Fundamentals Of Kabbalah – 12.25.11
Posted on December 25th, 2011
The system is arranged in such a way that a person in search for the meaning of life always finds a teacher. If now some person awakes on the other side of the world in a life full of all the material joys, yet he begins to suffer and eat his heart out due to not being able to find the meaning, he will undoubtedly “accidentally” find us on the Internet. Or, he’ll fly to some other country and suddenly discover our book at some store.
This will happen without a doubt, since it is all a field of desire. We don’t need to look at people, books, some material objects—they all are manifestations of the energy field that exists in constant movement to achieve inner balance.
I am not worried about any person in whom the point in the heart is revealed because the moment that he needs to, he will find all that is necessary for him. I remember how once a friend and I would sit together every evening, reading Kabbalistic books and trying to study them on our own. Obviously we didn’t understand anything. And suddenly I told him, “Let’s go to Bnei Brak and find ourselves a teacher.”
I remember that moment perfectly. First I uttered the phrase, and only then did I begin to think about what I had just said. This is how it works: Instantaneously, in a flash, when the required inner potential in a spiritual charge is achieved and you come into contact with the pressure of a new field, your charge and this field reach such congruence to each other that you begin to flow on a different level of this field, Light. And this flow once again brings you to state of balance, but now on a different degree.
But physically this new state of balance is expressed in your finding a teacher, your coming to a place where you can receive fulfillment. A Kabbalist looks at this and sees everything that is happening inside, like he is watching a computer screen from the other side, from the inside.
[63582]
From the 2nd part of the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 12/19/11, “The Study of the Ten Sefirot”
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Question: What do you recommend to the English listeners during the reading of The Zohar: to follow the printed text or to just listen? Should we do it in Hebrew or English?
Answer: When a person simply listens to the sound of the text we are reading and constantly makes an inner effort to reveal the text inside the quality of bestowal, wishing for this quality to become revealed in him, this is best.
Let us say that I simply listen to the sound of words, but I do not know what they mean. In order to understand them, I need a certain inner translator, which will translate them for me. The translator, which will be able to translate the words of The Zohar for me, is only the quality of bestowal. If it becomes revealed in me, I will immediately understand what The Zohar speaks of. I will see this picture through my senses, I will enter it, and it will come alive within me.
I do not need anything but the quality of bestowal. Then I will immediately reveal everything Kabbalah speaks of inside this quality. It is as if there is a broadcast on television, but you are unable to turn the screen on. You can see it as soon as you turn the screen on. And meanwhile? And meanwhile something is being concealed behind the screen, something is being transmitted through the cables, but you are unable to turn it on.
We only lack the screen….
[63211]
From the 2nd part of the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 12/15/2011, The Zohar
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We began to study Baal HaSulam’s article “Introduction to The Study of the Ten Sefirot,” which appears to me as his most important introduction among all the others. Partly, it includes the excerpts from The Book of Oracles by the ARI, written by his disciple Chaim Vital. In fact, this introduction contains the entire path that we need to go through in order to reach the goal.
Although we have plenty of other materials, nothing explains the path along which we should advance and change as consistently, step by step, methodically, and deliberately. Other articles and introductions give us a general view of the wisdom of Kabbalah or view it from some particular angles.
But this introduction selects a very narrow, aimed line to show the person, either religious or secular, who starts with the question about the meaning of his life, how to achieve his ultimate realization with all the difficulties and scrutinies on this path.
This is why this introduction is unusually deep and not easy for beginners. It takes years to begin to assimilate, understand, and find oneself in it. It needs to be studied in small portions, carefully, until a person grows and might be able to reveal more. We must understand that this introduction was written by the man who stood at the head of a new era, the last stage of human development, which was to go from unconscious to conscious development.
Now we need to rise to a new level from the stage at which we could not even be called human beings but only highly developed animals acting in accordance with instincts and fully managed by the forces of nature. Something designed to be similar to the Creator begins to develop inside this creature.
We need to understand the man who was at the beginning of this process, his approach and view, and try to emulate him.
[63493]
From the 3rd part of the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 12/18/11, “Introduction to The Study of the Ten Sefirot”
Question: What is the power of The Zohar if, for now, we don’t understand anything in it?
Answer: The power of The Book of Zohar doesn’t depend upon how much we understand. It depends upon the author: the level from which he wrote it, the strength of his intention that the reading of this book would radiate a special Light on us, and the extent to which we can use this Light. But it has nothing to do with understanding the book. You don’t have to understand anything.
If I have to get to a certain place now, I choose the best and most convenient means of transportation that can bring me to that place. It may be a train, a plane, a car, or a camel. What difference does it make? The main thing is that I will feel good and comfortable.
The Book of Zohar is the best, most convenient, most effective, and the strongest means for those who wish to advance. I am told how to operate it. After all, I don’t know how a plane’s engine operates. I simply buy a ticket and fly.
