Baal HaSulam, “The Teaching of the Kabbalah and Its Essence”: This is the source of Rav Baal Shem Tov’s mistake: he interpreted the Guide for the Perplexed according to the wisdom of Kabbalah… Of course, the Guide for the Perplexed did not refer at all to what Rav Baal Shem Tov interpreted, and he did not see how…

Question: Does it mean that Kabbalists make mistakes?

Answer: Of course they do; the same as scientists do. As an example, I can mention the world-renowned Stephen Hawking who publicly admitted his mistake several years ago. His confession makes him really great. He said: “You believed me, but I was wrong.” My teacher, Rabash, made notes on book margins; then he crossed them out and wrote “Wrong!” on top of them, and then made new comments over and over again.

It’s a science, a researcher’s study. A Kabbalist is a person who develops his vessels,desires, to the extent that he starts perceiving the Divine. Kabbalists divulge the upper world to the degree their vessels are advanced. If they have not completed certain stages, their vision of some phenomena is quite remote and it’s possible that they make mistakes. Things that are closer to them are clearer, whereas things that are farther are blurred and vague.

A Kabbalist is a researcher. For example in his book, Gatehouse of Intentions, Baal HaSulam seriously criticizes Rashash (Rabbi Shalom Sharabi) , who was a great Kabbalist. Yet, he failed to reveal and understand some things. I have no ability to judge at a level this high, but possibly Rashash didn’t realize what exactly he was overlooking. It happens.

There is a hidden part in the wisdom of Kabbalah that is still vague. Many issues are intentionally veiled because of some specific conditions. At very high levels (mainly in the world of Atzilut) these things are very numerous, same as in any other science.

We have to understand that we do not directly attain the Creator, but rather we know Him from His actions to the degree of our correspondence to and similarity with Him. Only at the end of correction “everybody will know Him, from the least of them unto the greatest of them…;” then, “nobody will teach one’s neighbor.” When all vessels will be corrected, we will fully reveal Him. However, even at this point, our revelation of Him will be limited to the desire He made.

One way or the other, our vessels will be filled to the degree of their correctness. The Upper Light is in a state of absolute tranquility. The power of bestowal rules the world. The rest depends on us. If you know how to use it, please do so! If you can’t, then don’t. You should not artificially apply superfluous “initiative” or “enterprise” to the upper force. You should get rid of these stereotypes.

There is a good force that does good to both the virtuous and wicked. It’s ready to act in accordance with the properties of each of us. There is a potential, a “rope” that we can pull on, a “socket” that we can use. Unless we are connected to it, we won’t know what it is exactly.

Let’s say you turn on your oven. You will come to the conclusion that a socket that is connected to it is a “heating force.” If we plug a refrigerator into the same socket, it will turn into a “freezing force.” So, is it warming or cooling? Neither: We are the ones who warm or cool.

Let’s summarize what we should always keep in mind:

1. Kabbalah is a science.
2. A Kabbalist is a researcher who conducts empirical studies and reveals the Creator from His actions.
3. The Goal of the Creator is to have everybody know Him.
4. “Faith” is not a blind belief, but the power of bestowal. The degree of our attainment always matches the level of our faith. If we don’t expand our faith, we will achieve nothing.
5. The Creator is absolutely good and does good. The absolute never changes. We are the ones who change.

This approach has to be utterly clear. However, humanity refuses to hear this information since it means that it’s we who have started working. It obligates us to modify ourselves instead of altering Him. We cannot “toss a coin” and wait for a positive reaction from Above. It’s all about actual self-restructuring.

However, the current epoch forces us to acknowledge and clarify the path that we have already traversed. People are changing, even religions are rapidly transforming. Humanity is growing.
[122632]
From the 4^th part of the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 12/9/13, Writings of Baal HaSulam

Related Material:
If You Are Not Detached From The Old, You Will Not Get Something New
Belonging To A Kabbalist
These Beautiful Contradictions

Filed under: Daily Kabbalah Lesson, Kabbalah Study, Spiritual Work - No Comments →

Baal HaSulam, Article, “A Speech for the Completion of The Zohar”: We can see that all the interpretations of The Book of Zohar before ours did not clarify as much as ten percent of the difficult places in The Zohar. And in the little they did clarify, their words are almost as vague as the words of The Zohar itself.

