It is not enough for us to know that we are distanced from each other, that we are pushing each other away not desiring connection between us, and that what is called the evil inclination is what does not let us unite with each other.

Only this is called evil; it is what prevents us from reaching the Goal of creation where we are connected together into one whole. Our evil inclination, pushing us away from each other and separating us, which we come across with when we want to unite, is called evil. We are the ones who define it as evil.

If I do not feel that it is preventing me from reaching the Goal, and uniting with others, then I do not consider it as evil. So it turns out that evil has gradations: The more I want to unite with others, the more evil I feel.

That is why in the beginning when a person begins to study the science of Kabbalah, he does not think that he has to get closer to others at all; he is similar to the brothers of Joseph. Later, he begins to understand that it is necessary to unite together, and then he begins to ponder how much good it will do him if he unites with others. He begins to unite with friends, this stage is called “the seven years of plenty”, when everyone is moving forward nicely together.

Then we begin to feel how much we are appalled by this unity, how much it is undesirable and worthless in our eyes. This is how we arrive at the stage called “the seven years of famine,” when we do not understand how we will be able to work with each other and how we will unite together since the Pharaoh is standing between us and separating us.

And instead of constantly exerting the correct effort towards unity, the Pharaoh throws various kinds of actions our way by which we are seemingly acting for unity, but it turns out that each one performs the action for his own sake. This is called that the Pharaoh bites the “back of the neck,” sucking all of our efforts for himself. This keeps repeating again and again.

However, there is a special force, opposed to all of our exerted efforts, called the Light that returns to the Source. If we are attracting it, then it is not important what states we are in. This force acts on us and moves us forward. It is impossible to move forward without this force.

So it turns out that in the field of our work we must become aware of the evil as much as possible. Evil is realized due to trying to do kind deeds, meaning that our work should be happening in unity, in happiness, in love, in studies, in all of the very best. Not for a moment do we mention the evil; we do not want to feel it in any kind of manifestations.

As a result of us trying to be connected to each other, to be kind, filled with Light, and similar to the Creator, that force of evil reveals to us, separating us. If we exert enough effort, we reveal it from concealment. To the extent that I exert effort in order to unite with others, to this extent, I become worthy of revealing evil. Meaning, the revelation of evil is a reward, a result of my efforts.

I gave “20 kilograms” of effort in order to unite with friends, and I got “20 kilograms” of revelation of the evil inclination: I realize that I do not want to unite with them. I did not know and see it earlier, but now I know. In spite of this, I continue to work, I apply “40 kilograms” more effort, and I get “40 kilograms” more of the evil inclination revealed to me. The Pharaoh keeps growing until he turns into such a monster with whom it is impossible to do anything.

Even if I come to him and I agree to all of the misfortunes and suffering, which will befall upon me like the 10 Egyptian plagues, he remains standing and separating us. Due to his stubbornness, I see that I have no choice: only to stop working with my ego. This is called to “run away from it.”

Then, under the condition that I am ready to part with my ego, to rise above it in faith above reason, an opportunity to achieve it is revealed to me, to use a special force, which will keep me above my desire to receive for myself, as if “in air”: My ego is located below and I am above it.

What does “I” mean? I can think, feel, make a calculation, and make actions without drowning in my desire to enjoy, but by being above it. This means that I am standing before receiving the Light that returns to the Source—the reception of the Torah.

Now we are located opposite to the Torah, we are sitting at the lesson, we want to unite together, to build a common desire (Kli), and reading The Book of Zohar in order for the Light, which comes from it, to act on its promise, to return us to the Source, if we have prepared the evil, which separates us, in order for the Light to correct it.

That is why it is said about Rabbi Shimon’s students that they sit before the lesson and are revealing the evil, the raging fire of hate. They do not arrive at such a state simply, but after numerous efforts desiring to unite, they reveal the evil, a new one every day. And then every day you have the need to receive the Torah, the Light that returns to the Source, if you are trying to unite and you realize that you are not able to do it, that you have once again revealed the Pharaoh even more than before.

Therefore, still try to reveal evil—but only due to our desire to come to goodness. And then if we really do want the good, the evil will be revealed. If the evil will be revealed, we will indeed ask for The Book of Zohar to act on it and turn it into good.
[63112]
From the 2^nd part of the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 12/14/11, The Zohar

Related Material:
The Zohar: A Tale Of Hate And Love
The Flame Of Love Above Seething Hatred
The Zohar: A Funicular To The Creator

Filed under: Collective Soul, Daily Kabbalah Lesson, Egoism, Group Work, Inner Work, Zohar - No Comments →

The Book of Zohar, Weekly Torah Portion “MiKetz,” Selected Excerpts
Download: WMV Video|MP3 Audio

Filed under: Torah, Zohar - No Comments →

Question: Sometimes when I read The Zohar, I feel something pulsate in me. Is The Zohar a live system, and are we able to absorb spiritual models through its words?

Answer: Kabbalists describe the system of connections between us. This altruistic connection between everyone’s private desires forms us into the image of the Creator (since the entire system of desires is exactly like the force of Light which created it, the Creator).

