Talks about the Steps of the Ladder, Part 48

Is It Possible to Grade Levels of Fear?

Each fear stands on its own, but in general, each level of fear reveals a higher, more spiritual fear. These levels progress from corporeal fears to human fears to spiritual fears. For example, at the lowest level, we fear physical pain. Next, we fear death, then shame. Eventually, we fear taking responsibility for selfish reception. Finally, we begin to fear matters related to the Creator.

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Talks about the Steps of the Ladder, Part 47

How Does the Transition from Animalistic Fear to Spiritual Fear Take Place?

All fears are interconnected in a process: fear within fear within fear. For example, fear might begin as dread of the police, later transform into fear of public shame, and so on. Yet the root of all fear lies above, at the place of adhesion with the Creator, where the ultimate fear is of not being able to give to Him. From this root, fear descends through many levels, and manifests in this world as fear of external things such as police, shame, or failure.

We sink into this illusory fear, much like a child is scared of an imaginary bear outside. The danger is not real, and there is no reason for fear. Yet, despite understanding rationally that there is no need to be afraid, the emotional vessel still experiences fear. No matter how many logical reassurances we receive, we remain trapped in this sensation.

Over time, through study, effort, and connection with teachers and a supportive group, our vessel begins to open. Gradually, we trace our fear to its root, and realize that the fear of the police, for instance, is actually tied to the Creator. We come to see that the Creator orchestrates this fear to draw us closer to Him.

At this stage, we begin to distinguish what it means to fear the Creator. We question why the Creator makes us fear external things and realize it is to prompt us to ask: “Which is stronger—the police or the Creator?” This inner scrutiny grows until we perceive all fears as emanating from the Creator.

Eventually, the two fears, fear of the police and fear of the Creator, merge into one. We no longer experience them as two separate forces but as one unified, upper source: the Creator. We begin to view the Creator through the lens of fear, fearing that abandoning Him will lead us back to fearing external things.

Through this process, we discern an even higher root. We understand that the Creator’s purpose in arousing fear is not to frighten us, but to connect us to Him. Moreover, this connection is not for the sake of instilling fear, but to lead us to adhesion and love. Since the law of love is bestowal, we embark on an inner search for how to give to the Creator. At this point, all fears and disturbances disappear, for they are the opposite of giving.

Where does the transition occur? The transition from ordinary fear to fear of the Creator—the fear of being unable to bestow—does not necessarily happen during moments of fear. It can arise from any unpleasant sensation, even a vague discomfort. All unpleasant sensations are signals from above urging us to seek our root.

Why does the Creator send unpleasant sensations? The Creator does not send unpleasant sensations directly. Instead, He sends hints of the perfect state above. However, as these hints pass through the layers of worlds and levels before reaching a person, they are perceived as negative, for the person’s vessels are oppositely shaped.

Through effort and labor on “There is none else besides Him,” we gradually arrive at the correct solution, which is seeing how the situation originated from the Creator to teach us. This understanding does not come spontaneously, but through deep inner work and scrutinies drawn from experience.

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What Does It Mean to Start Anew Each Day?

“Today” and “yesterday” are two different vessels. For example, yesterday I ate dinner and felt full. I did not imagine that I would want to eat again today. But after several hours, my desire became renewed, and today I feel a lack of satisfaction. This is a “new day.” A “day” represents the opportunity to derive pleasure, draw light, and reveal it.

In spirituality, no day is like a previous day, and no night resembles the one that follows. Spiritual desire evolves, while physical desire remains the same—static. In spirituality, the same desire never repeats itself. The process might seem repetitive, as if we encounter the same issue repeatedly, but the sages explain that each day is new, filled with fresh scrutinies and desires.

After countless “days” of scrutinies, although the exact number is unknown, we reach the end of our scrutinies and attain a complete vessel. This is the corrected vessel in which spirituality becomes revealed. Thus, it is written: “They shall be new in your eyes every day.” Time is a succession of new discernments, new desires.

These discernments often come in uncomfortable ways, manifesting as shame, fear, or failures stemming from fatigue, weakness, or impatience. But predominantly, they appear as fears, because the first Mitzvah (commandment) is fear, i.e., bringing a person from animalistic fear to spiritual fear, not fear of suffering in this world or the next, but fear of the Creator, wondering if we are connected to Him or have anything to offer in return.

The initial corrections revolve around reaching spiritual fear. Through worldly fears, or their semblance, a person is brought to fear only the Creator. Yet this fear is not fear of the Creator, but fear of not being connected to Him, and beyond that, fear of the inability to reciprocate or give to Him. This is what life’s myriad complexities ultimately revolve around.