As Baal HaSulam writes in “Introduction to the Study of the Ten Sefirot” in paragraph 155, the books of Kabbalah were written for those who already had spiritual attainment or wanted to acquire attainment. For these people, these books are like a means for advancement; it is possible to attract the Light that Reforms with them.

So why do the interpretations and explanations matter to us? Why did Baal HaSulam write the Sulam commentary to The Book of Zohar?

The Sulam commentary helps us to rise to the text of The Book of Zohar in order to use it and get the Light that Reforms from there. First it is necessary to approach, to come close, to rise to this book, and then you derive benefit from it and enjoyment from it and receive the correcting Light that Reforms from it. After that I rise again, come close to it, and again receive the Light that Reforms from it. And that is how it is throughout the 125 levels.

This is to say, there are 125 levels in The Book of Zohar, and the Sulam commentary also has 125 levels that make it possible for me to rise to the level of The Book of Zohar and to use it according to its mission, to attract the Light that Reforms and correct myself. It is as if I am climbing up a ladder in a library to going from tier to tier getting a new edition of the same book each time.

Consequently, the Sulam commentary is not just an explanation for the book. Hence the name because “Sulam” means ladder. Therefore by involvement with The Book of Zohar and this commentary together, I can use the language of Kabbalah and the language of Midrash, “the language of the branches,” that make it possible for me to come close to the text and to yearn to activate what he describes there and attain what is latent there.

I don’t imagine a Garden of Eden with souls floating there, rather I know that it is talking about my inner world, about how I am linked to a group, how I describe to myself the picture of the spiritual state that comes into being within my desire to receive through rejection and reduction of the reflected Light.

Therefore the book must prepare us for the correct comprehension of what they wrote. And from the start it was clear that The Book of Zohar not only had to be hidden until our day but also it had to receive an addition that would make it possible for our generation to use it in order to take the Light that Reforms out from it.

Without the Sulam commentary we would not have the possibility of taking the Light that Reforms out from this book. And in fact, for a thousand years after the discovery of The Book of Zohar, we could not truly use it until the time arrived to submit it to the people. And so Baal HaSulam came and gave his commentary to it, which is used as a “ladder” through which we have the possibility of rising to every level of the 125 levels of spiritual attainment.
[123691]
From the 4^th part of the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 12/23/13, Writings of Baal HaSulam

Related Material:
An “F” In The Theory Of Relativity
The Broken World
The True Method Lies In The Middle Line

Filed under: Daily Kabbalah Lesson, Kabbalah Study, Spiritual Work, Zohar - No Comments →

Question: I have no desire to simplify the wisdom of Kabbalah for the framework of distribution to the masses. I want to be involved with a dry methodical science and to pass it on in a form like this. This concerns me very much. With what could this be connected?

Answer: This is due to the fact that you don’t understand how much the wisdom of Kabbalah is a practical science. All of the calculations and sketches are good only when you see clear and precise actions behind them: How humanity will ascend to the level of the Creator, reveal himself to the next world, to the next dimension, for itself.

When this truly will begin to be shown to you practically, and the wisdom of Kabbalah is an absolutely practical science, then you won’t have any contradictions and opposition between it and the work with the masses. This is work, just like taking care of a newborn, when you feed it and clean up after it, feed it and clean up after it all the time. And you do so for many months, until it becomes a small person.

Initially this work seems to you to be miserable, unpleasant, repulsive, and even unnecessary. But this will pass.

To the degree that you yourself enter into the science of Kabbalah, you will feel more and more how much it is impossible to advance forward without attainment, and all this calculation will be empty, it will not replace discovery of the upper world. The upper world can be discovered only when you act in mutual participation with the friends and through them with the Creator, and simultaneously descend with this down to the masses of society.
[123407]
From the Moscow Virtual Convention “Unity Without Boundaries” Day One 12/13/13, Lesson 1

Related Material:
The Most Practical Science
Do Not Fool Yourself!
What Are You Living For?