It is the same here. When I reach my destination, and even on the way, I begin to understand what is going on, but not before. For example, if fly to New York for the first time, do I know what New York is like? Where it is? Nothing! I only heard about it, but I don’t know anything. I use some means of transportation that gets me there. I believe the people who know, who have already been there, and who have discovered and attained this means. I enter it, I reach my destination, and then I realize: “Ah! Now I understand…!”
The principle is the same, there is no difference. Even in our world, when it comes to corporeal things that are totally revealed and can be felt, we act the same way. So why do you expect to find in spirituality what we don’t have even in this world?
[63107]
From the 2nd part of the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 12/14/2011, The Zohar
Question: I’m Roman Catholic, and I’m currently teaching myself how to read in Hebrew so I can read the Torah in it’s original language. I feel that it will be very beneficial for my Kabbalah studies. My questions is: Would it hinder or slow down my studies in Kabbalah? Do I need to study Hebrew? I’m just a beginning student.
Answer: It will help you to the extent that we use the definitions in Hebrew, which is necessary. Everything else is according to your desire.
Question: What is preventing the World Kli from connecting? How will we overcome it?
Answer: It’s egoism, and even more than in the case of regular people!
Question: It seems that our only work is to reveal the evil inclination and ask for correction. How can one fight with the feeling of guilt and worthlessness, which is an obstacle in asking for correction? It starts to be unbearable to see each time the bad in oneself.
Answer: All thoughts except for a plea for correction are empty and confusing, and as they arise, one must immediately reject them.
[61829]
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Question: If everyone sitting at the lesson was to be asked whether he wants fast advancement towards the final, highest point of development, everyone would say: “Yes.” But at the same time I see that we are satisfied with your answers. We come to the lesson with a desire, a need, but we gradually fall into a state of sleep. How can we be constantly active? How can we advance faster?
Answer: You cannot maintain your desire near me. Even though I have a need of my own in relation to you, I exist in the state of perfection and am a higher degree. For this reason, when you connect to me, you also experience perfection, like a child next to an adult. Sometimes he demands something from his elders, but still, as a rule, they give him confidence, a sense of reliability, and he peacefully falls asleep in his parents’ arms.
To tell you the truth, it’s even better for me when you fall asleep. It’s because then more enters you. People “snoozing” during the lesson do not disturb me; they’re not supposed to always be “on fire.” It’s written that “the words of sages are soothing.” And it’s not because sages speak calmly; it’s simply that their wisdom flows like water from one place to another and enters the person in the right way. So don’t worry.
It’s good that sometimes people come to the lesson with fire in their hearts, but when they receive the Light that reforms, a sense of appeasement is better for them.
[62918]
From the 2nd part of the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 12/11/2011, The Zohar
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Question: How often must one study Kabbalah? Is it enough to intensely study and meditate once or twice a week and use the rest for work, or must one study everyday, for us to be in unity?
Answer: All the time, after completing necessary activities.
Question: I have been studying at Bnei Baruch for several years, and I am very enhanced by my experience there. It is very important for me to know why a Kabbalist needs a kippah (yarmulke).
Answer: This is just a tradition, and I must observe it because no one will accept a Kabbalist without a yarmulke, which is also a tradition.
[61781]
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Question: After the unity we felt at the convention, should a person studying with us virtually or online go look for a physical group to be in?
Answer: Going to look for a group today is not the same it was 200 years ago, when a person would leave his home with a staff in hand and go off to search. Today a person enters the Internet and is already together with us, in the common group. He already attended the convention and understands what this is.
Should he look for a physical group? I don’t know if he has that opportunity. The closest group might be several hours away from him.
Yet one should try to stay connected to people nevertheless. Sometimes you have to feel how much you don’t want that connection. Maybe by connecting to others virtually, you idealize the situation, thinking that you are already united with them completely, while in fact you are hiding behind the computer screen. So come out from behind the monitor and connect with them in reality. Go and see whether this is possible….
Obviously, now, after our unification at the convention, we are starting to feel confusion, repulsion, and separation—states that are opposite to unity, one against the other. That’s because in order to grow, we must always advance on two legs. Therefore, don’t be surprised that we are suddenly finding ourselves in opposite states. We must finally get used to the fact that these states have to alternate and follow one another.
Therefore, if a person does not have a close connection with a certain group, then he doesn’t go through these states dramatically, quickly, and intensely. All of this gets drawn out and “smudged” for him. He must nevertheless have some sort of physical connection with others. After all, we are in this world and cannot annul it completely. We cannot turn this world into a virtual world. We are here in our bodies and all sorts of connections between us because this is important. We accelerate time by having a physical connection between us.
[62923]
From the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 12/12/11, Writings of Rabash
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