In reality, there is nothing except forces. The forces that manifest in a certain way can thereby be in touch with our sensory organs. That’s how we are able to perceive, feel, and understand them somehow and start using them by having established that connection.

However, this force existed even before we started to perceive it. All the forms in which it manifests work solely relative to us and in order to reveal to us the first and only Force that doesn’t clothe into anything.

A soul is also a force that we cannot know if it doesn’t dress in some garment, some form that we are able to feel. To the extent that we correct ourselves, we see that all the previous forms in which we experienced these forces, such as crystalline matter, liquids, air, and even a vacuum were imaginary stages of our attainment that we have undergone. They exist solely in our imagination.

Since we lived in our egoistic desire, we were forced to experience this one Upper Force in specific forms, in these “garments” adjusted to fit our egoism’s perception. When our desire to receive pleasure is transformed and acquires its authentic form “to bestow,” we will see that all the previous forms were merely an illusion aimed to serve us in reaching the final correction.

This journey through all of the forms is really necessary for us because it teaches us how to get to know the Creator. Thanks to all the actions we have completed, we start comprehending His plan for us, His desire, and His love.

From all of these imaginary forms that we undertake while ascending on the 125 spiritual degrees through all the worlds or concealments, we get to know the Creator, as it is said: “From Your actions, we shall know You.” All of it is an illusion veiling the Creator, yet, it helps us to get to know Him.

Without taking into account all of the steps we have made and connecting them into one integral picture, it is impossible to assemble any image of the Creator. After all, we are the created beings, opposite to the Creator, and are unable to attain His essence.
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From the 4th part of the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 1/4/2011, “The Wisdom of Kabbalah and Philosophy”

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If the Creator wishes to bring us to similarity to Him, then how can He arouse in us the feeling of His greatness, the value of the property of bestowal, so that we would want to trade our state of existence for His? He does not have much choice, and we are forced to ascend in small steps while always making attempts to choose a more exalted degree over our present state.

Because of this, the Creator cannot reveal His love to us! In fact, if love were revealed, it would immediately ruin the entire ladder of spiritual degrees and everything that differentiates them.

A child is the head of a family and constantly demands from the parents, assuming they live for him. He is taking advantage of their love. If, however, he is in somebody else’s house, he acts totally differently: He won’t make demands as he would at home; he will be shy and afraid. But at home, he has no shame or fear.

Therefore, if the Creator disclosed His love to us, we, like spoiled children, would never be able to appreciate His greatness and ascend to Him. In this world, we are driven by the natural instinct that pushes us to grow and evolve. But in the spiritual world, this animate instinct doesn’t exist. We have to develop such desire on our own.

Moreover, if the Creator did reveal Himself as a Loving one, we would disregarded Him in everything. Hence, He must hide in order to give us an opportunity to evolve and appreciate His magnificence in the darkness. In the light, we wouldn’t be able to do so.

This is precisely what the impure forces (Klipot) complain about: They would like to discover the Creator before receiving the screen. In such case, we would have no chance to reach bestowal at all.
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From the 4th part of the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 1/3/2011, “The Wisdom of Kabbalah and Philosophy”

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We are talking about the Creator based on our Kelim (vessels), provided we are able to correct them. We can know Him only from our corrected Kelim.

The corrected Kelim operate according to the principle: "From Your actions, we shall know You." By performing the same actions as the Creator, I begin to learn who He is.

The Creator’s actions are bestowal, and that’s why I, too, have to come to bestowal in order to know Him. The actions that are identical to His will let me understand Him: who and what He is, His program and purpose in relation to me, His intentions and commands. I will know all of that when I resemble Him in actions, and not before.

So how can I come to the actions of the Creator? To this end, I have to attain the attribute of bestowal. We attain it above the attribute of reception, above the receiving Kelim, which is called: "Faith above reason." It is the essence of our work.

"Knowledge" is what I know, feel, and am able to see in the sensations of the desire to receive. And "faith" is another, more exalted attribute. I attain it above knowledge: I first need to discover and test my knowledge, and then I receive a force from Above that will allow me to go above it, in exactly the same form but higher. It means that I advance by faith above reason.
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From the 1st part of the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 1/2/2011, “Above Reason in Divine Service”

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Question: What is money? And why are people so interested in it?

Answer: Money (Kesef) means a screen, which comes from the word “covering” (Kisufa). This is the Light of Hassadim that covers or conceals the egoistic desire, enabling one to receive the entire Light of Hochma.

That is why in the material world money has such great value and can buy anything. Any object has a monetary equivalent and everything is measured by money.

In spirituality everything is measured by the anti-egoistic screen, by what kind of covering you have from the Light of Hassadim. It determines a person’s size, height, and force because according to this garment, he is able to accept the Light of Hochma.

Thus, there is egoistic use of the notion of “money” as well as its use “for the sake of bestowal.” Accordingly, the ritual vessels in the Temple are divided into those that are “silver” (silver, Kesef, comes from the words covering, Kisufa), and those that are “golden” (gold, Zahav, comes from the words “give this,” Ze Av).

