Baal HaSulam, “Messiah’s Shofar”: And because of that, Rashbi permitted himself and disclosed the wisdom of the hidden in his books, The Zohar and the Tikkunim. However, it was with great care, since he only permitted Rabbi Abba, who could disclose with intimation, so only the sages of the children of Israel would understand, and the sages of the nations would not understand.

A Kabbalist who attains the spiritual world is like a scientist who discovers something great. If you ask him to explain his discovery, he’ll not find the words for it and not be able to find a clear coherent definition. In order to do that, we need methodologists who pave the way for people to the summit of knowledge.

So if we are talking about the first convergence, Rabbi Abba could rewrite the words of Rabbi Shimon so that they illuminate even for beginners, for those who are at the foot of the wisdom of Kabbalah, and help those who advance in the spiritual levels to ascend. He arranged the material in such a coherent way so that there can be a smooth transition from “grade to grade,” from one level to another. Even if an ordinary person wants something, like a baby who opens his mouth instinctively, that’s enough. After all, he already has a digestive system, which means that the food he receives from the great ones will help him grow.

This is what Rabbi Abba knew how to do: to disclose with intimation, thus allowing even a beginner to approach the secrets. Rabbi Shimon attained the whole world, and Rabbi Abba knew how to bring his words down and to arrange them for our ascent. This is why The Book of Zohar is like a spiritual ladder for us.

Baal HaSulam adapted The Book of Zohar even more for modern times through his Commentary on The Book of Zohar. We think that he added Kabbalistic terms, but it isn’t so, it’s something else. The additional explanations do not add anything by themselves. On the contrary, they can distance a person who wants to learn this book from the inner essence. This is because then a person simply fills himself with knowledge.

No, Baal HaSulam eased our way even more so that we will hold on to it and advance by both the mind and our emotions. Kabbalists were worried and made sure to pave this path, the ladder, and to provide us access to it.

Question: We too would like to disseminate the wisdom of Kabbalah in a clear envelop and at the same time with a “filling” that will advance people. How do we do that?

Answer: It’s imprinted in us on the instinctive level because we study by the method Kabbalists passed on to us. A person who studies here and is dedicated to the path has it, thanks to the connection between Rabbi Shimon and Rabbi Abba.

After all, everything stems from The Book of Zohar and only that spiritual root operated for all the generations: the upper attainment (Rabbi Shimon) and the path, the access to it (Rabbi Abba). All the other friends from Rabbi Shimon’s group, including his son Rabbi Elazar who speak about the end of correction, are incorporated in this system.

So this is the meaning of “disclosing with intimation”: Even during the concealment, everything that a person needs is revealed on the way.
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From the 4th part of the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 9/5/12, “Messiah’s Shofar”

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In the days of the prophets, Kabbalists revealed the wisdom of Kabbalah a bit to the sages of the nations of the world. Aristotle, Plato, and other philosophers in Ancient Greece really wanted to know the truth without any malicious thoughts. By the way, many gentiles joined the nation of Israel in those days and reached very high levels in spirituality.

As for the philosophers, since they based their ideas on Kabbalistic ideas, they developed theology. Their approach may seem as wisdom since their desire belongs to AHP, and they simply cannot understand that there are other options. It is beyond a person’s power to rise above his desire.

So as The Book of  Zohar says, Rashbi cried: “Woe to me if I reveal and woe to me if I don’t reveal. How will people reach the end of correction without my revelation? After all, they will not have the source of the Light that is only in my generation.” Rashbi was the last one who attained all the Lights of the first three Sefirot of the world of Atzilut before the destruction of the Temple, which means the private end of correction of all the 125 degrees.

“If I don’t reveal it in the form of a written source, the souls that yearn for spirituality will not be able to draw the Light and to use it in order to correct themselves. On the other hand, if I reveal the wisdom, the nations of the world will surely corrupt it even more severely.” Rashbi already saw what had happened since the time of the prophets until his days. So what will happen next? If the wisdom falls into evil hands, what afflictions will it bring?

