Question: While reading The Zohar, is there a time when we must apply our own effort and a time when The Zohar gives us a push by itself?

Answer: First and foremost you must understand what you are facing. If you watch a film that’s 30 or 40 years old, you’ll notice how naive people were, how they acted and put the film together. But it was their reality, and they thought they were portraying their lives in all seriousness. The actors were great. It’s just that the people were different. If you looked at people 200 to 300 years ago, you would think of them as even more simple and primitive.

What would you discover looking at all the nations, at the world 2000 years ago? People practically lived in the “trees,” like true barbarians, even in Europe in the Middle Ages.

But what if you took a look at the people who wrote books like The Zohar 2000 years ago? This is a science, a philosophy about the perception of reality. If such a person sat among us today, you would feel insignificant next to him. The concept of time doesn’t apply here. You are being given the opportunity to come into contact with something that exists beyond our world, with a system that governs all of reality.

This governing system, these forces, and the souls that wrote these books should be the ones you direct your plea to and scream out like a small child, wishing to grow with their help, in their arms! It doesn’t matter how much you understand and what state you’re in because you’re not the one in control of it. However, from your given state try to understand where you are, whose arms you are in and ask for help.

Question: What should be the plea?

Answer: I don’t know. You have to sense the need. “I don’t lack anything. Please take me into your arms, I’m sleepy.” This is also a plea: to be held in their arms like a child who feels warm and secure in his mother’s arms. He senses her, smells her breast milk, and sleeps peacefully. Wouldn’t you want to feel like that? So go ahead and reveal at least this.

Or perhaps based on that sensation of being held in their arms, you already desire something more scrutinized and are capable of utilizing their help. After all, an adult retains all of his previous connection with his mother. The infant-mother connection doesn’t vanish, but only grows, becoming more conscious.

The greatness of the upper one determines my ability to utilize His help and to exalt Him in my eyes, thereby obligating Him to ascend higher. Thus I make the path of the upper one equal to Infinity and am able to receive from Him as if from Infinity. However, if I disregard the upper one, what can I possibly receive from Him?

Hence everything lies within my attitude towards my current degree. If I elevate the upper one above myself, I’m able to receive and attain from Him. The higher I elevate the upper one, to the highest possible degree I can only imagine, the more I can attain Him. If I put myself above the upper one, then what can I possibly receive from someone who’s lower than me?
[61634]
From the 2nd part of the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 11/23/2011, The Zohar

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Shamati #69 “First Will Be the Correction of the World”
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The Book of Zohar – Selected Chapter “Beresheet (Genesis),” “The Brightness of the Firmament,” (Start with: “Explanation: to Emanate Yeshsut”), Lesson 4
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Talmud Eser Sefirot, Part 8, “Seder Siba Umesuvav,” Item 1, Lesson 24
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Writings of Baal HaSulam “The Essence of Religion and Its Purpose,”  “The Absolute Good,” Lesson 2
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The Book of Zohar, Weekly Torah Portion “Toldot,” Selected Excerpts
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Writings of Rabash “And It Shall Be When Thou Art Coming to the Land Which the Lord Thy God Giveth Thee”
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The Book of Zohar – Selected Chapter “Beresheet (Genesis),” “The Brightness of the Firmament,” (Start with: “The second brightness of the firmament”), Item 3, Lesson 3
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Preface to The Book of Zohar, Item 19, Lesson 8
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Question: How do we need to unite with each other before the December convention? How do we prepare for it to experience everything the right way?

Answer: We do not do anything different: We read the same articles, we hear the same things, but still, it is written: “It has to be like new in your eyes.” Why is it said, “like new”? Because you renew it by revealing your Aviut, your new details of perception, more and more.

We know that when we are served a new dish, we have no idea how to approach it. But once we have tasted it plenty of times and become accustomed to it like to “our mother’s cooking” which has been familiar to us since childhood, then we can enjoy its taste to the maximum.

The same happens in the spiritual Partzufim. The first time the Light enters, it is nothing else but the Light of Nefesh. The second time it is already the Light of Ruach that enters the same old Reshimot (informational genes), the third time it is the Light of Neshama, and so on.

