At every given instant we are sent different states (desires and thoughts) from Above. At all times, we need to search for ways to maintain ourselves in harmony with nature, in revelation with the Creator, to reveal the quality of bestowal in us. In this manner, we begin to cultivate ourselves.

This is exactly how children grow in our world. A child constantly looks for ways to learn about the world. A child looks for qualities and connections, how he can relate to the world, and how he can take part in it.

We need to do the same thing with the desires and thoughts inside us. We need to understand what kind of forces influence us, how to react to them properly, and how to reveal their Source. The Source is revealed in the aspiration to identify it in everything in the world, as “There is none else beside Him” and He is good that does good.

Like in our world where a child cannot grow up if he does not follow a grown-up’s example, we too cannot grow up in the spiritual world unless we find our Teacher, the Creator. This search continues at every instant, as we learn the force of bestowal from Him.

We try to set an example for our children so that they will copy us; the Creator acts the same way in regard to us (within us) in the spiritual world. He shows us examples of how to reach bestowal, Lishma, from egoism, Lo Lishma. Therefore, we need to examine His examples and become similar to them in order to raise ourselves through faith above reason every time.

We need to acquire a new, higher mind, a new quality of bestowal in order to be able to understand Him. Then we will see that in every moment, we are being taught how to bestow. In other words, I am receiving examples from Him of how I need to correct myself, and through them, is how I ascend from one degree to the next.

From the 1st part of the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 4/9/10, Shamati 22

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The Zohar. Chapter “VaYaera (And the Lord Appeared),” Item 424. …The fruit of the actions of the Creator is from that river that stretches out of Eden, meaning ZA and the souls of the righteous. In other words, its deed is the souls of the righteous. And this is the fortune from which all good blessings and timely rains pour out, as it is written, “To water the garden.” It trickles and waters from above downwards because sons depend on this fortune and on no other place….

All our degrees of ascension and correction depend on “fortune” (Mazal) – the Lights that come from above “in drops,” one after another, and seep through the beard of Arich Anpin from his head. And since they come in intervals, we have an opportunity to correct ourselves.

Corrections occur to us step by step, time after time, due to the fact that the Upper Light comes to us in small portions, since a person is incapable of freeing himself from his egoism immediately, in one leap. This is impossible, since egoism is our whole nature!

Therefore, heaviness of the heart comes to us, we overcome it, then it comes again, and we overcome it again, and so on; “drop by drop” we receive correction. All this is due to the revelation of the drops of the Light of Hochma, which are delivered to us by the stream (Zeir Anpin) that flows out of Eden (Bina) and irrigates our souls.

From the 1st part of the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 4/7/10, The Zohar

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In order to reach spiritual life, there is no need to feel badly in our material life. We see this through the example of Egyptian slavery, where Jews had everything necessary for a good life. A new king came to power in Egypt and the seven years of famine began; however, this is spiritual rather than material hunger.

They built wonderful cities for Pharaoh: Pitom and Ramses. What do we mean when we say “for Pharaoh?” It was done for their egoism! They built a great life for it. However, suddenly it was revealed that all is empty…and we need to run from such a life, in spite of all its sated well-being.

I feel that spiritual life is more important than material life, and it is better to die than to live without it. I cannot live this life anymore; I need to reveal the spiritual. Therefore, I am willing to run into the dark and the desert.

This state is called coming out of Egypt. It is when a person needs to change his priorities and make them opposite to what is commonly accepted. However, the world doesn’t need to expose itself to corporeal suffering at all. Rather we should suffer only from the lack of spirituality, not from material problems.

A person cannot be driven into the spiritual world with a stick. People turn to religion and psychologists from corporeal problems. One needs to lack spirituality. This depends on how quickly his point in the heart is revealed and how broadly we are able to disseminate the science of Kabbalah.

Without the dissemination of this knowledge, spiritual deliverance cannot occur. A person is incapable of inventing a method of revealing spirituality on his own; one needs to receive it somehow. Therefore, Baal HaSulam called the dissemination of the science of Kabbalah "The Messiah’s Horn," since without this the world has no chance to change for the better.

From the 1st part of the Daily Kabbalah Lesson, 4/4/10, The Zohar.