There is also a notion of “pocket money” that we sometimes give to a child. This is money that a person needs in order to feel protected against “poverty,” meaning to have the necessary covering for his will to enjoy.

A “pocket” is a receiving vessel, and pocket money is a covering that corresponds exactly to my receiving desires or vessels, enabling me to remain on the minimal level of bestowal, Nefesh, as Hafetz Hesed, one who does not need greater fulfillment.

Every person determines the degree of the concealment necessary to him according to his degree. However, if a child has a question about what he should spend the money he receives on, this is no longer called “pocket money” because it is beyond the boundaries of providing the vital necessities (buying breakfast at school or even candy or ice-cream, which is also considered necessary for a child to some degree).
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From the 4th part of the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 1/4/11, “The Wisdom of Kabbalah and Philosophy”

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Until we clarify our desire to enjoy and reveal the whole system of connections and qualities in it, it seems to be just a desire to us, nothing special. However, when its depth is revealed, we see just how complicated this system is.

This is how in quantum physics, scientists penetrate deeper and deeper into matter, each time revealing a whole world within, consisting of smaller and smaller elementary particles that seemed inseparable before. Similarly, we penetrate deeper and deeper into the desire to receive pleasure.

What do we see in it? We see how the Upper Light that created the desire to enjoy influenced it and created the four phases of the Direct Light in it. Since the Light entered the desire to receive, during these four phases, it builds its own structure in it.

In the desire to receive itself, there is nothing except the desire. However, the Light creates differentiations in it according to the five phases of Aviut (the thickness, coarseness of the desire): Shoresh, Aleph, Bet, Gimel, Dalet (root, one, two, three, four), as well as the Sefirot, worlds, Partzufim, lines, and an infinite number of types of connections and forms, each of which has its own characteristics. There is an infinite number of differences, and they all come from the Light.

Therefore, the more we reveal the desire to receive, the more we reveal the Light, the Creator, and His nature. However, we reveal Him from the material, the desire to receive, and this is called "form clothed in matter."

We do not reveal the Creator Himself. We reveal the actions that He has performed in the matter, and from these actions, we know the Creator. As it is written, "From Your actions, I shall know You."

We penetrate into the matter itself. The Creator brought Himself into the matter, we reveal ourselves in that same matter, and there we encounter the Creator. Therefore, Atzmuto (His Essence) remains unattainable.
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From the 2nd part of the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 1/2/2011, “Introduction of The Book of Zohar,” Article “Yitro (Jethro)”

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Question: How can a person choose bestowal instead of reception?

Answer: First of all, this requires preparation on his part. He has to desire for this to happen. Even if he will get knocked off track later on because the Creator will increase his egoistic desire and alien thoughts, the preparation he made will still do its job.

Secondly, one must set apart a time for studying and doing things related to bestowal. This will also give him forces to return to the path.

Thirdly, a person must motivate the environment to bestow and reach mutual guarantee so that not a single one of the friends would stop thinking about it, but will always aspire to ascend above reason and egoism. The constant, common thought of the group is the surest guarantee there can be.

It is written: “Do everything that is in your power.” At the end of the day, our common efforts awaken the Light that Reforms. A person has to understand that it is necessary to obligate the Creator to give him Light. The Creator constantly increases his egoistic desire, and only at times does He awaken a person with the bestowing desire, the Light, in order to ignite his inner spark which he has to bring into the group. However, this can only happen several times and we shouldn’t wait for it to happen because this kind of awakening is linked to a very unpleasant calculation.

That’s because the Creator cannot give you a bestowing desire “for free.” Therefore, if you are waiting out for it, you will have to experience suffering and pay back for the support in full. On the other hand, you can ask for it ahead of time according to the principle, “Turn to Me and I will give it to you.” You can ask the Creator for the forces of bestowal and then pay for them.
From the 1st part of the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 1/4/11, Writings of Rabash

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At Kabbalah conventions, during Unity Days, and at other such gatherings, we do very serious work, and it affects us every time. If we spend the three days correctly, then during the lessons you will begin to understand and feel much more than now.

Such unifying events elevate a person since he becomes saturated with spiritual forces while participating in them. We receive them solely by way of unification and will never find them within or obtain them directly from Above. We gain the strength to ascend solely from the environment. The more tuned-in and immersed I am, the greater our collective benefit is.

From a person’s initial desire, from the “point in the heart,” he appeals to the group, gains additional desire from it, and employs it to raise MAN, the plea for correction. Then, in response, he receives the force of bestowal, which in essence is his soul.

Every one of us has only a seed of a soul, the point in the heart. Later on, we must face our evil inclination, our mutual hate and resentment. My evil inclination resists unification with people who are willing to come with me to the Creator, to the purpose of creation.

There was a time when we were all linked as one whole, until the breaking occurred, cutting us off from each other. True hate emerges precisely between us, not in each of us separately. I don’t need to dread the character I was born with or my inclinations. It is all nonsense. What matters is that while striving to unite with the friends, I discover that I don’t wish to do so and am appalled by it.