Rashbi still wrote The Book of Zohar, but it was concealed. Later according to the will of the upper Providence it reached Rabbi Moshe de Leon whose widow sold it when she had no means of support. Thus The Book of Zohar was revealed to the world and it did actually bring about many corruptions and many corrections.

Question: What motivates a Kabbalist to reveal or to conceal the wisdom?

Answer: The call of the time. On the one hand, Rashbi knew that his time was a time of growing concealment that would continue until an almost total rupture between the correction and the shattered Reshimot (informational genes). But he had to leave a fine thread of Light between the Light of Ein Sof (Infinity) and the Reshimot on the level of this world, so that people could use it. This is The Book of Zohar. Like Baal HaSulam whose basis is on earth and his head reaches Heaven, the first three Sefirot of the world of Atzilut, and the Light of the end of correction.

In addition, The Zohar was written with the help of Rabbi Abba who concealed it so that only a person who has internalized the wisdom of Kabbalah and exists in the attribute of bestowal will be able to find it. Others see only tales in The Zohar; however, many details and terms from these “tales” have been used in false wisdoms. The egoistic desire distorted and shattered this book in its warped mirror, as if it tells about forces that operate and influence the fate of people in our world.

If we look through the prism of the desire to bestow, we see that it is about the corrected and uncorrected parts of the soul that have different names. The Book of Zohar speaks about inner corrections and not about the bodies, which are not accounted for.

Question: Does a Kabbalist take into account the potential corruptions of the revelations or does he only see the correction?

Answer: If Rashbi hadn’t taken the corruptions into account, he wouldn’t have cried thinking about them. Still it is impossible to do without them. Eventually, although it seems that “a handmaid is heir to her mistress” this is exactly how she helps her reveal herself.

Question: In contrast to Rashbi, Baal HaSulam revealed everything that he could.

Answer: This is because the time has come. The special era has come, and Baal HaSulam wrote that he was happy to be born at a time when it is possible to reveal the wisdom of Kabbalah.

Today we already lag behind the pace of development; our times require a much greater pace of dissemination than we are doing.

So, it is all about the right time to act. If it weren’t so, we wouldn’t approach the masses and this should be clear.
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From the 4^th part of the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 9/3/12, A Handmaid that Is Heir to Her Mistress”

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Question: When a Kabbalist reveals the method of correction, are his books enough or should there be someone who should use them correctly?

Answer: ARI in his generation outlined the oral method and the three generations that followed him put it writing. Then came Baal Shem Tov who began to implement the method practically. His disciples who were great Kabbalists continued his legacy and wrote the wisdom of Kabbalah in great detail.

In addition, there were many figures throughout history like Spinoza, Marx, and Einstein who expressed their attitude to society, to science and to the perception of reality in different nonreligious forms and thus expanded the approaches for this method for the world.

Marx for example, regardless of what we know about him, actually began to speak about the fulfillment of the wisdom of Kabbalah in the world. What is socialism if we disregard the false Soviet improvisation? It is the method of our mutual connection in one equal society in which we manage our whole life. Actually, it is about Kabbalistic principles. So it turns out that Marx is one of the “angels” in the hands of the Creator.

What did Spinoza do? He took the Jew out of the external frameworks of Judaism and “shook” him in order to take him on an alternative path and a new perspective of spirituality that is not limited by the performance of external commandments, but which include another element.

It doesn’t matter how accurate this direction was; the Creator brought about this development, which was enough in those days.

Then Einstein did the same thing in the field of science when he discovered the concept of relativity and the natural limit and the speed of light. He studied the mutual relations between matter and a dimension that was unknown until then, in terms of changing time and distance, in a changing reality, where everything is relative.

Thus, gradually all the methods lead to the picture of the new world that loses its previous stability and becomes changeable in a person’s perception.

The wisdom of Kabbalah speaks about the same thing: Everything changes according to our attributes. Even now, we can already change our world and everything that we see if we rise to the level of more sublime desires. Then another world will open up for us of different mutual forces and relationships; instead of people, we will see totally different creatures, souls.

