Talks about the Steps of the Ladder, Part 174

What Is Slander?

Slander is directed only against the Creator. It does not refer to two people speaking badly about a third person. In truth, slander is directed only at the Creator because we have no relationship with anything other than the Creator. Anything that interferes with us relating correctly to the Creator, that is, the inner and outer voice within us that might weaken or corrupt our attitude toward the Creator, is called “slander.”

In fact, all disturbances can be considered slander because they all, whether external or internal, speak within us against the Creator’s uniqueness, against “the Good who does good.”

Related Material:
Talks about the Steps of the Ladder, Part 173
Talks about the Steps of the Ladder, Part 172
Talks about the Steps of the Ladder, Part 171

Filed under: Talks about the Steps of the Ladder - No Comments →

Talks about the Steps of the Ladder, Part 173

What Happens on the Degrees Before the Degree of the Creator?

All the degrees prior to the degree of the Creator are degrees of equivalence of form, which gradually lead us to complete equivalence. We have 620 desires, and we need to equalize the use of each and every desire with the way the Creator uses His desires. We align each desire so that it will be in order to bestow, which means that our use of the desire becomes identical to the Creator’s use of desires.

The Creator created this desire by means of a specific light that shines corresponding to that desire. If 620 lights emerge from the Creator, then each light creates a particular desire to receive in us. We correct this desire to “in order to bestow,” and then the vessel becomes like the light. That same desire becomes similar to that specific light because it bestows back according to the same action.

Therefore, we have 620 such vessels that bestow back to the Creator, just as the Creator, through 620 lights, bestows into those vessels. Consequently two systems are formed in which the actions of bestowal are identical, referred to as “the created being becomes exactly like the Creator.”

Related Material:
Talks about the Steps of the Ladder, Part 172
Talks about the Steps of the Ladder, Part 171
Talks about the Steps of the Ladder, Part 170

Filed under: Talks about the Steps of the Ladder - No Comments →

Talks about the Steps of the Ladder, Part 172

What Is the Meaning of “The Good and Delight That the Creator Wished to Bestow Upon His Created Beings”?

This refers to the level of the Creator. There is no good and delight other than the Creator Himself, that is, His state and degree. This is what the Creator wanted the created being to reach. Anything less than this cannot be called “to do good to His created beings.” Anything less would simply be mercy toward the created being. This is because “the Good” is the Creator Himself, whom we call “the Good who does good,” and He wants us to arrive at that goodness.

We need to reach the state of the Creator, which is certainly more than merely to receive from Him or to feel Him. It means actually reaching His state.

This is what is meant by equivalence of form, which is called “adhesion” (Dvekut). “By Your actions we know You” means that we recognize His actions, become equal to them, and by doing so, we exist on the same level, on the same degree. When we complete this state, it is not that we receive from Him, but we become like Zeir Anpin and Nukva (ZON), which exist in an unceasing coupling (Zivug de lo Pasik) at equal stature, and then there is no deficiency of the created being relative to the degree of the Creator. This is called “the Good who does good.”

Related Material:
Talks about the Steps of the Ladder, Part 171
Talks about the Steps of the Ladder, Part 170
Talks about the Steps of the Ladder, Part 169

Filed under: Talks about the Steps of the Ladder - No Comments →

Talks about the Steps of the Ladder, Part 171

What Is the Grace of Kedusha?

The grace of Kedusha, as its name suggests, is simply a “grace of Kedusha.” It is a kind of attraction to something pleasant and good. It is not a desire because there is no deficiency in the grace of Kedusha. The feeling is more like, “This is nice for me.” There is no natural necessity in it, but instead an attraction, a sense of “I like this,” “There is beauty in it.”

“Grace” is the precise word. It is remarkable how the Kabbalists gave an exact name to every phenomenon. They felt it down to its roots and then dressed it into the accurate word.

Related Material:
Talks about the Steps of the Ladder, Part 170
Talks about the Steps of the Ladder, Part 169
Talks about the Steps of the Ladder, Part 168

Filed under: Talks about the Steps of the Ladder - No Comments →

Talks about the Steps of the Ladder, Part 170

Does All Spirituality Grow from the Small Spark?

All spirituality grows from this calculation, from that small spark. Through study, the spark receives the grace of Kedusha, and then we develop and nurture it. Initially, we certainly have no understanding of what spirituality is and no real desire for spirituality. Rather, from what enters us through the grace of holiness—called Lishma—we begin to want to be in order to bestow. This attitude begins to form within us, which is truly something miraculous: within the will to receive, sparks of bestowal begin to emerge.