Kabbalists reveal this system to us—each one according to his degree, his nature, and the root of his soul. They explain the way it works, how our actions evoke corresponding reactions—MAN (appeal) and MAD (response).

They reveal Nature and nothing else. When you reveal it—as if you were looking at a 3D picture without concentrating on its superficial image, but with your eyes unfocused, confusing them—you will begin to see the picture inside.

You become free from the power of your corporeal mind and feelings, you will abandon your egoism—and then this picture can carry you deep inside it. You enter it and discover an entire world: still, vegetative, animate, and human levels, which lead their own lives.

This is what The Zohar reveals. You read it and imagine a regular picture of this world. But The Zohar reveals the inner picture to you. You will see this inner picture when you defocus your corporeal “vision” by rising above your egoistic desires and qualities of perception—towards bestowal.
[63794]
From the 2^nd part of the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 12/21/11, Zohar for All

Related Material:
The Zohar: The Narrative About Unity
Through The Letters Of The Book Of Zohar
The Zohar Is Being Revealed For Us

Filed under: Body and Soul, Daily Kabbalah Lesson, Group Work, Inner Work, Perception, Q&A, Zohar - No Comments →

Writings of Rabash “Letter 26”
Download: WMV Video|MP3 Audio

The Book of Zohar – Selected Chapter “Beresheet (Genesis),” “Let There Be Light,” Item 39, Lesson 17
Download: WMV Video|MP3 Audio

“Introduction to the Study of the Ten Sefirot,” Item 7, Lesson 5
Download: WMV Video|MP3 Audio

Writings of Baal HaSulam “The Freedom,” “External Factors,” Lesson 8
Download: WMV Video|MP3 Audio

Filed under: Daily Kabbalah Lesson, Zohar - No Comments →

Writings of Rabash “The Miracle of Chanukah”
Download: WMV Video|MP3 Audio

The Book of Zohar – Selected Chapter “Beresheet (Genesis),” “Let There Be Light,” Item 38, Lesson 16
Download: WMV Video|MP3 Audio

“Introduction to the Study of the Ten Sefirot,” Item 6, Lesson 4
Download: WMV Video|MP3 Audio

Writings of Baal HaSulam “The Freedom,” “External Factors,” Lesson 7
Download: WMV Video|MP3 Audio

Filed under: Daily Kabbalah Lesson, Zohar - No Comments →

Everything we now reveal in our world is a corrupted form of connection between us. In reality there are no cars or houses, no still, vegetative, or animate nature, there are no people—none of this exists.

There are only five phases inside the soul and its connections with other souls, and these connections are corrupted. These corrupted connections give us the form of this corrupted world. And because the world cannot exist in this form (since ultimately, it is corrected), it is called an artificial world, which for now exists in our uncorrected qualities.

As soon as we begin to correct it, we immediately see a corrected world and a corrected state instead of the corrupt state or the corrupt world, until it becomes the world of Infinity where there are no limits for the distribution of Light and everything is corrected.

In the end, we either exist within the single structure of the collective soul, or we are there as if broken into a multitude of interconnected pieces. When this structure is unified, we refer to it as whole—this is Infinity. And when it is as if it were divided inside into a multitude of pieces and is not perceived as a unified whole, we refer to it as the “world,” a certain concealment of Infinity. And then we see the same Infinity as if in lesser resolution, in a much worse form. These are the worlds, the worlds of concealment. But we always only see the connection between us.

And in our world we build different, seemingly artificial things: houses, cars, and so on, and all these things are also forms of connection between us. In order to make up for the separation, distance, and the breaking between us, we have to build different artificial connections. Instead of correcting ourselves, we are busy with this entire external cover. And this is why our world keeps getting more corrupt on one hand, and full of unnecessary things on the other.

If we were to correct ourselves, we would not need any of this technology. But we must exist in this world in the way it is organized in order to reveal the end, the breaking, the crisis, and the lack of purpose in it and then move on to the inner correction. This is the revolution that is happening in our generation—the change of a paradigm.
[63214]
From the 2nd part of the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 12/15/2011, The Zohar

Related Material:
The World Of Our Intentions
The Ladder To Infinity
Coming Out Of The Illusion

Filed under: Collective Soul, Crisis, Daily Kabbalah Lesson, Group Work, Inner Work, Perception, Zohar - No Comments →

Everything we wish to attain beyond our nature, trying to understand, perceive, and become impressed by spirituality, we attain all of it only with the help of the Light. Also, all the changes in our corporeal world, in our states, only happen through the Light, which shines stronger every time. But it keeps shining stronger because we keep growing in our egoistic desire.

New desires keep developing in me, and this happens over the course of my entire life, as well as from one generation to another. And although the Light is constant, every time it shines at a greater desire. As a result of this, I feel greater changes in me.

In our world, we develop this way as well, even though we do not perceive the Light here. As Kabbalists say, the same happens in spirituality. When we attain revelation, we simply reveal the same process of development that we are going through now. The Light shines constantly, as it is written: “I have not changed my HaVaYaH,” “the upper Light exists at absolute rest,” but our Reshimot (the informational genes) constantly change in us, unraveling like a chain. Greater Reshimot come out of it every time, rising back up in the same order they have spread from above downward.

