Talmud Eser Sefirot, Part 8, Item 53: All ten Sefirot have Zahar and Nukva (male and female parts), divided into two different realities. ZON, which contains most of the notion of death because it had seven kings who died, has male and female qualities, divided into different Partzufim. Sometimes it appears as if they are connected, but that is not so because they are attached to each other back to back through a shared wall (Ahoraim de Ima).

The Zohar says, “Until Hesed came and divided them,” meaning Hassadim and Gevurot from the union of Aba Ve Ima that descend into ZON, severing and separating ZA and Nukva from each other. That’s because they can unite only by becoming separate, big Partzufim.

First of all it is necessary to reveal the flaws separating Zeir Anpin and Nukva (the Creator and creation). Then we see that this wall between them (called Kotel) has to exist and be felt! Without it we will not find out how to make a calculation, what to ask for, and where to make efforts in order to revoke this wall and turn it into a place of union.

Perfection can only be reached out of the sensation of deficiency. I have to reveal this wall separating us. That is why there is a custom to come and pray by the Temple Wall. We pray for the wall to disappear so we would be able to enter the Temple, the place of holiness, the unification of Zeir Anpin and Nukva that ascend into Aba ve Ima and become as one whole. Aba ve Ima is the “Holy of Holies” of the upper spiritual Temple – the level of GAR of the Light of Hochma.
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From the 3rd part of the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 1/9/11, Talmud Eser Sefirot

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Question: What does it mean to make efforts while reading The Book of Zohar?

Answer: While reading The Zohar, we have to identify with the book’s narration as much as possible. The Zohar talks about ascent up the spiritual degrees, about the qualities that a person must have in order to be on those degrees.

We want to attain these levels in order for them to be revealed in us. While I read The Zohar, what do I want to be filled by? What are all of these qualities that I read about, such as HaGaT, NeHY, Tifferet, and Malchut? What should I identify myself with?

This is called a desire to know what I study, meaning to unite with it. That is how we awaken the Light from these high states, causing it to influence us.
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From the 2nd part of the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 1/9/11, The Zohar

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The key to reading The Book of Zohar is intention since while reading it we draw the greatest Light, if we know how to do it. Of all Kabbalistic writings, none contains a greater Light than The Book of Zohar. That is why this book gained such great fame and popularity over the course of history, and why it was hidden and underwent many fateful events.

It is becoming revealed only today because it is the source of the Light that Reforms. Therefore, it doesn’t matter what exactly we read in The Book of Zohar at the moment because we do not understand a word of it correctly anyway. Yet, we aspire to penetrate through the image that is being described, to feel it rather than to understand it since we cannot comprehend it in our corporeal mind.

We strive to step into it, to unveil it. It is written by Kabbalists who attained the spiritual world and are sharing with us what they found there, just like an adventure novel that tells a story about travelers exploring new islands and continents. In a similar manner, Kabbalists tell us about the spiritual world. They describe what internal instruments they use to reveal spirituality, while also letting us know what they see and feel. In other words, they tell us about the actions they perform and what they find as a result.

On our part, we look, read, and listen to it although we do not understand any of it. Nevertheless, we are motivated to experience these states and live in them. As children, when we felt excited while reading adventure books, we experienced what the protagonists did in our imagination. On the other hand, in our case we actually enter the spiritual world and are able to feel it even more than how we perceive ourselves in this world. As a matter of fact, our present perception of this world is extremely distorted and blurred compared to what else is out there.

In spirituality, there is incredible clarity and transparency, which is impossible to imagine now, along with the deepest understanding of all the events and forces that stand behind us, including the causes, effects, and the source of all that occurs. This is what we should aspire to while reading The Book of Zohar. We should stop feeling like “old men” and instead feel like children who are absorbed in a book of exciting adventures.
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From the 2nd part of the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 1/7/11, The Zohar

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The Zohar, Introduction, Article “Yitro (Jethro),” Item 100: The seed of David, the sights of the colors change in him, and this is why Samuel erred, as it is written, “Do not look at his appearance,” since the other side was in Eliav. This was not so with David, since David’s forms are covered because the forms of the other side were included in his forms, and the form of the other side appeared in him first, passing over the eyes for a time, and the heart is alarmed and fears.

We are mistaken in that we work very hard to understand what The Zohar talks about, and much less on the intention, the thought that we have to unite and reveal The Zohar inside of the connection between us. Only to the degree we unite, the image of the Creator will become revealed inside our unity, and it will be nothing like what we are able to imagine before we unite.

Our unity is the entrance ticket enabling us to see and feel spiritual images and qualities that The Zohar talks about. Their sum total gives us the image of the Creator. However, if we desire to discern what we study without searching for a connection between us, this is called external study, Klipa, a deadly poison.