I get to see the whole mountain of hate, Mount Sinai. I transform it with the Light that Reforms; in other words, I receive the Torah and merit “the land of Israel,” the spiritual desire aimed directly to the Creator. Finally, I get to know Him and reveal spirituality.
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From Lesson 1, Convention at the Arava Desert 12/30/10

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The states of “Israel” and “nations of the world” constantly alternate inside a person and this process does not depend on him. All he has to do is “push down on the gas,” strive forward with everything he’s got. To do that, one needs a strong connection with the group and relentless thought about spiritual advancement in the direction of bestowal. That is how the principle “Israel, Torah, and the Creator are one” is realized, which is the Creator’s command.

The more efforts a person makes, the more often these two states alternate. That’s when it is important not to let either of them knock you off track, not to wish to remain in either state, and not get stuck in either of them.

One must always see the goal ahead of him and aspire directly to it, even though the path is curvy and crooked. Every person is whirled about by his own Reshimot, as if he is advancing down a winding tunnel. There is nowhere to escape to and you only aspire forward, not making any calculations on the sharp turns.

Perhaps you want to stop, to experience the current state, to study it and “chew it up.” But that will never help. Try to go through all the places at full speed and don’t worry if you are unfamiliar with the path.

The only way to understand anything is from a higher level. A child never knows what developmental stage he is now going through. He understands only the previous stages. That is why older children can be instructors for younger ones. The best thing is to set up this kind of interaction between adjoining levels.

Therefore, we always aspire only forward, until the very end of correction. Only there will we reveal all the roots, all the initial, intermediate, and final states. When they interweave into one whole, then you will reveal the system in an instant and understand everything. Until then there is no truth that you can rely on.
From the 1st part of the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 1/2/11, Writings of Rabash

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All of humanity except for Kabbalists is allegedly engaged in attaining spirituality, the Creator. It applies even to the secular who do not have anything to do with spirituality and lead a simple, animalistic way of life.

However, if you look a little deeper, all of their actions tell you that they are searching for it as well. Everyone is searching in his or her own way, through culture, music, and literature. But they treat these things as if they were a kind of deity, something lofty, great, and eternal. They relate to science the same way as well.

The search for scientific answers is also worshiping other gods because people are trying to attain spirituality through science, by discovering what is concealed in nature. They are searching at the level of their small desires.

However, they don’t even know what they are doing. In truth, besides its animalistic life, humanity is searching only for spirituality. People just don’t know about it and continue to roam like cows in a meadow.

Each person feels that he is searching in the right way, according to the Aviut (coarseness) of their desire. But with egoism growing from generation to generation, a person’s search gets closer to the wisdom of Kabbalah. And when he comes to Kabbalah, the questions begin: “What is the meaning of my life? What am I living for? Everything is nonsense, I want to be on another level.  I want to know the Creator, to reveal Him.”

Didn’t he want to reveal spirituality before? Previously, he believed that he could reveal spirituality by discovering a new law of nature, by creating beautiful art or literature, or through prayers and meditation. But after all of these searches, people come to a state where they simply have to attain the Creator in their new organs of perception, which are now being revealed. This is the wisdom of Kabbalah.

Abraham took people like that with him. However, we are not referring to the man who left for the land of Canaan, but to the desire to receive of all of humanity, which is sorting itself according to one’s affiliation with these teachings. That’s precisely what the Torah talks about: a global, universal desire.
[30945]
From the 4th part of the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 12/27/10, “The Wisdom of Kabbalah and Philosophy”

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Question: What does it mean to experience the Light?

Answer: To experience the Light means to feel pleasure. In this world, I can enjoy different things that delight me or don’t, depending on my state of mind. One time I enjoy staying in bed and don’t want to get up to attend a lesson; another time, I am dying to jump out of it, but they don’t let me get up and tell me to stay in bed for another week until I get well.

In other words, this isn’t an absolute pleasure, just like sweet, soft, or warm, all have a limited, conditional meanings. Sometimes, they give me pleasure, and another time quite the opposite feeling.

Common pleasure that we experience in our collective desire to feel pleasure (the will to receive) is called the “Light.” It’s because the Light that existed initially created our desire, a vessel, and now the desire receives pleasure when the Light fills or unfolds in it. That’s how we are designed! Therefore, when the Light leaves the desire, it cries and wants to bring it back. This is how the entire creation is made.

But the Creator wanted for you to desire the Light by your own will and not just to receive it and enjoy. Beside the pleasure you feel, He wishes you to have an understanding and awareness of the Light: Where does it come from? Where is its source? Why did it create you and what does it want from you? It is as though the Light wants to show you: “Look from what a distant star I came here; there, everything is so wonderful and good, and I want to take you with me!”

Therefore, it hides from you and starts trying to get your attention with various indirect actions, from every side. It plays with you until you finally start wishing to know the source it came from, rather than chase the pleasure it can bring, and despite the pleasures it brings.

In truth, if you desire to come to it, to its “home,” it means you love Him and not just the pleasures He sends to fill you. You have to love Him so much as to be ready to “fly away” to that place, that “star” where He came from, just to never part with Him again. And you do it despite the fact that you completely renounce the pleasure, thereby showing Him how much you love Him.
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From the 4th part of the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 12/30/10, “The Wisdom of Kabbalah and Philosophy”

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