Question: What are the permitted things, the forbidden things, the commandments, and the necessary actions for us in the preparation period?

Answer: Forbidden actions are those that can distance us from attaining the true goal: hatred toward a friend, laziness in the group, neglect of our duties, neglect of the greatness of the Creator, the greatness of the group, that is, everything that can be very important for us and is our support, something we must hold on to. This is forbidden because it throws a person in the opposite direction from attaining the goal.

Commandments are what the Kabbalists have prescribed for us. It is even better not to say commandments, but advice. If you want to attain the goal, you must do such-and-such. What does it mean, “you must”? The Kabbalists do not command you; they explain that this is how reality is arranged; this is how the law works. The general law of reality is if you want to enter the spiritual world, you must live according to certain laws.

Here there is no such thing as simply someone’s desire, or the Creator’s, or the Kabbalist who teaches us, or an angel who opens the entrance for you. In spirituality, it doesn’t work like that.

Actions on different levels, with different intentions, and even physical actions of the body that help you in attaining the spiritual goal for the sake of bestowal, are called commandments or advice (Eitzot). By following this advice, you can attain spiritual qualities, and then they will already be called decrees (Pkudim).

All commandments, in principle, are divided into two parts: the part in which you try to come to a spiritual quality, and when you internally acquire it, it becomes yours. You are already consist of it, and then more, and more.

These things are commanded to us. They are surely worth performing, just as it is not worth doing anything that distances you from fulfilling the spiritual laws.
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From the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 1/8/26, Rabash “Concerning the Reward of the Receivers”

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There are recommendations that are neither forbidden nor permitted. It is precisely there, as Baal HaSulam writes, that the battlefield lies between holiness (Kedusha) and the impure forces (Sitra Achra).

We don’t quite distinguish this yet, but after a person determines what is Klipa and what is holiness for himself, he checks: I do not do these things because there is a screen against them, and these things I perform because I already have clear intentions.

He discovers that within him there is something that cannot be divided and assigned to a specific part. It is neither the Creator’s quality, nor the quality opposite to Him, creation, Klipa. But what else exists in reality besides this? For there are the Creator’s qualities and their imprint, the qualities of creation.

So what is there between them that would not belong to one or the other? In the middle is the free choice of a person. This does not mean that there are some additional desires that the Creator created that supposedly do not belong either to Him or to what is opposite to Him.

In the choice between holiness and Klipa there are such things where you are free to do what you want, without any negative result for yourself. And there it is truly a choice.
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From the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 1/8/26, Rabash “Concerning the Reward of the Receivers”

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It is said: “‘I have created the evil inclination, and I created the means for its correction, in which the light that returns to the source is hidden.”  From this it is clear that nothing can be achieved on one’s own, but only through a request, through prayer.

The striving to move toward the intention to bestow, for the benefit of others, even if it is not sincere and even if it completely contrary to the desires that currently rule us, is called prayer, or the raising of MAN.

We have received a tiny spark of spirituality, and in order to break through the boundary of the spiritual world and enter the second part of reality, we lack only the desire. Therefore, all our prayers are solely for one thing: to acquire desire.

But there are states when a person desires nothing at all. One must understand that this, too, is a state given to us from above and not merely our laziness or indifference. A person is a kind of “black box” awakened by signals from above. The light that acts on our material, on the desire to be attuned, awakens it more or less, or leaves it completely indifferent.

Depending on this, we awaken and reach out, like a flower toward sunlight or rain, or we wither and fall, without receiving vital forces. Therefore, if there is no strength or desire for spiritual work, one must understand that just as at one time you received inspiration from above and rushed forward, burned with zeal, and worked, the desire is also taken away from above.

This state is given intentionally and measured precisely according to each person’s individual qualities and preparation in order to create a place for prayer for you. And you must try, with the help of the group, the books, the teacher, and the environment, to mobilize all your strength for a request.

Prayer is born from powerlessness, from lack of desire, or, on the contrary, from an intense longing, it does not matter how; all of these are conditions given from above. Likewise, from above our environment is arranged for us: a group, a teacher, books. And we, through joint study and the group, must find the light that will return us to the source.

When we study together, this is the very time for prayer. For we are then in connection with the higher system, with Malchut and Zeir Anpin of the world of Atzilut, that is, with the Creator and His Shechina. We become included in them, not each one individually, but all together, and thus give birth to a collective prayer. And through this we demand and draw to ourselves the power of change.
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From the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 3/6/11, Rabash “What Does It Mean that Charity to the Poor Makes the Holy Name, in the Work?”

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There is no connection between the work of physically performing commandments and the inner work that we study, because the latter can be done only when I acquire forces from above, when I have a connection with the Creator. To the extent that I receive illumination and enlightenment from Him from above, I understand what to do with myself, how to do it in relation to Him, how to address Him, and how to draw closer to Him.

My inner work is my approach to the Creator according to the principle of equivalence of form, as if a connecting thread exists between me and Him. And I, like on a tightrope in a circus, climb along this thread.