Related Material:
Talks about the Steps of the Ladder, Part 169
Talks about the Steps of the Ladder, Part 168
Talks about the Steps of the Ladder, Part 167

Filed under: Talks about the Steps of the Ladder - No Comments →

Talks about the Steps of the Ladder, Part 169

How Can We Not Want to Receive Something If We Never Received It in the First Place?

Since spirituality is concealed, we seemingly want it, but in reality, we mainly want to get rid of our suffering. We are given various kinds of suffering in our state in this world, and we need to escape from the suffering. Then it appears to us that we are attracted to spirituality because we truly want it. However, in truth, we cannot want it before we have seen and felt it. Even the charm of the unknown that we imagine for ourselves is not spirituality. Spirituality is in order to bestow, not what we imagine it to be. Time after time, a different character and picture of spirituality becomes clarified for us, and as we progress, the form of spirituality constantly changes for us.

Therefore, we cannot want spirituality as it truly is because it is opposite to us. We get pushed to spirituality because it seems like it will solve our problems. Then the small will to receive that we have for spirituality, which is essentially simple curiosity, we gradually develop through study, by hearing from the environment, from the society: “It is worthwhile,” “It is important,” “It is great.” This attracts us, and we obligate ourselves to study, work, and perform actions that will help us. This study and these actions help us attract the surrounding light.

When we attract the surrounding light, we receive a grace of Kedusha that we never had before. Even though it seemed that we so greatly desired spirituality, the grace of Kedusha that we receive is entirely different. Grace of Kedusha means that we begin to agree with the fact that we must reach “in order to bestow.” This is a very strange and unnatural phenomenon, where within the general Lo Lishma (“not for Her sake”) there begins to appear a little Lishma (“for Her sake”). In other words, we want to do the work so that both we and the Creator will have something. Of course, if nothing were to be gained from it for ourselves, we would not do the work, but a certain intention already appears that it will also be for the Creator.

This state is called “Lo Lishma that leads to Lishma.” The transition already appears there, similar to the shattering of the vessels, where in the vessel, in Malchut, there is a spark from Bina through which Malchut can later receive correction.

Related Material:
Talks about the Steps of the Ladder, Part 168
Talks about the Steps of the Ladder, Part 167
Talks about the Steps of the Ladder, Part 166

Filed under: Talks about the Steps of the Ladder - No Comments →

Talks about the Steps of the Ladder, Part 168

Chapter 17. Slander

In this world, at our level, we are in concealment with respect to the next level, which is already beyond the barrier (Machsom). It should be understood that at every level, the lower one is in concealment with respect to the upper one. The concealment is intended to let the lower one acquire vessels of bestowal. If there were no concealment, and we saw the enlightened and complete state in which everything is known and revealed, we would certainly have no way of detaching from the will to receive. It would be like thinking about something very attractive, detaching from it, and then thinking about that same thing only in order to bestow. How could that be possible?

Therefore, the pleasure in Kedusha (holiness) is concealed, but holiness itself is not concealed, and we can feel it. The moment we give up on the pleasure for ourselves that exists in Kedusha, we immediately see Kedusha and feel it. In other words, Kedusha itself, spirituality, is not concealed; only the direct pleasure that can be received from it in the vessels of reception is concealed. This is all that is under restriction (Tzimtzum). This is because when we correct ourselves and wish to not use the vessels of reception, we immediately discover spirituality, and we realize that it was not concealed even beforehand. Instead, since the vessels were aimed at receiving for ourselves, it appeared concealed.

This means that within us there are, as it were, two channels. We can perceive spirituality through one, and the disturbance exists only in the second channel because we want to draw spirituality for the sake of receiving. However, if we wish to perceive spirituality not for ourselves, but in order to work with it as it itself deserves, in equivalence of form with it, then it becomes possible to see it and to work with it. Accordingly, we learn that the vessels of reception conceal spirituality from us.

Related Material:
Talks about the Steps of the Ladder, Part 167
Talks about the Steps of the Ladder, Part 166
Talks about the Steps of the Ladder, Part 165

Filed under: Talks about the Steps of the Ladder - No Comments →

Talks about the Steps of the Ladder, Part 167

In Spirituality, “Female” Refers to the Will to Receive That Requires Correction, a Deficiency, a Vessel Ready to Be Corrected and Filled With Light. So Why, Traditionally, Do Men Study Kabbalah and Not Women?

The distinction is not about biological superiority, but about different inner structures and roles in correction.

A woman, by nature, is generally more connected to concrete reality and to the natural order of this world. Her desires are more grounded in life itself, that is, to the home, family, and stability. Due to this deep connection to nature, it is more difficult for her to detach from it.

