People come to Kabbalah with many illusions and incorrect ideas about this science, imagining it in whatever way their egoistic desire depicts it to them based on all kinds of rumors. People present it as mysticism and think that it is related to astrology, healing, blessings, miracles, holy water and red strings, and that it can be used to reveal the past and the future. After all, our ego is looking for some special kind of fulfillment for itself.

Therefore, at first everyone has a difficult time grasping the Kabbalistic principle, “Love your neighbor as yourself.” Even if they agree with it, they approach it egoistically. This is the basis of all kinds of “spiritual” methods.

However, it takes special people to come closer to the true realization of the method of Kabbalah. This requires great endurance, many efforts, and mutual support from a group of people who are ready for this and who understand that otherwise they don’t have any chance of realizing themselves. Only through this mutual desire, the “common vessel,” can they receive the opportunity to become people and do something with themselves in order to rise above the material, animate existence to the “human” level.

The spiritual action that we have to do is expressed in the execution of the “613 commandments,” meaning actions of unity among people who have decided that they have to unite.

This is what happened during the times of Abraham and during the times of Moses as well. And it’s the same in our day. The principle is still the same. If fragments of the broken soul that was created by the Creator are ready to unite together in order to restore the common vessel, then it becomes a great summary of the Torah – the vessel for the Light. The Light becomes revealed inside of that common desire, the common efforts, the mutual support and guarantee.

Therefore, it’s pointless for a person to think about spiritual attainment and his self-realization unless he perceives all of this through unification with others, with “neighbors,” meaning with the same kind of people as himself, who also desire to unite and who understand that only by uniting will they acquire a second nature.
From the 1st part of the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 7/20/11, Writings of Rabash

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Starting from the first restriction on, Malchut starts to receive for the sake of bestowal to the extent she is able to return goodness to the Host. Naturally, she is unable to receive everything, all 100%.

But since she made the restriction on her own, by her free choice, she has the force to withstand the entire Light of the world of Infinity and to start gradually accepting it for the sake of bestowal.

But this is not easy at all because I reveal the pleasure of adhesion, the greatness of the Giving One, of my equivalence to him, from the fact that I become the same as Him. This adhesion contains “620 times” more pleasure.

Malchut can tolerate only a small part of this pleasure, and therefore it is called “a very thin line” (Kav Dak Meod), a thin ray from the whole Light. But this little ray is not from the Light that Malchut of Infinity felt before the restriction, because only the Light of Nefesh was present there.

Now in this line she reveals NaRanHY (Nefesh-Ruach-Neshama- Haya-Yehida) – very significant actions. They are “620 times” bigger – meaning all of the “commandments,” all of her corrections. When instead of receiving inside of her, she performs actions of reception for the sake of bestowal in each of her corrected desires, this is called carrying out 620 commandments which are filled by the Light of adhesion.

But where can she get a screen for such a great Light – for pleasure from adhesion? After all, I receive, thinking that I do it for the sake of the Host, but now I reveal what it means to be the same as Him – what an unusual pleasure this is, what height, and how good it is to be in adhesion with Him!

This is what becomes revealed inside of the spiritual Partzuf. And therefore, it’s clear that Malchut is unable to receive the entire Light of Infinity in this form.

If the task were simply to receive without thinking about the Host, then there’d be no problem, or even to receive in order to give pleasure to the Host – this is also possible. But the problem is that by giving pleasure to Him, I myself receive a very enormous, additional pleasure – one that’s “620 times” more than the previous. It’sNaRaNHY instead of the Light of Nefesh! And I don’t have the strength to withstand it.

So where will I get that kind of force? For that I descend lower and lower with all the worlds, increasingly feeling just how unable I am to accept the pleasure from adhesion, from the greatness of the Creator, and to stay in bestowal. Therefore, this leads to the downward descent of the Partzufim and worlds.

This is not because I cannot accept the pleasure that filled Malchut of the world of Infinity. But one more great pleasure was included there, which did not become revealed to her there – pleasure from adhesion, from unity. And if she had also responded, then an enormous force of mutual love would have become revealed between them.