In other words, every time man advances, he returns to what he has already experienced and discovers a greater depth, feels more flavor in it, as it is written: “You will eat what has long been laid in store for you.” It is the same with us. Every time, in the same place, but only deeper and deeper, we have to be more connected with one another, more unified and directed towards a true connection.

Let us hope for this and raise our prayer so it would become a “prayer of many,” in mutual guarantee.
[61524]
From the 2nd part of the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 11/23/2011, The Zohar

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Question: We have finished the Arava convention with an obligation between friends to maintain the mutual sensation attained at the convention.

Answer: I think everyone is trying to remain in the state that we experienced in our common unity. Everyone will remember it at least from time to time and maybe even constantly. The Light will shine on a person from Above, and he will remember and awaken. And at the end, he will receive an external awakening to return to the same state that he experienced at the convention. He will not do it on his own, but it will happen through the common awakening, the Light that will come from Above, from the Creator.

It is a pleasant state, and this is why it is worthwhile for him to return to it. Naturally, it is still an egoistic aspiration to feel good in this shining, exalted state. But this already comes from a proper action that originates from unity and is directed towards it.

Question: How do you work with this mutual obligation during the lesson?

Answer: Right now we only must be aware of: “Why am I doing this? Is it because I was in an elevated state? Then naturally, I wish to be in it all the time and even more than that. Am I only doing this to feel good, with respect to myself, because this is important to me?”

It is true that we have experienced a special elevation, desire, and phenomenon that we have never felt before. But how do I perceive this entire state? Do I perceive that it benefits me, makes me feel good, confident, and comfortable? Or do I want to transfer it to higher rails, to desire it for other reasons than it making me feel good or giving me pleasure.

I want for this sensation to come from the realization of its higher value without any connection to me. This is because when it comes to my egoistic connection, whatever fills me more has more value for me. But I want to appreciate this state because this sensation of bestowal is a higher sensation that comes from the upper force, and this way I become close to the Creator. At this moment I do not have any feelings for it, I do not see any importance or value in it, but I want to see it!

Now we begin to think about another reason to experience the same state that we attained at the convention. I want to feel it because this brings me closer to the Creator, to a higher degree. I do not wish to feel too much satisfaction from it. It is not that I reject it, but I do not want it to obligate me. I want for the greatness and importance of the actual state of bestowal to obligate me.

This way we begin to change degrees. That is, I want to rise from the degree that I am on right now, in my current desire, where I feel good and thus, wish to remain there because it is not a desert, but something beautiful and pleasant—a land full of life. However, I want to experience the desert for my ego and feel fulfilled in my desire to bestow, my aspiration towards the group, the Creator. This is referred to as wandering through the desert.

For this reason, we must now try to change the basis and the cause of the wonderful sensation of unity that we attained at this convention, where we had no foreign influence. And then we already begin to rise towards a different, more spiritual attitude towards the group, fulfillment, our inner sensation, and the past state.

We raise ourselves towards a different state when we are no longer influenced much by moods or different factors. I begin to be more connected with the actual importance of the state of bestowal. This is the Light of Hassadim (Mercy) already awakening in me, and a spiritual degree is shining on me slightly. I try to separate from my ego, from how much I feel in it, whether I feel better or worse, one way or another; I wish to separate from its outcomes, fulfillments, and values. I do not want it!

I want that wonderful, strong, and good sensation to remain. I do not neglect it, I only wish to perceive it in my attitude, which instead of coming from my desires to receive, comes from my desires to bestow and my intention to direct everything towards unity.

There are many inner sensations, calculations, and manifestations in this. But the Light of correction is already awakening these states over us. And then man begins to receive the so-called Light of faith, a force that keeps you above your ego, above all its inner calculations. And then we enter the actual work with the force of fulfillment, calculations, and attitude. This is already the beginning of analysis.
[61316]
From the 2nd part of the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 11/21/2011, The Zohar