If during the study I try to search for the image that I study, it is Klipa. On the other hand, if I first want to reveal that image through the prism of unification with the group, the environment, and only after the unification I try to find that spiritual image that The Zohar talks about, then it is holiness, bestowal, spirituality. At the end of the day I search for the forms of unity and bestowal, and that is the most important thing, whereas in the first case I look for the image or form of reception.

Therefore, we must first of all worry about how we pass through that prism, the intention, the unification with the group, the environment. This is very important! Without this we shouldn’t even open The Book of Zohar because it can either become a deadly poison or the elixir of life.

From the 1st part of the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 1/5/11, The Zohar

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Descents show me that I will never realize the importance of the Creator alone; I will never come out of my egoism and find forces inside myself. However, every descent teaches me differently, by illuminating different weaknesses, qualities, and phases in me. The descents are followed by ascents, but at the end, one way or another I always discover my powerlessness.

At first I want to satisfy my egoism, which is called “knowing how many angels there are in the sky.” Then I switch my focus to the Creator, wishing to “catch” Him, to see the spiritual world. It seems to me that the door to changes has to open up in front of me rather than inside of me.

And finally, I start to understand that the changes have to happen inside of me. I catch the thread of the answer to my question: The redemption has to come from outside because I am certainly unable to do it by myself.

This work is done with the help of descents and ascents until a person comes out to the threshold of truth, having understood that everything depends on him, on the change in his perception. The Light gives you the forces to do it; you will not find them inside of you.

One’s demand is still egoistic, but he already lowers his head before the Upper Force so it will change him. Then he gradually agrees with the fact that everything comes from Above.

At the next stage a person understands that he has to acquire the quality of bestowal instead of the quality of reception. His demand is egoistic, but it is already a step forward.

After that he works with the environment in order to elicit the Light that will raise him to the spiritual treasure. As he learns about the notion of the group, he makes himself dependent on it, still hoping to derive benefit for himself.

After that the Light really does bring a person back to the Source. That’s because he built everything correctly and only one parameter remains to be changed: the intention, the end result—whose benefit does he want to attain?

That is how we reduce the path: By turning to the Creator through the group with the right request.
From the 1st part of the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 1/5/11, Writings of Rabash

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Question: How can I actually turn the desire that awakens in me to bestowal?

Answer: Suppose I am relentlessly worried by something since the morning. This unsatisfied desire gives rise to a thought that I have to calm it down. I am tormented by this problem, immersed in it, and am looking for a way to solve it.

I received all of this from Above. If my problem relates to something that is vitally necessary, then I have to solve it without paying too much attention to working with the intention. First of all I have to provide myself with the vital necessities. It is written about this, "Without bread there is no Torah."

However, if it is not something that’s vitally necessary, if it isn’t something I need on the animate or bodily level, then I have to try to transfer this thought to the right format. I received it from the Creator and it was in order for me to build the right reaction to it. It is "help against the Creator." It is against the goal, yet at the same time it helps me to react correctly, and by pushing myself off of it I can aim at the goal.

My goal is adhesion with the Creator. The Creator is good and does good and there is none else besides Him. He sends me all the problems and worries in order to help me. Therefore, above my worry, as if making a mirror image of it, I turn back to Him, who is good and does good.

I have to reach the sensation that my problem is help to enable me to understand the Creator’s attitude to me, which is opposite to the sensations that awaken in me. That is how I build the Creator’s image. By having a careful and accurate attitude, I will be able to identify why a certain worry or problem is being sent to me precisely in this form. I will see a reverse mold of it, the form of the One who is good and does good, and who engraved it in me.

By virtue of this "inversion" I will ascend to the degree of a righteous man and will justify the Creator in some regard. And by doing so I will get on the right track. The most important thing is to keep going, without falling asleep during any state on the background of any negative forms that the Creator sends me.

I can react to them correctly at every second if only I equip myself with the support of the environment. Without it my efforts are episodic, but with it I am constantly "in the loop." The group entirely determines the speed of my advancement.

From the 1st part of the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 1/4/11, Writings of Rabash

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Question: How can one advance by faith above reason in the group?

Answer: Without the group it’s completely impossible to do this. Either you unite with a teacher the way it was done in the past, or you unite with the group. But it’s impossible to advance by yourself.

When talking about the relationship between a person and the Creator, we always mean the presence of the environment. Without it I don’t have anything to ascend above, nothing to correct. A plea to the Creator is a plea for correction. But the correction of what? The only thing I have to correct is my attitude to my neighbor. This is egoism, the evil inclination, unfounded hatred, broken Kelim, the broken Temple.

Therefore, it’s obvious that what we always mean by that is that a person is in the right environment, with his group. This principle originates from Mount Sinai where a condition was established: to unite as one man with one heart. Only then will you receive the Torah and be able to correct yourself.

