Baal HaSulam, “The Peace”: To avoid having to use both tongues from now on—nature and a supervisor—between which, as I have shown, there is no difference regarding the following of the laws, it is best for us to meet halfway and accept the words of the Kabbalists that HaTeva (Nature) has the same numerical value (in Hebrew) as Elokim (God)—eighty-six. Then, I will be able to call the laws of God “nature’s Mitzvot (commandments)” or vice-versa, for they are one and the same.”

This is very important and leads to numerous consequences. In the past Baal HaSulam was accused of being close to Spinoza in his views and that he didn’t consider the upper force as “God” in the conventional religious sense, but rather compared the Creator to nature, which is mindless and lacks any feeling and develops according to “mechanical” laws.

Actually it is very interesting to see how Baal HaSulam describes his attitude to the Creator and to nature. This should also be our attitude. If we combine these two concepts, we will achieve the greatest thing in life, revealing the Creator as “nature” and in all things. Indeed, we are part of nature, which is the Creator.

“In general examination, we find that there are only two Mitzvot to follow in society. These can be called

1. reception
2. and bestowal.

This means that each member must, by nature, receive his needs from society and must benefit society.”

Science confirms the fact that on every level in nature there are two opposing active forces: In the inanimate it is in mutual physical chemicals and mechanical actions, in the vegetative world it is photosynthesis, and in the animate level it is in the cells and the organs… these forces are revealed especially on the level of man, that belongs to the spiritual world. The higher we rise, the more they diverge from each other as a result of the differences in creating the wealth of attributes that separate the human race from the inanimate, vegetative, and animate.

The data of the wisdom of Kabbalah aren’t different in any way from scientific data. Thus the “Creator” and “nature” is actually the same thing.

But there is another question here: Is there a preliminary goal in nature which determines the process of evolution and the final state? According to the wisdom of Kabbalah, “the end of the act is in the initial thought.” Let’s call it not a plan, but by the scientific term: “law.” So is there a general universal law? In this case Einstein also spoke the same language as Baal HaSulam and Spinoza. He also spoke about the unity of nature. Thus the views of people separated by three centuries come together.

Let’s come back to our times. Today we speak about mutual guarantee, adhesion, love, unity, common fate, mutual incorporation of desires, and the influence of the environment on the individual and the influence of the individual on the environment…. If we could explain all these concepts on the level of nature’s laws, it would be easier for us to disseminate. We will also feel more strongly to what extent it obliges us. After all, we are talking about a law and there is nothing one can do against a law. Everyone understands that there is no point resisting nature.

We have to adapt our language. Terms that seem religious, spiritual, and mystical should be changed to scientific terms and definitions. Thanks to this, our message will flow in the right channel and we will be regarded as researchers of nature. Humanity’s general situation today requires us to do that.

We must shift from the terms Kabbalists used to parallel scientific terms. We won’t be able to tell people about Reshimot (informational genes), the direct Light, the returning Light, or HaVaYaH…. We have to try and express all that in modern scientific terms, and then we will be able to approach humanity.

The second system for this approach is to translate the language of Kabbalah to psychological terms.

Thus, through the mind and feeling, we will convey our message to people. The technical terms, the “mechanism” of the forces, and the laws will pass through the brain and the emotional part will be expressed in psychological terms. Thus we will free the wisdom of Kabbalah from this complexity that stems from being “lost in translation.”
[65527]
From the 4^th part of the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 1/6/12, “The Peace”

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Before starting to read or hear text that carries spiritual information, one must first attune himself to the place spirituality is revealed. It is written, “From love for the creatures (meaning from love for friends) one comes to love for the Creator.” Therefore, from the beginning we must imagine the group, the right connection between us, within which we await revelation.

All of the science of Kabbalah is devoted to the revelation of the Creator to the creatures. And success depends on how correctly I imagine the place of this revelation, meaning its conditions: the aspiration to it, a high evaluation, gratitude, and at the same time—suffering. Good impressions and bad, meaning great inspiration and great despair. All of it together.

But in the end, I focus on a reality in which I await the Creator’s revelation—the quality of bestowal, which rules over the whole universe from concealment. “There is none else besides Him”—the force of love and bestowal.

Once I attune myself this way in order to cling to this quality as much as I can imagine it with my entire heart and soul, in my heart and mind, aiming all of my thoughts, desires, and forces at it, I can then read the text. It might be talking in technical terms, such as Talmud Eser Sefirot, or be a legendary tale—that doesn’t matter. Behind all of that, I try to see how it describes the relationships between me and the upper force of bestowal, meaning how much I correspond to it.

This is what the book or the reader’s voice tells me about. No matter what the form in which I receive information about the Creator’s revelation, I will be ready to perceive it.

When we look at our life, in it we must also try to see how to reveal the attitude of the Creator, who “clothes” into the world. And first of all, obviously—in a group. He awakens all of us together, “day and night” (meaning in different states—ascents and descents) so we would finally reveal Him in the connection among us.