Filed under: Conventions, Dissemination, Kabbalah Study, Spiritual Work - No Comments →

Question: We are going to have an international convention soon in which we will celebrate the publication of The Book of Zohar adapted to the new generation. What does this mean?

Answer: By working with this book we are aware, understand, and feel that we have a source of power that belongs to the upper nature, to the force that manages everything to the smallest detail, to the smallest cell, to the last atom. The Book of Zohar has a special quality that allows us to connect to this force and to be inspired by it. Thus we will be able to understand and feel it and work according to it.

We have no other key or connecting channel, other than The Book of Zohar. All the other Kabbalah books were actually written so that we would approach the main book and use it correctly. So we celebrate the publication of Zohar For All.

We have to understand that we are on the verge of a new era, moving on to a level of a new development. We have to disseminate this book all over the world, and produce many other supplementary materials that will serve to bring people closer to it.
[123314]
From the 4^th part of the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 12/17/13, Writings of Baal HaSulam

Related Material:
The Book of Zohar And The New Generation
A Ladder Into The Sky
The Zohar For Our Generation

Filed under: Conventions, Daily Kabbalah Lesson, Dissemination, Kabbalah Study, Spiritual Work, Zohar - No Comments →

Question: It is said a thousand enter a room and only some are honored with the discovery of the Creator. Therefore I am overcome by fear, do I have the potential to discover the Reshimot?

On the one hand, I understand that spiritual work is a great benefit and at the same time I cannot be released from the fear. How must one work with this?

Answer: We know that hundreds of millions of people want to be rich, famous, and in control. How many of them attain that goal?

The spiritual goal is compulsory for all. The expression that a thousand enter a room and only one attains the goal belongs to the Kabbalists from the previous generations. In those times it wasn’t required that everyone attain the spiritual worlds and those individuals who merited this acted according to very complex laws. They had to maintain very rigid and difficult conditions in order to enter the upper world.

In our day, every housewife, every simple guy from South America, from Siberia, from Israel, from the United States, and from other regions can attain this without any preparation; the desire simply ignites within them and this is everything. We are entering a state like this where everyone without exception must advance to the goal.

We even turn to those who don’t have this desire, in order to awaken it in them and prevent forward advancement under the influence of suffering because the world is already in a threatening state; we see where everything is advancing. Therefore the condition in which, “a thousand enter and one goes out” is not relevant for us. Today everyone must go out into the spiritual world even those who have not yet entered, not to mention those who are like us.

Today this condition doesn’t work, forget it. The Kabbalists simply reminded us of that to spur us on a little bit, for in spite of it all, one must relate to this very seriously. This is within our power.

The Kabbalists are apparently telling us, act in those frameworks in which you can and then you will succeed. This is saying that you must dedicate all of your spare time to inner work. At least it’s necessary to try to direct our intention to this all the time.
[123214]
From the Moscow Virtual Convention “Unity Without Boundaries” Day One 12/13/13, Lesson 1

Related Material:
A Line To Rise To The Human Degree
Wholeness Doesn’t Acknowledge Deviations
The Spiritual ABCs For Housewives

Filed under: Conventions, Dissemination, Kabbalah Study, Spiritual Work - No Comments →

Question: I feel that I am overwhelmed by internal sensations that are incomprehensible to me: great enthusiasm from which I could explode. What must I do with this, set up some kind of a barrier and say to myself that I don’t want this?

Answer: I think that this is only the beginning stage of your familiarity with the wisdom of Kabbalah, with the group, with those forces that act in this society. As a rule, a state like this typifies new students. They are found in some kind of overexcitement, overdrive, in a unique kind of transitional phase.

In general, when we connect a device to an electrical or electronic network a first surge passes through it, so at first sudden transient processes happen and after that everything calms down and enters into a normal state. I think that it could be that you are still in a state like this, and so it’s necessary to wait until this passes. If the study influences you in this way, then as a rule, in this state it’s very important to talk with the friends more, to try to balance emotion with action.

