructions, external laws.

Question: But this point of attaining Him is missing?

Answer: Yes, although you cannot explain it at all. You need to study and little by little begin to understand what is required of you.

Question: So it still requires me to change?

Answer: Yes.

Question: At what point do I realize I have to change? I keep studying and studying—at what point?

Answer: When complete self-annulment is required.
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From KabTV’s “News with Dr. Michael Laitman” 1/8/24

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Numerical Language

527.07Now you can understand that sleep [Tardema] in Gematria is “translation” [Targum]. It is also the letters Tered MA [MA will descend]...(Rashbi, Zohar for All, “Heaven and Earth”).

Question: What is the significance of the numerical value of words?

Answer: Language is a code that contains many different symbols.

We know that the Kabbalistic sources are written in Aramaic and Hebrew. And here we are also talking about the fact that there is a simple language, a written language, and a numerical language, which all indicate how words can be combined to form other words.

This is a very broad concept including how letters form words, how words form sentences, and how we can use sentences to manage the world.

The numerical value of a word implies that I can represent the word as a number or a specific set of numbers.

Question: So, could the Torah be written in the form of numbers?

Answer: Of course. How do programmers compose instructions for a computer? They write various letters, symbols, and then input them into the machine. The machine, understands these symbols, reads them, and executes the program.

Question: The thing is, the letter itself appears as a combination of certain symbols and has a specific form that expresses the relationship of forces. But what does the number mean?

Answer: The number indicates on what level these forces operate. So when a Kabbalist reads that some character in the Torah lived for 900 years, it signifies the spiritual level of that character.
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From KabTV’s “Introduction to The Book of Zohar” 1/21/24

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Make an Atomic Bomb and Stay Silent

229To myself I am only a child playing on the beach, while vast oceans of truth lie undiscovered before me (Isaac Newton).

Question: What do you think of that?

Answer: That is normal. Precisely because he explored and felt the world, he calls himself a child.

Question: Because he saw what the world is like?

Answer: Yes.

Question: And he says that he just found a few pebbles, that he was lucky. He doesn’t get proud of the fact that he is like that. He says: “All this was given to me.” Where has all this gone today? Nowadays scientists do not think like that.

Answer: Today it is no longer possible to investigate the world using such methods of internal contemplation. And this is exactly what he used. Today they use technical and technological methods.

That is why there are no more Newtons. The last Newton was in the form of, I would say, Lev Landau. There was no one after him.

Question: Then what is your definition of a scientist?

Answer: A scientist is one who wants to understand the meaning of the existence of our world. It does not matter what he is: biologist, technologist, who, or what. If he seeks to understand the nature of the existence of our world, then he is a true scientist.

Question: Basically, over time, does it turn out that the Newtons have been exterminated?

Answer: Yes.

Question: Why were they brought down? Why did it all come to this current state?

Answer: Nobody likes scientists. Nobody. Not a single scientist could rise as much as he was supposed to by nature. Science is in conflict with government—any government! That is why no one respects them.

Different kinds of seminars and academies are organized for them. This is true. And shut up! Make an atomic bomb for us, space flight, all sorts of rockets, planes, guns—and stay silent.

Question: What do you think if we took Newton from that time and transferred him here—as he is, without the influence of anyone else—how would he respond to these instructions to make a nuclear bomb, a hydrogen bomb, or to create weapons? Would he go for it or not?

Answer: I think he would not. Each scientist, in accordance with the depth of his attainment, simultaneously feels the height of science and cannot connect it with those egoistic, mercantile demands that the government offers him.
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From KabTV’s “News with Dr. Michael Laitman” 12/25/23

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The Language of Holiness and the Language of Translation

526The language of the translation is close to the holy tongue, yet the angels do not need it and do not know it, while they do need and know the languages of the nations of the world. The language of translation is posterior, VAK of the holy tongue, since VAK are called posterior and sleep, without Mochin, which are GAR. For this reason, the translation is truly very close to the holy tongue (Rashbi, Zohar for All, “Heaven and Earth”).

Question: What are these two languages: one, Hebrew, is holy and the other, Aramaic, is reverse of it?

Answer: The holy language is called Hebrew because it conveys the direct influence of the Creator on all of creation. And the reverse language, as an imprint from Hebrew, is called Aramaic. Many books on Kabbalah, including The Book of the Zohar, are written in Aramaic.

Question: Why is Hebrew not enough?

Answer: Because the two languages complement each other and describe the whole creation. The point is that creation must be described in such a way that is understandable to everyone.

Moreover, it is crucial to understand that Hebrew and Aramaic are not just two opposite languages, but are an expression of the forces of creation, and that is why we use both. After all, how can these languages be opposite at all? For example, The Book of Zohar and Talmud are mainly written in Aramaic, while other primary sources are in Hebrew. Yet in principle, both Aramaic and Hebrew convey the Creator’s attitude toward creation. The choice of language depended on the period of writing and for whom the books were written.

Aramaic was once a more common language. It was not only read and written, but also spoken. It gradually fell out of use.
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From KabTV’s “Introduction to The Book of Zohar“1/21/24

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For All Kinds of Souls

259.01Question: If the Torah is intended for us to unite, why did the Kabbalists leave such a large amount of material that when studying we have the illusion that we are learning some other facet?

Why didn’t they write an article or articles about the need for connection so that we could study them over and over again and not get confused by so many explanations of seemingly different things?

Answer: The large number of articles depends on the division of souls, on the variations of connections between them. That is why we need such an abundance of material.