A man, on the other hand, is naturally more detached from the immediate reality. This detachment causes him to make more mistakes in worldly matters, but it also enables a greater capacity to abstract, to disconnect from nature, and to yearn for something beyond it. In general, women tend to function in this world more stably and realistically than men.

Therefore, the deficiency for spirituality does not depend on physical gender, but on the extent to which we can rise above our nature and long for adhesion with the Creator.

According to this traditional view, men are obligated in spiritual work because their nature allows (and requires) that upward striving. Women are not obligated in the same way, unless a genuine spiritual deficiency awakens in them.

There is a kind of “test” described:

A woman is first given what corresponds to her natural framework, that is, a husband, home, and children (what is called “a woman of the home”). If, after having these, she still yearns for Godliness, then the spark is considered authentic. If she seeks spirituality while lacking basic natural fulfillment, it might be that she is trying to compensate spiritually for unmet natural needs.

Why is a different test applied to men?

It is because a man does not naturally experience attachment to home and family in the same way. Therefore, he must also be grounded (married, responsible, and working) before engaging seriously in spiritual work. He too cannot escape worldly responsibility. A man without burden and responsibility is also considered unready. Therefore, both are tested according to their different inner structures.

Even when women study, traditionally the method is different because male and female souls represent different modes of spiritual structure. For that reason, serious study was not historically conducted in mixed settings.

An illustrative story is told about RABASH’s eldest daughter, who intensely desired to study. Baal HaSulam even taught her before her marriage. Yet once she became pregnant, her desire to study disappeared completely. Her thoughts became fully directed toward her child. RABASH reportedly observed this with amazement. This is presented as an example of how strongly nature operates.

Today, however, the situation is different. Many women who have stable lives, with a family, home, and fulfillment in this world, still feel a strong pull toward Kabbalah. This is considered a relatively new phenomenon. Sometimes the awakening could be influenced by environment or social context, but even that can accelerate the development of the point in the heart until it ignites independently.

In any case, if a genuine spiritual desire exists, a woman may certainly pursue spirituality. However, the traditional view maintains that the form of study and inner work differs, because the spiritual roots of male and female souls are different.

Ultimately, in spirituality, “male” and “female” are inner qualities present in every person. The female aspect is the deficiency, the will to receive. The male aspect is the intention to bestow. Both are required for complete correction.

From a Talk on the Article “What Is, ‘There Is None as Holy as the Lord, for There Is None Besides You,’ in the Work?” 6/11/2002

Related Material:
Talks about the Steps of the Ladder, Part 166
Talks about the Steps of the Ladder, Part 165
Talks about the Steps of the Ladder, Part 164

Filed under: Talks about the Steps of the Ladder - No Comments →

Talks about the Steps of the Ladder, Part 166

What Must One Do So That the Appeal to the Creator Will Be Detached from Oneself?

In order for an appeal to the Creator to be detached from oneself, we must examine our attitude to Him.

It is relatively easy for a person to imagine “I exist.” It is also not so difficult to imagine “my desire toward Him.” However, we cannot hold on to that sensation for long. We somehow grasp an inner image that tells us this is the Creator, but that image constantly changes, because we do not know what the Creator is in His ultimate form or inner sensation.

We can, in some way, position these two points of “I” and “He” in every state we are in. However, once these two points are present, the challenge is to examine the extent to which our attitude is directed at ourselves, and to what extent we imagine that it is directed at the Creator.

When we complete this scrutiny, we are given the next state, and the process continues accordingly.

Related Material:
Talks about the Steps of the Ladder, Part 165
Talks about the Steps of the Ladder, Part 164
Talks about the Steps of the Ladder, Part 163

Filed under: Talks about the Steps of the Ladder - No Comments →

Talks about the Steps of the Ladder, Part 165

What Must One Do So That the Appeal to the Creator Will Be Detached from Oneself?

In order for an appeal to the Creator to be detached from oneself, we must examine our attitude to Him.

It is relatively easy for a person to imagine “I exist.” It is also not so difficult to imagine “my desire toward Him.” However, we cannot hold on to that sensation for long. We somehow grasp an inner image that tells us this is the Creator, but that image constantly changes, because we do not know what the Creator is in His ultimate form or inner sensation.

We can, in some way, position these two points of “I” and “He” in every state we are in. However, once these two points are present, the challenge is to examine the extent to which our attitude is directed at ourselves, and to what extent we imagine that it is directed at the Creator.

When we complete this scrutiny, we are given the next state, and the process continues accordingly.

Related Material:
Talks about the Steps of the Ladder, Part 164
Talks about the Steps of the Ladder, Part 163
Talks about the Steps of the Ladder, Part 162

Filed under: Talks about the Steps of the Ladder - No Comments →