Question: If I don’t feel the Creator, can I tune in to you as the goal, since you and your goal are clear to me?

Answer: If that suits you, then you can tune in to me. Actually, I devote all my life, all my time, to studying and teaching, and aspiring for the Creator and helping others do the same. Basically, each one of us needs to do that.

But in the wisdom of Kabbalah, the teacher cannot be the standard because his inner life, his inner development, is not known to anyone. What we see is only his external movements that function on the physical level, the animal level.

For example, the religious Hassids imitate their teacher, “Oh, our Rabbi loves to eat that, and dress like that, and we do the same.”

Of course, this is not a basis for imitation. You don’t receive anything through that because in everyday life I live and exist according to my physical (animal) body. I operate according to what my body demands and according to what doctors advise. I listen to doctors and listen to my body.

There is absolutely nothing here that is connected to the spiritual world. All of spirituality exists deep within and is inaccessible to the eye and to imitation. Thus, there is no reason to look at me.

Think about each one of us reaching the goal. If each one will begin wanting his friends to reach the goal, then that will be the “prayer of many.”
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From the Lesson in Russian 2/7/14

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The Torah is Light that descends unto each of us and corrects our individual egoism and connects us through the corrected states with everyone else until we all become one whole that cannot be separated.

The Torah speaks about man’s spiritual correction. The book of “Genesis” tells us about the essential basis of creation. It tells us that the Creator didn’t create anything but evil: “I have created the evil inclination (egoism)… I have created the Torah as a spice.”

But when did He give us the Torah? Only after the exodus from Egypt at Mt. Sinai because the evil inclination has to be revealed in a person and in all of humanity first. The ego has to show itself as harmful to man as the force that destroys man, his life, and most importantly, the force that separates man from the Creator, from wholeness.

A person must understand unity with the upper force is the perfect state and must not just listen to stories about it because he is not attracted to it and he has a completely different definitions as to what it means. It is only when we begin to realize that wholeness is the attribute of love and bestowal that the rule “love thy friends as thyself” becomes our goal. But we feel that we are in the opposite state: in mutual hatred, rejection, and distant from one another.

Recognizing the true state of our nature is called the exodus from Egypt, and when we reach Mt. Sinai we know exactly who we are, what we are, and what we want. After all, the point of Moses exists in each of us and tells us we want to leave our Pharaoh. We have left him a bit, but in fact he is inside us. When we are in Egypt we believe that Pharaoh dominates us from the outside, but now we begin to realize that he is deep inside us and we are so close to him that now we have to get rid of him, or rather to correct him.

In other words, the attribute of love and goodness exists only in the corrected egoistic attribute: we were given matter that is not corrected and we have to correct it. That’s all! There is no other matter. Thus we had to be in Egypt so that we would feel that I am Pharaoh and that I really want to get of this state. When I ascend a bit above the attribute of Egypt in me, I want to be free of him, and then it means that I have exited Egypt. But it is only theoretically and not in matter yet.

The Creator is the attribute of bestowal. If we change our egoism to bestowal, this attribute will appear in us.
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From KabTV’s “Secrets of the Eternal Book” 1/28/15

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The Torah, “Numbers,” 7:89: When Moses would come into the Tent of Meeting to speak with Him, he would hear the voice speaking to him from the cherubim above the covering which was over the Ark of Testimony, and He spoke to him.

This refers to the state of spiritual contact of the point of Moses in a person with the Creator.

“Voice” refers to the attainment of the Creator by the created being. It is discovered between the two cherubim in the image of birds on the edges of the covering of the Holy Ark which symbolizes the right and the left lines: the attribute of Hassadim (mercy) and the attribute of Din (judgment). When the two lines get close, a person connects the attributes of love and bestowal, egoism and altruism inside him, which operate together for the same unique cause. At the same time the egoism crushes itself under the attribute of love and bestowal.

It is thanks to the rigidity and the sufferings that a person can now truly appreciate the connection, the love and mutual cooperation with the Creator. Otherwise, it is impossible to appreciate this state; it is simply impossible! A person doesn’t have the proper sensations and it is like asking a child: “Kiss me.” He approaches you and automatically pecks your cheek without really feeling anything.

The feelings emerge only if nothing about the past is forgotten and is even revealed more clearly. To the extent that the past appears to a person, he can assume what the near future holds for him because the past and the future have to be balanced and connected in one feeling of the Creator. The Creator appears between the two cherubim, the two opposite lines, the egoism and the altruism. The Godly voice, His revelation, is born between them. It is only the point of Moses in us that is in contact with the Creator and can hear His voice.

Hearing is the attribute of Bina, attaining the attribute of Hochma (sight) is fulfilled through Bina, through the attribute of bestowal. When a person ascends from the attribute of Bina to the attribute of Hochma the revelation of the Creator takes place, the contact with Him.