Question: If a group of people takes one article, for example, “There Is None Else Besides Him” and advance only according to it, will they reach their goal?

Answer: No, they will not. No article covers all souls.
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From the 1st oart of the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 2/15/24, Writings of Rabash “What Are Torah and Work in the Way of the Creator?”

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The Whole Path Is Open to Us

525The articles of Rabash contain the entire Torah. He takes it from the highest level and lowers it to our level so that we receive it in the most suitable form, which helps us grow and internally organize ourselves to achieve higher levels. Therefore, Rabash’s articles are the highest source for internal work.

The main thing is to try to penetrate them with your heart, not your head. Open your heart and strive to feel the Creator, and only then begin some movements inside the heart to find an even closer alignment with the Creator.

How can we bring our hearts closer to Rabash? Only by connecting with the hearts of our friends and opening our hearts. There is no other way.

In a few days, we will gather for a congress, which is entirely based on Rabash’s articles and is called “Life in the Ten.” I am very excited and look forward to this congress with great trepidation because the Creator has given us everything we need. Everything depends on whether we can realize what we have received, and our putting all our strength into it.

The whole path is open to us. We can now take off to the goal and reveal all the components we need to collect and attach to ourselves along the way. The main thing is to be highly concentrated. I truly hope this happens to us.
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From the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 1/22/24, Writings of Baal HaSulamStudy of the Ten Sefirot

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What Is Interesting about the Wisdom of Kabbalah?

214Question: Your teacher Baruch Ashlag (Rabash) wrote articles in which he states that a person who studies Kabbalah lives among people who have nothing to do with spiritual development and even oppose it.

Therefore, if he wants to develop spiritually and change his egoistic nature, he must organize a new environment that would support him. But on the other hand, he needs to be careful not to disengage from society, from acquaintances, from parents, and not to close himself in a small group, and not to enter into asceticism.

How can we make the right choice between egoistic society that does not support spiritual development and a group committed to altruistic ideas and values?

Answer: The fact is that any science, any hobby of a person captures him and begins to pull him in its direction.

It is the same with Kabbalah. Moreover, Kabbalah attracts much more than any other pursuit because it reveals the meaning of our world, its history, the creation of man, the way he is controlled, and his behavior from the point of view of nature.

Naturally, very strong opportunities are revealed before a person here, and one really feels that he can be carried away somewhere, carried away too much, torn away from everything corporeal.

As a rule, such sensations arise in beginners. But in general, we need to reassure them here because all this is not as it may seem to them.

The fact is that we all sometimes get carried away by all sorts of things. But the wisdom of Kabbalah is interesting because it does not detach us from this world, but on the contrary, reveals it even more.

Therefore, a person who correctly studies Kabbalah comes into even greater contact with this world, understands it, classifies it, and ultimately finds a clear and stable root in this world.
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From KabTV’s “Practical Kabbalah” 1/16/24

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Revealing a Portion and Covering Two

209Question: As a rule, great sages, when they are about to reveal something sublime, begin their speech with the words: “Behold, I reveal a portion and cover two portions.” Does this also apply to The Book of Zohar?

Answer: Yes, where a Kabbalist reveals something, he simultaneously conceals it. After all, if he does not conceal it, all the actions he attains will be revealed to the whole world, and everyone can use them. As it is, only Kabbalists can use them, and only to the extent they are advanced.

Question: What is the point of revealing if you conceal twice as much?

Answer: So that they study.

Question: When I leave the program after your explanations, sometimes I understand it even less.

Answer: That makes sense also.

Question: Now, I am trying to ask you to decipher The Book of Zohar as much as possible. Do you think it is beneficial? Or is it better for a person to just read, and that is it? It will affect him. Is there any point in deciphering it?

Answer: You need to be able to decipher it. We must read The Book of Zohar and try to decipher what is in it. Gradually, from guesses, you will come to conclusions and from conclusions to revelation.

Question: Should we try to cling on even through the mind?

Answer: Yes, and ask! Ask for this to be revealed to you.
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From KabTV’s “Introduction of The Book of Zohar” 1/7/24

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The Shortest Path to the Correction of the Soul

209We should read the articles of Rabash slowly and thoughtfully because they contain all the actions that we need to perform in our inner work, all the sensations that we need to experience, and all the aspirations that need to be directed toward our connection.

I remember how Rabash read those articles to me when we traveled together to Tiberius. He ran his finger along the lines reading word by word. Even though our thoughts tend to run ahead and resist such a slow pace, we must train ourselves to concentrate on each word and try to absorb it.

Rabash attached great importance to every word written in these articles. If I missed a word in the text, he immediately noticed it. After the text was written, it became sacred to him and no changes were allowed in it.

When we now read the articles of Rabash together, one by one, they must enter into all our sensations, into every soul, into every person, and create such an internal order in them that during this life and many reincarnations they would not want to rebuild it in a new way.

Gradually, these articles will begin to materialize in us more and more, and we will understand them better and perceive them more and more sensually. They are the ones that will lead us to correction.

Rabash wrote these articles from his inner feeling and wanted them to awaken our souls exactly in accordance with his stencil. Of course, there are many paths leading to the Creator. But if a person tries to enter spirituality without this internal reformatting with the help of the articles of Rabash, then it will be a much more difficult and long path.

The path that Rabash paved for us is the shortest way that leads a person to the demand to correct his soul.
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From the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 1/22/24, Writings of Baal HaSulam The Study of the Ten Sefirot (TES)

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