We are actually approaching this perception through different intermediate phases, through a virtual world. Many people have been through this path besides the three that we have mentioned. On the whole even the smallest detail in history leads to this point of correction. Eventually everything is concentrated in it.
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From the 4^th part of the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 9/3/12, “A Handmaid that Is Heir to Her Mistress”

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Question: In the process of studying, everything is changing: There are both physical and virtual workshops. At what point is the individual work with oneself, with a book, with the source?

Answer: What for? Where do I solve the problem of creating within me a sense of the spiritual world? It’s only in the group! What is the use if I sit down and study on my own?

Sometimes, it is necessary to better understand what happens to me in the end. In such cases, I must admit that I need to study on my own, reread at home, not only such serious materials as The Study of the Ten Sefirot diagrams, but also the articles, the letters of Rabash and Baal HaSulam.

If individual studies are needed to better understand correctly what you have to do for the group, then study and if not, then why do you need other studies? They may even discourage you.

You will begin to understand a lot, to think that you are a wise person and that you don’t need anything else. As a result, you get the poison of death instead of the elixir of life. There is a symbol in medicine, a bowl with snake venom that can be a poison and can be the basis for drugs. So here; you need to be very careful when it comes to studying. The main thing is intention!
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From the Kharkov Convention “Uniting to Ascend” 8/19/12, Lesson 7

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To actually achieve the desired result in spiritual advancement, we need to use all of the allotted time.

This is not a couple of hours a week, a few hours of dissemination or any other activities. We have to continue the same work that we did during the workshops; it continues in everyone internally during the breaks, during the meals, while travelling—no matter what! This is the most important thing!

After all, a morning lesson or a meeting like a workshop is like recharging, like connecting to the power source. When you connect to the group, you attract the upper Light to yourself; you charged yourself and can go safely in your life for 20 hours. Then come back again.

This is required once a day! Otherwise the spiritual connection is cut off. At least an hour a day, but there must be a connection to a physical or virtual group, to the Light; you recharge yourself and continue the rest of the time to work on this charge.

Now, we are gradually switching to a different kind of work, which is much more difficult than sitting in circles with each other. In this work, there are thousands of various disturbances. But we understand that these are not a hindrance, that we are surrounded by the Creator Who wants us to be connected to Him all the time through these disturbances. And then we will see that these are not disturbances, but opportunities to connect, to amplify the signal. Let’s try!
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From the Kharkov Convention “Uniting to Ascend” 8/19/12, Workshop 7

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Question: There is group work and there is dissemination. What should be the internal clarification so that there will be no diversion to one side or another, so that there will be a harmonious integration inside me?

Answer: A harmonious integration is when you feel that nothing matters, that the external world, the group, the Creator, and you are all the same. Only then will there be a harmonious integration, at the end of correction. In the meantime, you will always have the problem of what to deal with. We have to judge according to the circumstances.

Of course, the main thing is the group and the state it is in, since if I don’t have that I have nothing to disseminate with and nothing to turn to the Creator with. I cannot turn to Him by myself.

So the group and its connection are primary. Then comes the attitude, that is, I am with the group as a collective revelation, the clarification of the Creator as the One who creates, corrects, and fills us.

Then, when you already begin to perceive this model, you can turn to the world, since it is better to turn to the Creator when you tie it to the whole world.
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From the Kharkov Convention “Uniting to Ascend” 8/18/12, Lesson 4

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Opinion (Vasily Klucharev, a neuroeconomics researcher at the University of Basel, Switzerland): “By studying the activity of neurons, neuroeconomists come to the conclusion that a human being is not free in making decisions: They are predetermined. If some information is given at the entrance (the brain), the output will turn out a quite predictable result. There is a certain predetermined decision-making mechanism.

“From the neurobiological point of view, a decision is a pattern of neuronal activity. Our brain receives very “noisy” information at the entrance; it makes sense to save it in time, integrate it, and only after a certain threshold to opt for the best solution. If we follow this neural model, which accumulates information, compares alternatives, and based on that decision makes our decision, the notion of “freedom” disappears. In this regard, every human being is a sort of puppet.