The Tabernacle symbolizes more external attributes that a person has to correct in himself. When the point of Moses is gradually revealed, we begin to delve more deeply into our internal attributes symbolized by the Holy Ark that guards the book of the Torah inside it, the covering of the Holy Ark, the two cherubim at the edges of the covering between which the voice of the Creator is heard. These are all signs of the internal corrections, which we have to gradually perform and reach the state of contact with the Creator who is revealed to us in our understanding, recognition, and attainment, which bring us closer to Him.
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From KabTV’s “Secrets of the Eternal Book” 1/28/15

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As it is written in The Book of Zohar: When a Cohen stood up below, he spread his hands, all the sacred Sefirot above were awakened and corrected to be blessed and receive Light from the depth of the well of Bina that constantly comes down to them. And the blessings don’t stop; they come down and turn into sources for all the worlds.

A Cohen (priest) is the upper part of the spiritual structure called a Partzuf. When he stands up and spreads his hands, his blessing comes down from above to Malchut. In this way, she is awakened below, and then all the characteristics of Malchut ascend from below to above with bestowal and love. They ascend to the upper worlds.

All of the Sefirot from Bina to Malchut are called a “well.” The more that Malchut is connected to Bina, this well is alive and flowing. Otherwise, it is just a pit without any water. If the well is full of water, but it is covered with a stone, it means you must carry out particular conditions to open it and draw water from it.

In the Torah, the meeting of the patriarchs with their future wives almost always happened next to a well. If the woman accepted water from the hands of the man, this meant that she was appropriate for him because water is the connection between Malchut and Bina. In this way, by means of the upper and lower waters, mutual interaction took place between them.
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From KabTV’s “Secrets of the Eternal Book” 1/28/15

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As it is written in The Book of Zohar, When the Cohen extends his hands, the Shechina dwells on his fingers, because the Creator agreed with the Cohen in these blessings. Israel is blessed from above, from the Shechina that dwells on his fingers, and from below, from the Cohen, pronouncing a blessing.

The prayer of the Cohen (priest) has a very interesting effect. He is covered by a special cloth called a Tallit and holds his hands up in a certain manner and says, “The Lord bless you,” and so forth.

At the same time, the people must not look at him because the priest embodies the Upper Light which is forbidden to look at directly, only through a Masach (Screen), the Returning Light, received with the preparation of the intention of in order to bestow.

Therefore, everyone present lowers his eyes. There is nothing special in this corporeal action in our world except for a hint of the inner spiritual state of a person who receives the Light of an upper state.

It is said that, “When the Cohen extends his hands, the Shechina dwells on his fingers.” This is a condition where the Upper Light passes through all nine Sefirot up to Malchut, through all the states of Yod-Hey-Vav-Hey of the Creator’s name, and thus imprints in Malchut.

Malchut, by itself, produces the Returning Light (Ohr Hozer). This says, Amen. “Amen” means truth. This word is commonly used, but hardly anyone understands its true value.

When Malchut says “Amen,” it means that it receives everything that descends down on it from above and becomes the recipient of the first nine Sefirot.

In other words, if it is ready to receive the nine Sefirot, it becomes Nukva, the female part of the nine Sefirot, and it represents the whole nation.
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From KabTV’s “Secrets of the Eternal Book” 1/28/15

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The Torah, “Numbers” 6:27: They shall bestow My Name upon the children of Israel, so that I will bless them.

Saying the Creator’s name is the revelation of the essence of the Creator’s four-letter name. Just like a seal imprinted in wax that leaves its mark, so does the Creator imprint His attributes in a person in an opposite form, and a person must correct them by making them resemble the Creator.

This is the mutual cooperation between the host and the guest when I, the guest, must imprint the desires of the host inside me. I must receive all the refreshments that He serves me so that He will be imprinted in me and carve His name in me, that is, the attitude of the host. When I enable that because I want His attitude, His attribute, to enter me, I receive it and thus connect to Him. The unity between the male part (the Creator) and the female part (the created being, the desire to receive) takes place as one enters the others, like a seal that that is imprinted in a soft pad leaves its mark.

Question: Why is it forbidden to say the Creator’s four-letter name aloud?

Answer: Saying the Creator’s name aloud means to reveal the Creator. The revelation takes place only inside a person, and he cannot convey his feelings to anyone else. According to the wisdom of Kabbalah, the word “forbidden” means impossible. You cannot reveal the Creator enough to pronounce His name. You can only absorb Him, perceive and receive His form that is totally imprinted on all of your matter, in all of your desire to receive, which leaves His mark (imprint) of His bestowal. This means that you should relate to His four-letter name Yud-Hey-Vav-Hey when you are advancing in the exact opposite direction, not from the top down, but from the bottom up.

In other words, the ten Sefirot of the Direct Light connect to the ten Sefirot of the Returning Light into one unique whole, and this state is called the goal of creation. However, unless His attributes have been attained, we mustn’t express His names. Even the name that is commonly used, like God—El is pronounced “Kel” in order to emphasize the respect we have for it. In our world, we also don’t call our father by name, but use the name “father.” This is a sign of respect for a person who is special to us, and thus we distinguish him from billions of other people. It is the same in spirituality.
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From KabTV’s “Secrets of the Eternal Book” 1/28/15

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The Torah, “Numbers” 6:22 – 6:26: The Lord spoke to Moses saying: Speak to Aaron and his sons, saying: This is how you shall bless the children of Israel, saying to them: “May the Lord bless you and watch over you. May the Lord cause His countenance to shine to you and favor you. May the Lord raise His countenance toward you and grant you peace.”