But if this is the way things are, where is my participation? Will I continue to reincarnate the same way I was developing until now, over the course of thousands of years? No. Kabbalists say that this stage has ended. If you have received a desire for your inner development, you must use it in a different manner. How? You accelerate your development, personally participate in it. You begin to understand and comprehend what is happening, you control your development. Development will no longer happen without you.

Until now you developed through Reshimot replacing one another, unraveling like a chain. In this way you completed your development on the still, vegetative, and animate levels. All these stages were realized in common nature: in the entire universe, on the surface of planet Earth, and in all of humanity, which has also gone through the still, vegetative, and animate levels of development.

But now the time has come to realize the human degree, and it can no longer continue this way. The difference between the human and the animate degree is in the awareness of life: “What am I living for? What is happening to me?” This is only possible when man does his own work every time, making an effort. Through his effort he comes to a qualitative attainment of the reality where he exists: What he is living for, why, and for which purpose.

When all these attainments become revealed to man, they are called the “spiritual world” or the “upper world.” And then we perceive where we really are, what kind of system becomes revealed before us, and how it controls us. We already engage in our life and existence on a different level—in the upper world.

The Light exists at absolute rest. Reshimot become revealed more and more every time. But if I do not properly realize the connection between the Reshimot and the Light, I suffer from the lack of correspondence of qualities.

This way this obligates me to search for a solution, and this is exactly what is now happening with all of humanity. And the solution lies in finding a formula of how to become like the Light. To become like the Light means to attain the quality of bestowal. How can we want to attain? With the help of the group. And we realize this desire through the Light.

This is why when we read The Zohar, we must think about the Light’s actions over us: It must connect us, realize the Reshimot, lift us to a higher level, make us more connected between us, and reveal the concealed. We must ask for everything that we desire during the lesson.

Naturally, every person should examine to which extent his desires are directed down the same trajectory as the Light. Otherwise, he might ask for something that is opposite to what the Light is about to give him. And then his request, his prayer, will bring him to an opposite state: the revelation of evil instead of goodness.

So let us think together about our connection and for the Light to influence and connect us, and there we will attain the quality of mutual bestowal, which is already a spiritual degree. It does not matter what we read about in The Zohar. What matters is what we think about together about the actions of the Light over us. Think not about us, but about the actions of the Light, which it performs over us.
[62240]
From the 2nd part of the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 12/1/2011, The Zohar

Related Material:
Crossing Into The Spiritual World
Drunk With The Light
Approaching The Light

Filed under: Daily Kabbalah Lesson, Group Work, Inner Work, Zohar - No Comments →

Writings of Rabash “Mighty Rock of My Salvation”
Download: WMV Video|MP3 Audio

The Book of Zohar – Selected Chapter “Beresheet (Genesis),” “Let There Be Light,” (Start with: “The dispute continued”), Item 34, Lesson 15
Download: WMV Video|MP3 Audio

“Introduction to the Study of the Ten Sefirot,” Item 2, Lesson 3
Download: WMV Video|MP3 Audio

Filed under: Daily Kabbalah Lesson, Zohar - No Comments →

Writings of Rabash “According to What Is Explained About Love Thy Friend as Thyself”
Download: WMV Video|MP3 Audio

“Introduction to the Study of the Ten Sefirot,” Item 2, Lesson 2
Download: WMV Video|MP3 Audio

Writings of Baal HaSulam “The Freedom,” “Influence of the Environment,” Lesson 5
Download: WMV Video|MP3 Audio

Filed under: Daily Kabbalah Lesson, Zohar - No Comments →

Lately we are observing many problems in the world, crises on different levels that are expressed in different ways. No matter what man does, he sees that he does not succeed anywhere—not with his children, nor his family, work, himself, or the climate. At the end of the day, the most important aspect, the system of security and supply, meaning the financial system, the economy, is destroyed, and who knows whether man will be able to provide the necessities of life for himself.

All of these states are meant to bring us to the realization that there is one reason here causing all of these problems. As we know from the science of Kabbalah, there is no other reason besides the upper force, “There is none besides Him.” But this singular force is constantly revealed to us in different forms, by virtue of which we advance.

Either we advance by the good path, with inspiration, desire, and aspiration to the goal, or we advance by the path of suffering, not aspiring to the goal but unwillingly running towards it to get away from the current state.

Therefore, everything that becomes revealed inside of us and among us, everything that we aren’t able to do in the connection between us, in the attainment of the goal, in unity, in everything—we have to connect all of that together into one powerful, common demand for correction. Then, during the study, and especially while reading The Book of Zohar, the Light will come through and correct us.

If we aim at the goal, as much as we can recognize it according to our degree, then the Light will do its job. Therefore, everything that seems bad to us in our society, in dissemination, in every one of us, in the understanding of the path, in the connection with others, we have to try to ask for this to be corrected as something that’s common to all.
[63469]
From the 2nd part of the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 12/18/11, The Zohar

Filed under: Crisis, Daily Kabbalah Lesson, Economy, Zohar - No Comments →