“In my opinion, the idea of freedom is a kind of social illusion. This is not a new idea. If we turn to the works of Spinoza, Kant, we find the same views, only presented from a philosophical position. I like Spinoza’s expression: ‘A man deceives himself, talking about freedom. He just does not know the real causes of his behavior.’”

My Comment: Kabbalah speaks of the illusion of freedom on the first pages of the textbook for beginners because its first task is to bring people to the condition in which a person develops freedom of decision and action. However, such conditions arise during the study of Kabbalah as a method of correcting our egoistic nature to the opposite, altruistic nature through awaking in oneself the force of bestowal—the Light.

Only to the extent of the manifestation in a person of the property of bestowal along with the property of reception, the two opposite properties, strengths, and qualities, does a person get an opportunity to act freely in their right combination, in the middle line.
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Question: Why is it that even now, when the wisdom of Kabbalah is revealed, that there is a danger that the externality will control the internality?

Answer: Everything is revealed on the background of the growing ego and this is also where the danger is; how will we end the correction: in order to receive or in order to bestow? Which path will we follow, the path of the Torah or the path of suffering? It is because the positive force grows opposite the negative one.

So there aren’t fewer problems with the revelation of the wisdom of Kabbalah. It is because we are less able to hear anything and because there is an increasing hardening of the heart. It isn’t by chance that the last blows before the exodus from Egypt were so hard.

Question: But is it possible to distort the idea itself in our times?

Answer: A person wants to contradict things automatically and unless he feels that, on the one hand, he has no choice and, on the other hand, he can save himself by this method, he will not accept it. So he has to be approached very gently and the truth has to be wrapped in such wrappings that will not evoke any resistance in people.

It isn’t a matter of “inverted propaganda,” but human nature, the ego that is a “helpmate.” The Creator is there as the “Pharaoh” who doesn’t want to hear anything and causes different interruptions so that you will correct yourself that way, learn how to rise, and understand the wisdom of Kabbalah more deeply in order to overcome the obstacles more powerfully and discover the truth until you begin to teach others. It is all part of the process of correction. It cannot be a short and easy path.

No matter how many more enemies and adversaries there will be, we need to understand that it is a result of the system. How will the heart of Pharaoh be revealed? Only by tenacity and cruelty. It may seem that one or two blows are enough; why do we need all the plagues of Egypt all the way to the “death of the firstborn?” But Pharaoh doesn’t give in; even the escape is in the dark.

So we have to be gentle and explain again and again and help people face their ego. No matter what they may say about us, there is no other way. Just as we cannot choose the character of our children, we have to take care of them lovingly, no matter what. The child may go wild and not listen, he may be too naughty, but what can you do? After all, it is my child, he was born, and I have an internal connection with him that cannot be broken.
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From the 4^th part of the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 8/2/12, “Introduction to The Book of Zohar”

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Question: Do a lot of people complain about your unbearable character? Are you always like this, with everyone and in everything?

Answer: I’ll try to “explain myself.” Kabbalah formulates our task for existence in this world as “Efforts and findings” (Igati ve Matsati). Meaning, the application of the correct efforts leads to a finding, to one’s revelation of the Creator’s benevolence (Metsiyat hen be’eyney HaShem), to reveal the love of the Creator. This revelation (of the currently concealed relationship of the Creator towards each one) happens to the extent of qualitative comparison (similarity of qualities, Ishtavut aTsura).

So, there are two types of relationships of the teacher towards the student:

• The teacher always acts toward the student softly, gives the student time to develop, not indicating the mistakes.
• The teacher acts towards the student in an instructing way, as the Creator. However, the instruction of the Creator is concealed, while a teacher demonstrates it in order to direct the student based on the example of the relationship between them onto the correct understanding of the relationship between the student and the Creator. This helps the student to more quickly understand what it means to find benevolence, how to draw attention from the relationship towards the teacher to address the Creator, to attain the “finding.”

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