I would advise you to dedicate more time to studying “The Preface to the Wisdom of Kabbalah” or The Study of the Ten Sefirot, where dry, scientific Kabbalistic language explains what happens with the desires, with their shattering into five stages, into five worlds; in other words, go into the science more. It really relaxes a person because it has a very deep and positive influence not on the emotions but on the mind. Try to balance the heart and the intellect.

You will find some friends with whom you can learn the wisdom of Kabbalah together, and not be involved in all kinds of psychological activities within the group. They are compulsory, but it’s necessary to balance them. I know this from my great experience and from learning with Rabash.

When I brought 40 students to him and we began to work with them, there were also similar abnormalities among them. Part of them were involved only with “dry” learning, others felt an emotional overload like this` such that they could not do anything with themselves. There was a problem with these and with those. In cases like these, Rabash always gave an order: add one thing, subtract a second thing, and so forth, like a good cook who knows precisely how many grams of spices or other additives are necessary to provide the dish with the final taste. If you will learn in a group with friends and balance your emotions through serious study, you will see what a leap you will make.
[123128]
From the Moscow Virtual Convention “Unity Without Boundaries” Day One 12.13.13, Lesson 1

Related Material:
Calculation In The Corrected Heart
Same Words, But Without Shells
A Spiritual Feeling

Filed under: Conventions, Group Work, Kabbalah Study, Spiritual Work - No Comments →

Baal HaSulam, “Disclosing a Portion, Covering Two”: This means that the secrets of the Torah are revealed only to those who fear His Name, who keep His Glory with their hearts and souls, and who never commit any blasphemy. This is the third part of the concealment of the wisdom.

This part of the concealment is the strictest, as this kind of disclosure has failed many. From the midst of those stem all the charmers, whisperers, and “practical” Kabbalists, who hunt souls with their cunningness, and the mystics, who use withered wisdom that came from under the hands of unworthy students, to draw bodily benefit for themselves or for others.

The wisdom of Kabbalah is different from all the sciences of the world. Any other science is available to anyone at least to some extent, and if you don’t understand it today, then you will understand tomorrow. It doesn’t matter who you are by nature, you don’t have to change your character. For instance, a physicist may be a Nazi and misanthrope, or conversely, radiate kindness and generosity. In short, in every field of knowledge a person can move forward without changing himself.

On the other hand, the science of Kabbalah is attained only in the corrected vessels, meaning desires in the corrected properties. Therefore, people who just live in this world don’t understand it. How should I change myself? What should I change in myself? Indeed, regular studies do not help in Kabbalah, and lab experiments and practical parts acquire a very different character here. In this science, actions are performed not on a physical level and the analysis is conducted not by our present mind.

As a result, people don’t understand what the science of Kabbalah is. It really is hidden from them. It’s not even clear what it requires to overcome this threshold.

Kabbalists initially hid their books, wanting to save people from confusion. Indeed, many would study Kabbalistic texts in a vain attempt to get to the truth. “Maybe it is necessary to read at a certain time of day? Or perhaps memorize?” To avoid this, Kabbalists hid their science from humanity as if it never existed, and succeeded in doing so until a certain time, although problems still arose when some knowledge leaked out here or there.

So, the wisdom of Kabbalah is not understood by humanity or philosophers, and is incomprehensible to scientists. After all, before revealing the upper world, a person must change himself. But people, alien to this approach, have decided that it’s sufficient just to read Kabbalistic books.

The same thing happened with the Torah, which everyone rearranged in his own way, creating religions and beliefs to his taste and thus turning the “elixir of life” into the “potion of death.” Indeed, with this approach, we just destroy ourselves, sink into a greater egoism. Instead of attracting the Light, people prefer the “traditional” use of the primary sources in the hope that this will satisfy their self-love. Meanwhile, the Torah is given only to correct the heart in which the evil inclination rules.

In addition, there is another problem; Baal HaSulam writes that many, including scientists, still believe that simply by reading a Kabbalistic text, they understand what is written. People do not see the need to get a new mind; to become imbued with a new spirit, new feeling, and new attitude; to change their mentality, outlook; and to change their inner world. Without changing internally, they regard themselves as experts, write theses, and in general, talk “competently” about Kabbalah.