This blessing is said by the Cohanim (priests) on the Sabbath and on holidays. The Cohen (priest) is the most sublime attribute in a person, and if he is connected to the Creator who blesses him, it has a positive effect on all the other attributes a person has. This blessing corrects his whole internal structure and all his desires and intentions

Question: What is the meaning of the words, “and watch over you?”

Answer: The Upper Light, or the Creator, guards us from our egoism. He raises, strengthens, directs, and corrects us. Everything is in the hands of the Light that comes from above and corrects us. As it is written, “May the Lord cause His countenance to shine upon you and favor you.” To favor you means that He will redeem us from the great ego that holds on to us and does not let us ascend.

Everything advances in one direction, and there is nothing else but that.
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From KabTV’s “Secrets of the Eternal Book” 1/28/15

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The Torah, “Numbers” 6:26: May the Lord raise His countenance toward you and grant you peace.

The Light that descends from the upper level is called the Creator’s countenance or face. An upper level is the Creator with regard to the lower level (the created being). When the upper level turns its face to the lower level—which means that it reflects the Light of Hochma, the strong Light of correction that descends unto the lower—it is corrected.

“Grant you peace” (“Shalom” from the word “Shlemut” – “perfection”) means giving the created beings perfection. A whole human being (Man – Adam) resembles (Domeh) the Creator with the desires that have been revealed in him in a given moment. Thus he is adhered absolutely to the Creator according to the law of equivalence of form.
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From KabTV’s “Secrets of the Eternal Book” 1/28/15

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The article “The Last Generation” is interesting because Baal HaSulam doesn’t speak to his students or to contemporary Kabbalists but to ordinary people. He turns to them from a pragmatic perspective and compares all of humanity to passengers who are on a train speeding towards a bridge, but instead of a bridge there is a slippery slope, and so he gives us advice as to what we should do so that we don’t fall down that slippery slope.

At the same time, we can feel how concerned he is about humanity because he sees that eventually it could be annihilated. He tells us that there is a plan of creation that has to be fulfilled no matter what. But before it brings people to the best state possible it will put them through the path of terrible sufferings. Thus, Baal HaSulam tells us how humanity can be spared such afflictions.

The article “The Last Generation” was compiled from various notes of great work, which he intended to write, but then he realized that this mission is not for his generation. This wasn’t easy for him, of course. We cannot imagine the internal world of a man who feels that all the people in the world are like his own children, and even closer than that because he loves them spiritually and understands what awaits them. Corporeal love is egoistic, whereas spiritual love is free of self-love and is therefore billions of times stronger.
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From KabTV’s “About Our Life” 5/18/15

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The Torah, Numbers 6:1 – 6:3: The Lord spoke to Moses saying: Speak to the children of Israel, and you shall say to them: A man or woman who sets himself apart by making a nazirite vow to abstain for the sake of the Lord. He shall abstain from new wine and aged wine; he shall not drink [even] vinegar made from new wine or aged wine, nor shall he drink anything in which grapes have been steeped, and he shall eat neither fresh grapes nor dried ones.

A Nazirite (Nazir), a monk, is a person who takes a vow to dedicate himself to the Creator, and thus he abstains from consuming products that are related to wine or to grapes.

On the one hand, it is seemingly a good thing, and, in other cases, it is even necessary. However, on the other hand, it isn’t desirable since the goal of creation is to delight a person and all of humanity as one soul. It turns out that a monk actually refuses to receive pleasure.

If you refuse to consume something that is not Kosher—which means that isn’t fit for the correction of the filling, like non-Kosher meat or meat and milk, the right and the left lines without a Masach (Screen)—you simply cannot receive them with the intention of in order to bestow since you don’t have these powers.

At the end of correction, everything will be complete, and you will have these powers and be able to consume everything with the absolute attribute of bestowal. There will be no limitations, no commandments, and everything will belong to the past. The commandments are only actions of correction that are necessary as long as you have not corrected all the parts of your soul.

A monk, on the other hand, restricts himself and seems to say, “I will not correct this and that.” In this case, of course, it is much easier for him because he can be free of many actions, but he will have to make up for the lack of work under certain conditions and with certain desires. This is the reason that a monk must bring sacrifice and thus make up for the uncorrected part. This is a complex system, and everything depends on the quality of the soul.

Question: When we speak about food that isn’t Kosher, it is clear that we mustn’t consume it, but wine is Kosher.

Answer: Wine symbolizes a very high Light, the Light of Hochma. A monk understands that he cannot receive and use this Light in order to attain Hochma for the sake of the Creator, and in that case it will serve him in the opposite manner and intoxicate him like in the case of Shimshon-Nazir the monk who was forced to drink and got drunk, which means that he couldn’t receive the Light for his spiritual advancement and experienced a tragedy. This is the reason that a monk simply doesn’t work with this Light. We all can experience this state. On the whole, it is also clear that it is all about an internal state that has nothing to do with our physical attributes.
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From KabTV’s “Secrets of the Eternal Book” 1/21/15

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