But she is incapable of feeling that kind of pleasure while remaining in bestowal. Therefore, now she descends and continually checks the extent to which she is incapable of that kind of bestowal. Therein lies the essence of the descent of the worlds and Partzufim which were born during the descent of Malchut of the world of Infinity down to this world. That is, this is the realization of how enormous is the greatness of the Creator, the greatness of adhesion with Him – it is “620 times” greater than what I am able to bear.

I am able to perceive for the sake of bestowal my own pleasure from being filled by Light. But I cannot accept for the sake of bestowal the pleasure that becomes revealed as a result of the fact that I returned pleasure to the Host – this is adhesion, love, and Light that is born, that breaks through between us as the heat of love, the result of my response.

For this kind of pleasure, I am unable to create a screen and to reflect the Light in full, but only small parts of it, only as much as I can in order to cling to Him….

This means that the pleasure from bestowal also returns to the Creator.
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From the 4th part of the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 7/19/11, Preface to the Wisdom of Kabbalah

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A Virtual Lesson on Fundamentals of Kabbalah
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Kabbalistic texts are written in Hebrew and Aramaic, as if using the right and wrong sides of the same language. But in reality, language doesn’t matter. Anything can be described in English, Greek, or German; it makes no difference which language we use.

It doesn’t matter which symbols are chosen. The key is that they are suitable to express the properties that exist on the level of reception so that with their help we elevate our desire to the level of bestowal.

The language of branches isn’t like languages of this world. It articulates the desire with all its properties since it attracts the Light that Reforms and changes us so that we can rise to the next step. Language means connection; it has similar usage in this world, but it is used in a simpler, one dimensional way.

When I say something, I express my connection with this notion to the extent that I understand, feel, or worry about it. The language of branches is not a common explanation of my attitude, but rather an explanation of elevation—the very action of ascent. The language teaches us how to connect with the upper level from the lower one.

Any language expresses connection; there is nothing else except connections. The universe consists of multiple elements, and the main thing for us is the connection between all of them. Our development is about perfecting the connections. This is how advancement is defined.

Each time we reveal a more authentic connection between the parts of reality until we reveal the world of Infinity where all connections are open. This connection is called “the Creator,” the property of bestowal that governs all of the parts.
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From the 3rd part of the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 7/11/2011, Talmud Eser Sefirot

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The Book of Zohar, Chapter “Truma (Donation),” Item 503: “You shall make a table.” A table stands inside the tabernacle with a high blessing upon it, and food for the entire world coming out of it. This table need not be empty for even a minute, but food should be on it because there is no blessing on an empty place. For this reason, there must always be bread on it so that the high blessing is always in it. From that table, blessing and food go forth to all the tables in the world, which are blessed thanks to it.

The key during the reading of The Book of Zohar is to organize the system of values within oneself so that by every word, one would move along the ladder of properties and inner definitions, understanding that everything exists within one’s desire. This desire has multiple shades, and within them, one has to try to understand the study material. Then, as a result of these efforts, the Surrounding Light will come to him.
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From the 2nd part of the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 7/11/2011, The Zohar

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When reading The Zohar, we need to keep the intention and imagine a sensory picture instead of the words. Our sensory picture has to include the following two components:

1. Happiness from embracing the Torah, something very exalted, which we are not yet in the condition to appreciate;
2. The desire, the need, to really connect, merge with it.

This is why I need to experience happiness from respecting the Torah and realizing the importance of the goal to which we are connected. And I also have to feel the desire to become worthy of all of these qualities of bestowal so that they become clothed in me, in my spiritual vessel, and I really become the bestowing one, radiating the Light.
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From the 1st part of the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 7/5/2011, Shamati #5

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Talmud Eser Sefirot, Part 1, “Table of Questions and Answers for the Meaning of the Words,” Question 43: What is separation?

Two degrees without any Hishtavut Tzura [equivalence of form] on any side are regarded as completely separated from one another.

Our desires are like two circles: They can coincide completely, superimposing on each other and thus becoming one circle. Or they can overlap and be partially one inside the other. Or they can come in contact with one another with one point, their common desire.