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Spirituality is the quality of bestowal that is revealed in the bond between souls. This is the only thing the Kabbalists write about, as there is nothing else. There is no other reality.

We exist in a universe and the space between us is filled entirely with bestowal. This whole system with all its internal connections is called “the Creator.” And every one of us who wants to uphold this system and observe its laws is called the “creation.”

Presently we are not creations, and we do not pertain to the Creator’s system. Indeed, a creation is one who desires to be connected with others. He wants to actualize the system just as it exists from the standpoint of nature, which is concealed from us.

We currently exist in this system and observe its laws 100% of the time though we are entirely unaware of this fact. Even now, we exist in a completely corrected state called “1,” which is a state before the descent into our world.

Everything is already working perfectly but only from the standpoint of the Creator. We have lost perception of this state and must now bring ourselves to consciousness: To desire to return there and reveal our true location and function. The return of this system to this previous state depends on our desire, preparedness, and efforts.

Then we will reveal the same state wherein we already exist, but this realization will enable us to feel it as state “3.” It will appear to us as clear, deep, and full of perfection. This state is 613 times greater than the original state. We only need to correctly understand this system and ourselves within it so as to begin the work of revealing our true state, our true life.

From the 1st part of the Daily Kabbalah Lesson, 4/2/10, The Zohar

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A question I received: Why does a person possess properties that make him think, understand and act differently?

My Answer: Otherwise we wouldn’t be independent. We have to include within ourselves two opposites, the Light and the darkness, and they have to co-exist within us. Otherwise, we won’t become similar to the Creator. We have to keep our “own” properties and at the same time be similar to the “Creator.”

The more we advance the bigger these two opposites become within us. They rise up like two monsters. In fact, they constitute two lines, two pillars that extend from Above, from the Creator, onto us.

All our confusions, worries, problems, hesitations, and fluctuations from side to side, from left to right are meant to outline our new shape using the desires to receive and to bestow. The contradiction between material and its shape will remain in place and will only grow larger. In the opposition of these two properties within ourselves, at the border which divides them, in the endless separation between them, is where we reveal all the secrets of creation.

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A question I received: What desires within me belong to the "stony heart" that will be corrected in the very end during the final correction?

My Answer: All desires which are discussed in the wisdom of Kabbalah, such as GE, AHP, and the stony heart, are our broken desires. We were once connected together through them, but this connection broke apart. These desires are not at all directed to the fulfillments of this world.

In fact, the broken desires which exist between us are actually the absence of connection between us, but we don’t feel them whatsoever. Do I really feel that I’m disconnected from you, that I miss this connection and it’s broken? Do I really regret that I hate you?

We don’t even sense the desires which require correction. For now there is nothing to correct since we don’t see what’s missing and broken. This is why none of us have desires belonging to the soul except for the single point in a heart (in those who already have it awakened). It becomes the beginning of our soul if we start discerning our connections requiring correction within it.

At the same time the ordinary human desires have no relation to our connection with other souls. This is why we don’t have a soul yet, but only material bodily desires which are not related to the soul.

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The Zohar tells us about the upper system which includes all of us. However, there is no need to explain it in great detail, because we simply follow the story and wait for it to influence us. Then the picture becomes clearer, as though appearing through the fog. It’s like a child who gradually becomes familiar with the world, learning about various things around him, how they’re connected, and how to use them.

Similarly, we naturally grow this way in the new world. Now we’re approaching that world and it is beginning to emerge more clearly before us. First we begin to “hear” something, and later on we start to recognize these sounds. This is the way we enter the sensations of the spiritual world.

Therefore, it doesn’t make sense to explain a lot since spirituality must be revealed in sensation, inside the desire rather than inside the mind. Instead of studying spirituality theoretically and being satisfied with that, we have to enter the spiritual world.

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During the spiritual ascent, it’s as if a person wakes up, inhales, and becomes full of inspiration. This is a sign of being close to spirituality. One doesn’t feel the Light yet, but it seems the dawn will break soon.

It is the time when one can discern and grasp many new things in the same study materials. One should use this time for the maximum bestowal; one should scoop it out completely without wasting a single moment. Otherwise, it’s as if he disregards what was given to him from Above.