All of us together are like a musical instrument that must be tuned well and correctly by establishing the appropriate qualities, mutual connections, and harmony between us so the instrument would play correctly. When that wind blows, which played on David’s violin, then like that violin, we will play together.

In general, a person should try to see the expression of the upper force in all events of his life, even though he does not understand why and how things happen. On one hand, in regular life we must try to act normally and be the same as everyone. But at the same time, internally, we should relate to everything as if it is the revelation of the Creator to us.

For the time being this is like a game—it is not real because you still don’t know exactly how to decipher the picture that appears to you, but still, you have to search.
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From the 1st part of the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 1/3/12, Writings of Rabash

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The Creator created desire with the help of the Light. Light impacts the desire and delivers His qualities to it in a way that everything that is good in the Light becomes negative in desire. Good portrays itself as lack, need, demand, and emptiness; whereas inside the Light, the same things manifest themselves as a desire to bestow.

In other words, things that in the Light are as abundance and salience turn into the opposite, a concavity, in the  desire.

Both parts are similar to each other and at the same time they have a contrary nature: Everything there is in the Creator’s desire to bestow exists in the creation in the shape of the desire to receive.

The goal of the creation is to transform the sensation of emptiness (the desire to receive) into similarity with the Creator.

How can this be achieved? If we simply fill desire it won’t become similar to the Creator (the Light); rather, fulfillment will downgrade desire since it becomes even more opposite to the Light because it actively receives. The Light is perfect; it constantly bestows, therefore, a plain fulfillment of the creation won’t solve the problem.

How can we make the desire to receive similar to the desire to bestow if we don’t employ the Creator’s mode of action, bestowal? All the Creator does is bestow and fulfill the creation; the creation is incapable of interacting with the Light in any other way except receiving from It.

The problem is to establish the right connection between them—not between the two actions but rather between the essence of the Creator and the essence of the creation.

This means that we have to compare them with each other, not from the point of view of their actions, but rather, from the angle of their attitude towards each other; it doesn’t matter that one is constantly receiving from the other, whereas the other is permanently bestowing. They complete each other, and as a result of this fulfillment, they sense internal connection between themselves; it is irrelevant who is the giving party and who is on the receiving end. This is similar to a mother and child: she gives him everything she can, but in return she gets back even more since she is connected with the child through love.

This is where a sensation of love happens and comes from. If we choose to consider these two compelling actions that happen between the Creator and the creation as indispensable, we have to build a superstructure above them.

How do we make them connect through these two actions and become similar with each other? How can we unite the goal, the essence of the Creator, with the essence of the creation?

Originally, the Creator desires to fulfill his creation and provide it with everything. He is filled with the property of love. That’s the reason why changes do not apply to the Creator whatsoever.

The Creator originated the creation, the universe, the worlds, and all conditions for our existence and activities. On His behalf there is only one thing—constant emanation of Light, positive energy, love, and absolute kindness.

The creation needs to change its attitude towards the world, towards itself, and at the end—towards the Creator because everything there is in this world, in me and around me—comes from the Creator. I have to change myself in a way that I start loving everything that is done by Him in this world and in all of nature. If I switch my attitude from hatred, greediness, and taking advantage of others, to bestowal and love, then through my new attitude towards the Creator’s actions, I will come to love Him.

At this point, I will be able to get for His sake everything that He emanates. So, it turns out to work this way: He fulfills me and gives me a chance to get pleased, whereas I receive from Him and give Him an opportunity to get delighted because I am “using” His love.

When we are close with our loved ones we receive from them, at the same time we do them a favor by allowing them to love us. The same pattern repeats: By receiving from the Creator, we express our love to Him because we are so close. At this point, it doesn’t matter who is the giver and who is a recipient as in the example with the mother and her child.

The main thing is that with the help of these actions they complete each other and bring each other delight.
From the Fundamentals of Kabbalah Lesson 11/6/11

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Question: Every time the same study materials at the lesson are arranged into new pictures for me. My mind fights them and tries to bring in the old stamps, and I  unsuccessfully try to tame it. What can I do about this?

Answer: We should love revolutions. Don’t be afraid to lose what you have. There’s something new? Good! Nothing is left of the old? Excellent. I don’t care.

Wise is he who is able to lose his wisdom and start anew. You are like an infant: The mind is empty, and you have no approach to what happens; even your old approach is gone.

We should want no trace of yesterday to remain. Otherwise, you cannot take in today. This principle is very vividly expressed in spirituality. The less I have left of yesterday, the better. This pertains to everything: the group, me, the Creator, and the world. All the pictures that pertain to spirituality should fade away, freeing the space for something new.
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From the 4th part of the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 12/22/2011, “The Freedom”

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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.
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From the 2^nd 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.
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From the 3rd part of the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 12/18/11, “Introduction to The Study of the Ten Sefirot”

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