The actions that help in this are called commandments; those that interfere are called transgressions; and there are permitted things, that is, recommendations.

These are all inner actions as I rise within myself toward the Creator.
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From the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 1/8/26, Rabash, “Concerning the Reward of the Receivers”

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Question: Fear for life in this world arises in us instinctively, uncontrollably. How can we achieve the same panic and fear of not attaining bestowal?

Answer: We are not powerless before the fear of this world. When a person begins to advance spiritually, he is sent such strange fears that a person begins to understand that this is not real fear, but a game.

He feels that from above, as if by a beam, this fear is being projected to him, and the only thing that can be done is to rise above it by “faith above reason,” in bestowal. After all, if he is in bestowal, he has nothing to fear! He can calmly close his eyes to all the fears that come only in order to force us to rise above concern for ourselves, to teach us to live in the yearning toward bestowal.

This is not just an animalistic, unconscious fear, but rather a state that a person perceives consciously, with some “illumination from the source,” that his feelings are being projected to him from some source with a purpose to advance him. Therefore, he understands that nothing can be without reason, there are no fears for nothing.
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From the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 8/17/10, Rabash, “Concerning Fear and Joy”

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In the wisdom of Kabbalah, a student has a problem; in order to understand what the teacher is speaking about, the student must be on a spiritual level. The teacher may be speaking from very high degrees, but since by their nature all degrees are similar to each other and each contains the same details, a student can at least understand what is said according to the spiritual degree he is currently on. But if the student has not yet ascended to any spiritual degree and exists only in this world, he is unable to understand the language of branches.

The language of branches means that I perceive what exists in this world, the “branches,” and I perceive them on the spiritual level, the “roots.” Then the connection between them is clear to me, and I am able to grasp what the teacher is saying. But if I do not attain the roots, I cannot grasp what he is telling me, because the teacher speaks words that I can recognize nothing behind.

By perceiving our world, I do not actually perceive the branches, because I do not know their roots.
Branches are that which descend from the roots. There is no branch without a root, and no root without a branch. There is not even the beginning of the language of branches if we do not attain their spiritual essence, their roots.

Therefore, a student is unable to understand the teacher until he attains the spiritual roots. Only then can he grasp from the teacher all the connections between roots and branches. Unfortunately, this is how it is.

And therefore, the wisdom of Kabbalah and its study is only for those who possess spiritual attainment. As long as we have not acquired spiritual attainment, it should be clear to us that we are not studying the wisdom of Kabbalah, but only using its “miraculous property” (Segula) in order to reveal the “roots.” This is the sole reason we study.

Hence, one should not become confused by accumulating knowledge about “something we do not know what,” but should focus only on the fact that we need the light that returns us to the source (reforming light) and as quickly as possible. If I attain the roots through this light, I will begin to comprehend the wisdom; if I do not attain them, I will remain in darkness.

And do not entertain the illusion that you understand what is being discussed, that by studying the definitions written in a book you are studying this wisdom. You are not studying it because you do not know the connection between the branch and the root; you have not yet attained the roots.

Therefore, the wisdom of Kabbalah begins with spiritual attainment, and not before. Prior to that, it is only an aspiration to draw upon oneself the influence of the light (Segula).
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From the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 10/29/09, Baal HaSulam, “The Essence of the Wisdom of Kabbalah”

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It seems like we must pray for fulfillment: “Fill me, fill me!” But the spiritual world is the opposite, the anti-world, because in it the fulfillment is the work itself, the effort, the striving for a goal, the desire to love!

This very desire fills a person. He gets filled with the desire for bestowal, not even from the action itself.

A person is filled with the Creator, and the Creator is the force of bestowal. If we attain the force of bestowal and are filled with the desire to give without even performing the action itself, this is called the stage of Bina. When we realize the act of bestowal, we have reached the stage of Keter, the degree of love. This is the filling.

In our world, it works differently. I perform some action and expect to be paid, so the payment is my fulfillment. But this is not the case in the spiritual world. There, the action itself serves as fulfillment. As it says, “The reward for a mitzvah is the mitzvah itself.”

But there is another addition: “The reward for a commandment is to attain the One who commanded.” That is, we reveal someone inside who is in adhesion with you.…

There is no such thing as requiring payment for the act of giving; otherwise, it is not giving! Therefore, our fulfillment lies in our efforts, in our work, in the very pursuit of spirituality. Like a mother who loves a baby and does not demand his love in return, she is filled with her love for him and her giving alone.

Therefore, we pray only for the desire for bestowal, we need nothing else. If I have such a desire for the Creator, for love, for giving, there is nothing more to ask! This is enough to feel completely fulfilled.

I will be filled with my desires for bestowal, while egoistic desires for enjoyment will never be filled.
They can only be filled with a very weak spark, which is called a “thin candle” (Ner Dakik), a very limited life in this world.
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From the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 3/6/11, Rabash, “What Does It Mean that Charity to the Poor Makes the Holy Name, in the Work?”

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Question: It is said that the head of the lower Partzuf clothes into the body of the upper Partzuf. What does it mean to clothe into the higher?