It doesn’t matter what books a person reads during this time as long as they are close to his soul. After all, even without understanding what he reads, he exerts efforts in joining his desire and mind with the Light that comes upon him. He wants the Light to penetrate his desire, and then the collision between them advances him.

Our world, atoms, molecules—all of it does not exist. There is only the power of desire. When one’s desire is close to the Light, he should try to work with it as much as possible.

The aspiration to the goal that becomes revealed in a person’s heart is the appeal for correction. The efforts put forth during the spiritual ascent on the studies, dissemination, and work in the group, lead to the desire that deserves the revelation of the Light.

The spiritual world doesn’t have boundaries, walls, or prohibitions. The Light and the Kli exist next to each other, but they don’t intersect much like waves of different frequencies. It’s only if a person switches from the wave of receiving to the wave of giving that he tunes in to the Light and becomes fulfilled with it.

For this, a person needs a strong and whole desire which is similar to the Light at the minimal level. This desire can be very small but it should be completely focused on the goal. It is similar to how a child wants something small, but with all his might this desire seizes him completely, even if for a short time.

The minimum similarity to the Creator will immediately allow us to sense Him. The sensation of the Creator is our soul. Then, we discover the eternal and perfect life at His level and not at the level of our body. The desire to bestow corrected by the Light brings us to the Creator, to the common property of Nature, and we merge with its level and might.

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Two questions I received on why the study of Kabbalah is necessary:

Question: Can you please elaborate on why you see the study of Kabbalah as essential and as a condition for the ego to have the common soul shine in it? In my view, this is not essential. One can have the same effect through Tikkun Olam (correcting the world, in whatever form it may take, be it practical or spiritual), even if one does not study Kabbalah.

My Answer: You have not tried everything that’s out there yet, and what you do is your choice. Continue with your various attempts while you have the possibility and while the world still exists. Meanwhile, suffering will make you wiser and eventually you will choose Kabbalah.

Kabbalah invites you to find a rational proof, a precise theory, practice, and power to correct yourself, instead of choosing a technique with your eyes closed.

Question: You refer to how we will be pushed to spirituality and Nature will give us blows until we accept your teachings, not to mention the secretive ways you use in instructing your students to disseminate Kabbalah. To be honest it sounds like threats, and to be horribly blunt it sounds like “Nature” is violating its own laws. If the Creator violates his own laws, then why should we obey them?

My Answer: What are you talking about? There are no secretive methods. Come to our center and see for yourself.

There are no magic forces and secrets in the world. Everything is open to you. You just have to grow up.

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A question I received: Why can’t I reveal the Light of Hochma?

My Answer: Because you don’t have the Light of Hassadim. You have only the desire to receive, which doesn’t feel good in the Light of Hochma because it cannot receive pleasure from it. The Light of Hochma cannot be felt in the egoistic desires. It can be revealed only to the extent of the presence of the Light of Hassadim, your intention to bestow (Bina of the four stages of the Direct Light).

You can have an infinite Kli with infinite Light of Hochma in it, but if you don’t have the Light of Hassadim, you will experience complete darkness, a state called “hell.” Even a tiny spark of the Light of Hochma without Hassadim feels like suffering, illness, disaster and crisis.

We are given a tiny feeling of the Light of Hochma in the Light of Hassadim by the Creator’s mercy. This gives us a feeling of life so we would be able to exist and develop with free will, in order to acquire the Light of Hassadim and reach the full revelation of the Light of Hochma.

The Creator develops us by “playing” with us. When He shines upon us with the Light of Hochma, we feel bad, but it is done in order for us to understand that we need the Light of Hassadim (a screen, Ohr Hozer, the Reflected Light, the intention to bestow and love). Then we will reveal the Light of Hochma in the Light of Hassadim, reflected by the screen.

Over time, as one receives blows depending on the amount of luminescence of Hochma, one starts asking the question, “Why am I suffering? What is going on? What is the meaning of my life?” That person is then brought to the group, the teacher, and the studying of the science of Kabbalah where he gradually finds out that the only thing he needs is the Light of Hassadim.

That is why the science of Kabbalah teaches us how to build a screen of bestowal (the intention to bestow and love, Ohr Hassadim). To the extent we are capable of bestowing, the Creator will also be revealed to us as One who Bestows, like in the example of the guest and the host.

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