This initial stage can take several years and appears in various forms. One person fears their boss, another worries about upsetting neighbors, a third dreads having committed an unforgivable act, and yet another fears an ongoing legal trial. The Creator has an endless array of such fears that He arouses in us, often in unimaginable ways. Sometimes, something prepared decades earlier suddenly surfaces.

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Is it Possible that the Preparation Stage of Work Never Ends?

In spirituality, there is no situation where the work remains unfinished. We must complete the work of each degree, otherwise we cannot advance to the next. Success or failure is not the issue—completion is inevitable.

The challenges along the way are not inner flaws, but opportunities to sharpen our inner discernments. When we encounter an obstacle or failure, it is to highlight a specific quality that we need to understand and refine. There is no true failure. Instead, every stumbling block points to something that requires deeper scrutiny.

Also, it is important to note that no evil comes from above. The light that shines from above never brings any harm. It reveals the places within us that require correction. Until these corrections take place, sensations might be unpleasant.

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Chapter 5. From Corporeal Fear to Spiritual Fear

A person lives a normal, mundane life, and suddenly begins to feel light, like a bird. They experience a sense of revival, an awakening, which is an inner ascent toward spirituality. Suddenly, without knowing its source, they receive a new spirit of life. However, an awakening from above does not emerge out of nowhere; it comes only after we have prepared for it.

We have a preparatory task—preparing our vessel to feel the completion of correction. All levels and states exist in the final correction (Gmar Tikkun), and we already reside within it. To perceive this completion, we gradually construct a vessel of sensation within ourselves. The more we refine this vessel, the more sensitive it becomes, letting us perceive our position relative to the final correction. We gradually open up to this single state that exists, sensing and perceiving more and more of it according to our corrections.

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How Can We Control an Uncorrectable Desire?

We must not use a desire that we cannot correct, except with the awareness that it remains uncorrected. There should be criticism and awareness.

We cannot correct a desire independently. Rather, our efforts bring about change from above. The reforming light corrects our desire. Without this light, no forced effort can achieve correction.

From a Talk on the Article “What Is, ‘There Is No Blessing in That Which Is Counted,’ in the Work?” 5/22/2002

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What Is the Difference Between Being Thrown in a “Catapult” and Being a “Fetus,” Seeing End-to-End?

The difference is immense. A “fetus” (Ubar) sees from one end to the other because it nullifies itself, and thus its experiences do not overwhelm it. In contrast, someone thrown in a catapult moves between extremes and becomes entangled in them. Every state dominates them and immerses them completely.

A fetus is unaffected because it possesses a screen (Masach). It passes through extreme states without being controlled by them. However, those in a catapult are ruled by each state and demonstrate their weakness and helplessness.

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What Are the Right and Left Lines in Relation to Developing Feelings?

The right and left lines are relative. In the preparation stage of our spiritual development we do not yet know the spiritual form of these lines. With a desire to receive for oneself and a desire to bestow, the latter is called the “right” and the former the “left,” and both divide into various forms.

Below the barrier, when everything is still Lo Lishma (not for the Creator’s sake), the right and left lines are determined by importance. Raising the importance of the Creator is called “right,” while raising the importance of what the body demands is called “left.”

When we cannot yet work with these lines, the main focus is scrutiny. Intellectual scrutiny is our entire work. If this scrutiny can be combined with feeling, we might achieve in one hour what others achieve in a week. This explains why reading and discussing Kabbalistic articles is so exhausting, as rapid work requires significant energy.

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What Helps Us Control Emotion with Reason?

Only fear can help with this, nothing else. Such fear might arise from the possibility of losing the goal, but ultimately, it is the lack of meaning in life. The question of “What is the purpose of life?” compels us to activate our intellect over our emotions. Those who feel life as empty and devoid of pleasure turn to the intellect in order to improve their state.

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How Can We Acquire the Creator’s Qualities Emotion-Free?

We cannot rely solely on emotions. How can we compare one feeling to another and discern which is genuine? Reason must guide this process.

There are concepts of good and evil, sweet and bitter, truth and falsehood. Sweet and bitter are emotional judgments, while truth and falsehood are intellectual evaluations. To distinguish correctly, we must use the measures of truth and falsehood rather than sweet and bitter, which can lead us away from Kedusha.

It is beneficial to understand the opposite of Kedusha, but even such understanding requires intellect rather than relying on emotional measures like sweet and bitter.

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