Answer: The body of the upper is its actions, its work with desires, and the head is the making of decisions.

The lower can do nothing with its own head, on its own level. It is said: “Through Your actions we know You.” That is, the lower must enter into the body of the upper.

And when he practically learns what the upper does by performing it himself, only then does he begin to understand what the upper meant by it. Until you do what the upper told you to do, you will not understand what he is saying.

And this is not some dull, animal action where you just need to do what he tells you, you must do it and learn! Look at children, how they repeat the actions of adults. They copy our actions without understanding their meaning.

When a child is given a plastic hammer and nails, he does not know what to do with them. But he watches how you hammer nails and does the same, and from that, he begins to understand what it is for.

It is impossible to learn any other way. When building educational programs, we must take into account that one can be taught only by example. We see that the reason is hidden in the spiritual roots and is embedded in the spreading of the Partzufim (the descent of the connection of souls) from above downward.

All the intellect given to the lower is needed only to be able to repeat the actions of the upper. The head of the lower must function only in this way.

If the head of the lower looks upward in order to take an example from the upper and perform actions similar to his, then success awaits the lower. But if the lower believes that he can judge, decide, and do something with his own head, failure awaits him.

He will think that he is on a level where he himself can do something. But all actions are performed in the body of the upper. If the lower has enough wit to annul his own mind, his intellect, then he rises and receives the mind and intellect, of the upper.
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From the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 1/2/11, Baal HaSulam, The Study of the Ten Sefirot

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We must take upon ourselves faith in the sages (RABASH, Article No. 4, “What Is a Flood of Water in the Work?”).

Suppose I am ready to believe the words of wisdom, but what does that mean? Do I understand the words of the sages? What is their message?

First of all, in the wisdom of Kabbalah we do not deal with bodies. There are no bodies, there are souls. The bodies that appear before us are images of an imaginary world.

I exist within desire, which manifests itself in various forms: still, vegetative, animate, and human. Sages are corrected souls that exist within the shattered system of Adam HaRishon. They can serve as help and support for me; they can be guides and educators for my shattered soul.

Accordingly, this is how we should receive their advice. For example, The Book of Zohar tells us about the ten sages of Rabbi Shimon’s group, as well as about the prophet Elijah, Moses, Aaron, King David, King Solomon, and others.

We do not perceive them as people who lived in our world, but as corrected desires, corrected souls. They exist within the shattered system that is gradually beginning to revive. They themselves are already corrected partially or completely, and they participate in the correction of the entire system.

“Rabbi Shimon said… Rabbi Abba said…” I read in The Book of Zohar. For me, these are not people who attained and speak about the upper world; for me, these names are degrees of attainment.

Through these words I study the ladder of spiritual degrees: on one level reality appears one way, on another differently. It is as if the Kabbalists are telling me this, but for me they are forces, vessels of perception.

Each sage embodies a certain spiritual concept, power, force, or quality for me. Before me are not the names of historical figures, but the names of spiritual phenomena and degrees.

“Faith in the sages” means: I want to attain the same bestowal as on the degrees about which I read. “Faith” means bestowal.

During the study, a person must include himself in this and strive to understand how it will influence him. Whatever the book speaks about, I want to penetrate the spiritual essence of every word. This is what it means that I believe the words of the sages.
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From the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 12/29/10, Rabash, “What Is a Flood of Water in the Work?”

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When a child feels powerless, it cries, screams, and demands from its superiors, from its parents, that they take care of it and help it grow. The same thing happens with a person in the spiritual realm.

It is a very advanced state of the soul if a person begins to become aware of such states. Gradually, he develops the correct attitude to the upper one, who is called the “Creator,” and turns to Him.

And indeed, we have no other means besides prayer in order to undergo correction and rise to a higher degree. If one simply waits for the conditions to change by themselves, one can wait endlessly, until sufferings come and force us to rise.

Sufferings are the revelation of new Reshimot (the inner program of development) in us. But it is said that Israel (those who aspire straight to the Creator) accelerate time and are above the signs of the zodiac and fate.

One can accelerate one’s development by taking forces from outside the degree where one is now: through Kabbalistic books and the group by receiving awakening from the friends. If you are impressed by how much the friends strive for spirituality, this will serve as fuel for you for advancement.

All humanity develops at a natural slow speed, under the pressure of blows that move it from state to state. But instead of this, there is an opportunity to gather positive impressions from the environment, to absorb them as one’s own desires, and by means of them to rise. With these new Reshimot we turn to the upper one and ask Him to raise us.

The lower part of the higher Partzuf is inside the lower Partzuf. They enter into each other like two cones, and all our awareness is in this common zone. Whether we feel good or bad, whether we strive for spirituality or not, every inner movement of ours happens because the upper one, who is constantly inside us, produces all sorts of changes in us in order to awaken us.

And if we ourselves begin to seek the upper one who is inside us, and to connect with Him, to demand that He raise us, this will happen. We lack only the desire for this, and we will receive it from the environment!
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From the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 1/6/26, Rabash, “On My Bed at Night”

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