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Writings of Rabash “What Does It Mean that the World Was Created for the Torah”
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The Book of Zohar – Selected Chapter “Beresheet (Genesis),” “He Carved A Carving in the Upper Light,” Item 12, Lesson 2
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Talmud Eser Sefirot Part 8, Histaklut Pnimit, Item 15, Lesson 23
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Writings of Baal HaSulam “The Essence of Religion and Its Purpose,” Lesson 1
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Writings of Rabash “Concerning Above Reason,” (Start with: “However, it is precisely here,” To: “Similarly, we can interpret”), Lesson 2
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The Book of Zohar – Selected Chapter “Beresheet (Genesis),” “He Carved A Carving in the Upper Light,” Item 1, Lesson 1
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Talmud Eser Sefirot Part 8, Histaklut Pnimit, Item 13, Lesson 22
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Writings of Baal HaSulam “The Arvut (Mutual Guarantee),” Lesson 9
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Question: What does it mean to aspire towards a past state that we achieved at the desert convention? Shouldn’t we be going forward?

Answer: That is correct. But for the time being, you are awakened by the desire to rouse a state you have already experienced so that it will manifest now. You live in the past, like an old man. In spirituality, you are not a “man” or a “youth” yet to be building new degrees. Right now you are not able to achieve a connection with others in order to attain even higher states. You live in your past memories.

This is why I say: “Fine, awaken the past! But make the past new in the sense that now you are changing the reason, your attitude towards it.” And this is a good thing! Do not neglect the past; it is the Reshimot (reminiscences) from a past state. After all, even now we live in the past as we have Reshimot from our descent from Infinity.

But now the time has come to build a new desire for my past state, like in TANTA, when I attain a new desire (vessel) as the screen becomes thinner. Right now we are approaching practical work. This is only for those who go through these states in the sharpest possible form, who have the Reshimo, the memory of what we have attained. Every one of us has this Reshimo, and we can awaken it.
[61313]
From the 2nd part of the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 11/21/2011, The Zohar

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Question: What should I do when I feel elevated and awakened during the reading of The Book of Zohar? How can one request correction in this state?

Answer: During the reading of The Book of Zohar and any other authentic source (the articles, letters, and The Study of The Ten Sefirot), I first of all need to build the correct picture of where I am. The picture of the reality I exist in arises in my senses, in my desires. It is the Light that forms me so that I feel and think that this is reality: me and my world. This way I have a connection with the Light, with the upper force, that wants to teach me to identify exactly where I am. This is because from the beginning, I don’t know or see anything. I am like a baby that has just been born.

Therefore, I need to first of all design this picture correctly. There is the desire and the Light operates in it, which wants to awaken the desire within and to become revealed in it according to the law of equivalence of form. The Light is within the desire, not outside of it. In its relation to this desire, it is called the surrounding, inner, external, distant, circle, line, and so forth. These are the forms of the Light that are revealed in relation to the desire. After all, we are talking about everything from the side of the desire.

If I understand that the entire world, all of reality, all the worlds, all the Light, is in me, then I now need to rearrange myself correctly. That is, I need to clarify how and in which way do I act in order to arrive at the maximum understanding and consciousness possible in my present state, and each time to discover more.

Thus, when I read the various authentic sources, I want to perceive the picture of reality and discover it in its most true, correct, and powerful form. And it’s not important which sources to read and in which styles. If these are the books that awaken the forces of my soul from the side of the desire and also from the side of its fulfillment, then it doesn’t matter. It can be The Study of the Ten Sefirot, The Zohar, the letters, or the articles. The essence is to awaken my development.

And then I understand the importance of my involvement in the Torah: the Light in it reforms, that is, it brings me closer to the revelation of the real picture of reality, where I reach adhesion with the Creator—a state that is concealed from me.

Thus, we first of all design the picture: There’s me, and everything is concealed within me. I must awaken the forces of my soul and in them discover the real reality in which the Creator and I merge into one.

After I have molded myself in this form, I work on the next step: How do I awaken myself through the studies? And then everything that I read speaks to me about my advanced states. They can be distant from or close to me, it doesn’t matter. What is important is that with the help of the story that I read, I try to identify these forces within me, these forms.

And I don’t forget that it talks only about my desires, about my soul’s inner forces: reception and bestowal. It isn’t important if they are called strange names or names that are familiar with my present reality. I constantly think: How do I discover all these forces as components of my connection with the Creator?
[60899]
From the 2nd part of the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 11/16/2011, The Zohar

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