Total separation means that we don’t have a single common quality or desire. That is to say, the first is not similar to the second in any way and we do not attain any form of bestowal with one another that would allow us to be one inside the other.
If I don’t take a single desire from you in order to bestow to you, and you don’t take a single desire from me in order to bestow to me, then we do not touch each other and are completely separated.

If at least one desire to bestow to one another appears between us, then there is already contact between us. And if there are several desires like that, then we are already partially one inside the other: I am inside your desires and you are inside mine.

That is how we advance until you take my desires and I take all of yours, and through them we bestow to one another: I give everything to you and you – to me. This is called adhesion.

These definitions from Talmud Eser Sefirot are unusually important. Memorize them mechanically, because that is useful as well. Later, by perceiving them on the level of feelings and intellect, try to gradually unite the mind and the feeling.
From the 3rd part of the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 6/27/11, Talmud Eser Sefirot

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Question: When you simplify The Book of Zohar, aren’t you afraid of ruining it?

Answer: No, I’m not afraid because I know for sure that I’m ruining it! The text of Zohar for the People is compiled from the original text of The Book of Zohar and the Sulam Commentary, weaved together and simplified.

Therefore, it is definitely ruined compared to the source. Many words (such as Behina and others) that underline precision, were removed from the sentences in order to make the text easier. The resulting text is coarser, less precise, but more concrete.

We had to take this plunge in order to bring The Zohar’s text closer to an average person’s level of reading and understanding. Of course, this kind of text does not replace the source under any circumstances. It is intended for mass reading of The Book of Zohar.

Some study Kabbalah as mechanics, some study Kabbalah as a wisdom, some study Kabbalah to memorize things, some study Kabbalah to write books, some study Kabbalah to teach—but some study Kabbalah in order to change. Under the influence of the upper Light that descends upon a person in the process of reading The Book of Zohar, one starts feeling the upper world, and then, from the sensations, he begins to understand it. This is the real study of Kabbalah. And the book Zohar for the People is intended for these kinds of people.
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At the end of “The Introduction to The Study of the Ten Sefirot,” Item 156, Baal HaSulam writes that adopting the right definitions is of primary and paramount importance in the study of Kabbalah. They must be at our disposal, placed in our mind as if on book shelves so that I can pick out the right term without even thinking how I need to understand, to feel, and to picture the meaning concealed behind each word in the text.

Otherwise, I will be confusing myself and generating in myself the wrong impression and perception, which doesn’t correspond to the truth. This is a very important key to studying the wisdom of Kabbalah. If you do not correctly decipher what is written, you will become completely confused.

We are not studying for the purpose of getting to know how many angels there are in the sky and what their names are, and we are not memorizing which spiritual objects (Partzufim) exist somewhere out there. We need to apprehend that everything that has been written about is inside of us, inside our soul, which we have not revealed yet.

Let this spiritual system be concealed from us for now, but it is inside of us and not somewhere out there. We are not talking about angels in the sky, but about man’s inner forces. Everything is inside man, and there is nothing else besides him. It only seems to us that other people exist around us, but in reality, all of them are parts of myself. That is why the phrase of “love thy neighbor as thyself” seems to be speaking about another person until you come to understand that this is actually you, yourself, and everything belongs to you.

Kabbalistic terms need to be known by memory, meaning that you need to be attached to their true spiritual meaning and not to imagine it in your current perception. When I come across words like “sun,” “moon,” “up,” “down,” “entering,” and “leaving” of the Light, all of the most technical terms, and even the ones that are barely related to this world, I still need to check myself as to whether I am keeping to the right definitions. This will eliminate 99% of all confusion and mistakes.

Furthermore, I will not need a lot of long explanations if I adopt the correct definitions. That is why it is so important to study the appendices to each chapter of The Study of the Ten Sefirot: “Table of Questions and Answers for the Meaning of the Words.” This is even more important than studying the main text of the book.

Even though we cannot remember all of these definitions yet, to understand and to feel them, we at least we need to look at how these spiritual definitions differ from those inside of us because we  usually already have a certain material picture about each of the words and concepts.
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From the 3rd part of the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 6/20/2011, Talmud Eser Sefirot

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