If, however, you do not try to unite and reach mutual guarantee, then what will you correct? In that case, you will not receive the Torah. The condition for receiving the Torah is a need for it. But if you do not want to unite with others, then you do not need the Torah. It is intended only in order to correct the connection between people.

Therefore, in our times, when the world is being brought to a dead-end situation of universal interconnection, when it is becoming apparent that without the right connections between us civilization will reach its end, people will have to use the Torah. They will need the Upper Force, the force of the Light that will unite them.

This is the purpose for which the Torah, the Kabbalistic method, is being revealed. All the other methods cannot be called Torah because they do not oppose the evil inclination. People will gradually reveal the evil inclination in this world and will then need the real Torah.
From the 1st part of the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 1/2/11, Writings of Rabash

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Question: If I am always thinking about how to unite with friends while reading The Book of Zohar, then at a specific stage this turns into a “mantra” that repeats by itself and I do not feel the true intention inside me. Should I continue in this manner anyway?

Answer: The fact that your intention isn’t true is natural. After all, we live inside the will to enjoy; that is our nature. We do not have to lie to ourselves, thinking that we are already angels floating up in the sky.

However, from our current state I am trying to do everything in my power to attain something called the quality of bestowal, as it is written, “We shall do and we shall hear.” You should imagine this quality as much as you can. By making efforts you grow like a child who wants to learn from adults and tries with everything he’s got. That is how we always learn and grow.

From the 2nd part of the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 12/29/10, The Zohar

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Writings of Rabash, “What is the Flood Water in the Work”: Isn’t this contrary to logic? Our inborn nature is the desire to receive pleasure. If we work at something, then we undoubtedly receive a reward for our actions.

Indeed, it is impossible to work without a reward. The Creator wants us to enjoy and be fulfilled. The goal of creation is to give abundance to His creatures, and that means we receive that abundance. Moreover, we have to think about how to receive abundance from the Creator.

The only question is: Inside which Kelim will we receive it? Inside the vessels of reception or the vessels of bestowal?

Reward remains reward. It is written, “The reward for a commandment is to know the One who commands.” We have to know Him just as Adam knew Eve, meaning to attain, understand, and feel Him. The Light of Hochma that we receive is the Light of knowledge that fills all of our Kelim.

We are built in such a way that all of our pleasure comes from knowing the Creator, from reaching unity and adhesion with Him. And that is possible only according to the law of equivalence of form, according to the Light of Hassadim, the quality of bestowal that we will develop inside us above the quality of reception, which ceaselessly appears inside us more and more strongly.

This way, we have all the conditions for building the right Kli and receiving abundance and reward inside it. We should only work with it correctly: We don’t enjoy directly, but from the fact that we attain the Creator, reveal Him, and know Him, as it is written in the Prophets, “Everyone will know Me from the smallest to the greatest.”

We have to understand that our Kelim, our current nature is just a condition from which we have to ascend to the spiritual nature. Then inside our spiritual nature, inside the desires of bestowal, we will receive all of the reward that we hope to get.
From the 1st part of the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 12/29/10, Writings of Rabash

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Writings of Rabash, “What is the Flood Water in the Work”: Faith above reason is the territory belonging to holiness….

Question: How can we reach this territory?

Answer: “Faith above reason” means that I arm myself with the force of bestowal above the egoistic desire, which awakens in me time and time again. This is not just a desire to sleep, eat, or have a good time, but a desire that obstructs me from uniting with others.

We are talking about the single criterion: for unity or against it. All the other desires belong to the animate degree. The true desire for pleasure, belonging to the human level, originates only from the breaking of the souls. Everything else belongs to the lower levels in me: still, vegetative, and animate. I don’t deal with them at all.

Thus, the criterion of my analysis is my attitude to unity. The advice is to check myself in the group because in the wide world confusion is inevitable and there is no one to work with there. If we get together in order to unite and I discover that I am unable to do this and don’t want it, that I hate and reject the very idea, it means I reveal the evil inclination inside myself.

I make efforts, trying to to ascend above them, but discover that I am unable. Then, due to lack of any choice and by feeling how important and necessary it is to attain unity, I cry out, “Save me!” And from Above I receive the force of bestowal which helps me to think about unity, to connect to others at least slightly.

Meanwhile, others do not and should not feel it. We are talking about the inner work of a person who starts to feel the common force of unity inside this aspiration to unity. This force is called “the Creator.”

That is how a person moves forward from one phase to the next. His desire constantly grows, opposing unity more and more. He makes all the efforts, trying to manage with everything alone. But he fails, despairs, and calls out for the force of bestowal. In this force of bestowal, aimed at the heart of the group, he reveals the Creator.
From the 1st part of the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 12/29/10, Writings of Rabash

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