It’s a pity if a person stumbles on this shallow external approach to the issue. After all, only one who can first correct his own properties can understand Kabbalistic books. The science of Kabbalah was opened for everyone’s studies only in our days only for inner correction with the help of the Light that Reforms. Therefore, he who studies not to attract this Light for self-correction still doesn’t know what the Torah and its internal part, the science of Kabbalah, are. If a person doesn’t aim in this direction, the “elixir of life” turns in the “potion of death” for him.

Thus, not only do various “philosophers” reflect on the science of Kabbalah, but they also move away from the truth and confuse others. This is a pity when the thing that Kabbalists wanted to prevent takes place. Obviously the world needs a long path of correction before we are able to get rid of this debilitating flaw.
[123137]
From the 4^th part of the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 12/16/13, Writings of Baal HaSulam

Related Material:
The Backside Of Pure Knowledge
Beware Of Substitutes
The Recipe For Happiness? Thanks, But No Thanks!

Filed under: Daily Kabbalah Lesson, Dissemination, Kabbalah Study - 1 Comment →

Question: Do we need the “street” to continue the development of the integral method?

Answer: Sure! The wisdom of Kabbalah and technique of Integral Education as part of it is a practical material realization of the ancient wisdom. Seemingly the entire theory is explained to us, but at the same time, not all of it.

What the Kabbalists of the past left to us from ancient days until our time is described very sparingly. You cannot imagine how many parts are missing! They could not convey all of the nuances of this system that comes from the upper world and descends downward; rather, they gave only a small stream of information that explains in what manner this is connected to us. All the rest of the parts of this immense system are not imperative for us.

We will discover them to the degree of perception of the spiritual world, on every level, in breadth. Therefore, the Kabbalists recorded only what would help us to rise from level to level. Even though these are thick volumes; however, in fact this is only scanty information about the enormous system, about its behavior, about the reactions, about the correction, etc.

Kabbalah is the most practical science. Without practical actions, all of its books are “dead.” And practical action is first and foremost, correction, which is not possible to do without going out to the people. You yourself don’t feel the necessity of your correction, not from above and not from them. By necessity you must be in the middle so that both this and that will press upon you. Everything is realized only in communication, in the use of the method among the people.

But you must more or less recognize the entire system in spite of it all; you must have a strong group that stands behind you. Everything must be gathered together. In going out to the public, you must feel that you are their representative; you must feel that you are found together with them. Without this feeling you cannot give the masses the integral energy that acts to change reality.
[122408]
From Kab TV’s “Through Time” 9/18/13

Related Material:
Both Theoretically And Practically
The Science Of Unity
Connection With The Light

Filed under: Children, Education, Kabbalah Study - No Comments →

Filed under: Kabbalah Study, Laitman Unplugged, Spirituality - No Comments →

An idol worshiper is one who works for the benefit of his egoism and turns it into an idol.

The nations of the world that create images and builds statues are not considered as idol worshippers because they are not aware that their original nature is the desire to receive. In other words, there are those who create corporeal images and there are other people who create imaginary images.

Ask any Jew why he closes his eyes when he says “Hear, O Israel, The Lord our God the Lord is one.” He doesn’t know. He doesn’t even understand that he does it because it is forbidden for a person to imagine any image!

The Creator is the attribute of bestowal and love and He exists only within our correct inner desire, and we can discover this attribute only according to our desire. Otherwise He doesn’t exist! He doesn’t exist in any place, not even as the Surrounding Light. Simply, we speak this way in order to express in some way the spiritual attribute in our corporeal language.

The Creator, (Bo-re) means “come and see,” and if you reach your vessel, you can discover Him. And He doesn’t exist outside the vessel. It is impossible to explain this to a simple person. He thinks that if he believes, this means that there is a Creator.

Actually, there is no basis for this. We ourselves create the Creator, which arises within us in from some kind of transcendental dimension according to our properties.
[121540]
From the Talk about Group and Dissemination 10/23/13

Related Material:
The Creator Is Not A Person
You Should Not Make An Idol
The Correct Attitude Toward Sacred Books

Filed under: Daily Kabbalah Lesson, Kabbalah Study, Religion, Spiritual Work - 1 Comment →