In Moses’ standoff with Pharaoh we reveal the unique nature of our spiritual work. We work with our egoism, the will to receive; we don’t cancel it out, but rather cultivate and develop it.

It is written: “I created the evil inclination, and I created the Torah as a spice for it.” The Torah is only a spice for the egoistic desire: a little pepper, a dab of salt for all of this big meal called egoism, the will to receive pleasure. Indeed, what do we lack? We only have to add some Torah to turn the entire enormous egoism into the world of Infinity.

The form of authentic spiritual work is turning the staff into a snake and the snake into a staff. It all depends on how a person employs all of his attributes and predispositions. He destroys neither the good nor the evil ones and renounces none of his capacities! He must only modify the way he is using them.

If a person throws the staff on the group, it turns into a snake; and if he grabs the snake by the tail, it turns into a staff which helps him to move forth. The staff (Maté) derives from the Hebrew word “below” (Máta), meaning that a person reduces himself and with the help of the force regarded as “faith above reason,” elevates his egoism, the property of Malchut, to the property of Bina.

Each time, in the ten impure Sefirot, the ten manifestations of Pharaoh, he experiences an increasingly greater egoism that he can reform by way of ten Egyptian plagues. A person who is in the state of exodus from Egypt is willing to go through all of the 10 plagues. By using the staff, He himself causes the blows that strike him and help him rise above egoism.

He views these blows as medicine. Similarly, we are willing to take any painful and unpleasant treatment in order to get well again.
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From the Lesson on Weekly Torah Portion 23/12/2011

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Shamati #189 “The Action Created by Thought”
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Shamati #187 “Choosing Labor”
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Speaking of the Creator’s attitude to us, we use our lexicon and say that He is “merciful,” “angry,” and so on. Naturally, all of this exists only relative to us.

We don’t merit any transformations by the Creator. But to the extent that we ourselves change in relation to the unconditional, unchangeable, and ever-constant active law of “Good Who does Good,” we merit a reciprocal reaction.

I would be able to predict what this reaction will be if I were familiar with all the inner parameters of my soul, with the entire system and its conditions. Obviously, it is challenging to know everything. As pertains to us, however, the Creator doesn’t change. The force that fills all of nature and sustains all creation’s existence always treats us with absolute love, as the “Good Who does Good”; on its part, there aren’t any changes.

We ourselves trigger all reactions according to how much we change in relation to this law, how developed and similar to it we already have to be, and how capable or not we are to accomplish this. Besides, it depends on our collective influence of one person on all and all on one. This is what we are now discovering in our global world.

Yet we say that the Creator treats us well or badly, sometimes this way, other times another; we feel that there are good and bad times, holidays and so on. But none of it exists. All of this is defined by how a person attains. If I didn’t labor, I wouldn’t come to the state of correction since I didn’t reach this degree.

But why is it then that times still change while I don’t? It is so because I am linked with all other systems, other souls, and everybody must advance. Hence, the Reshimot (spiritual information genes) constantly unfold. If we actualize them correctly, we feel good, and if not, they get actualized by way of suffering, and we feel the evil. But only Reshimot emerge, while the Light that works on them is constant.

Also, the Light that we regard as “the Light that Reforms” or “the Surrounding Light” doesn’t change either. We are still in the same unchangeable system. But I aspire to the Light, and it affects me to the degree of my yearning. If I don’t, it doesn’t work on me. There is nothing that will change without my desire. And only relative to this desire do I experience transformation.
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From the 2nd part of the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 1/13/2011, “Introduction of The Book of Zohar,” Article “The Donkey Driver”

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Writings of Rabash, Shlavei HaSulam, “A Prayer of Many”
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Question: During the Second Temple period Kabbalists would sit for two hours preparing to read the prayer, “Hear, O Israel.” Why is it that we, who are so small compared to them, are presented with a much more complex reality where we come to the lesson totally disoriented and confused, and struggle for a few minutes to get some kind of focus before reading The Book of Zohar?

Answer: In those times Kabbalists had to enter the spiritual states that The Zohar talks about. They had to ascend up the levels from a total lack of spiritual sensation because every level begins from zero. It takes time for people to unite in one intention, to reach unity at the appropriate level, and to enter this state through the common sensation.

This can be compared to how parachute jumpers prepare for a common jump: They wrap up their parachutes, get into a plane, fly up beyond the clouds, jump from there, and while in free fall, without opening up the parachute yet, they connect with each other, creating different forms in the air.

This is a huge preparation for new unification on high spiritual levels. That is why it takes so much time, in accordance with the height of the level. The level obligates them to this.

On the other hand, if you are playing around here below, by yourself, without feeling others, then it’s enough for you to grab on to some thought “by the tail,” and that’s all. Let us hope that we will come to need the same preparation as the Kabbalists of the past.
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From the 2nd part of the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 1/13/11, The Zohar

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Question: In the corporeal world, I have to see and draw a line between two points in order to connect them. How can I connect two souls with the help of The Zohar’s text?

Answer: I don’t know what my soul is, and I know even less about what the other souls are. Moreover, I will never know this. I only need to develop the correct attitude towards them called “bestowal,” and that’s it.

I have no awareness of who I am, nor do I know who my friend is. All I need to do is love him, and that’s enough. It means that I attain the force of the Creator, which rules between us. My open attitude towards the other person, my ability to like and love him is the Creator’s force, the force of bestowal. It is the Creator since He is omnipotent, and I become His part.

We don’t know who anyone is right now; it will be revealed later on. All I need to do is accept the conditions as they unfold. But all of my attention should go towards connection without contemplating who I am as I am the one who is supposed to make the effort to love the others right now.

Yet, to the degree of my effort to bring myself to love and bestowal, I will know my friend and myself even more. I will attain it only if I tie myself and him together with love, then both of our souls will be revealed. It will happen only under this condition.

Therefore, I should focus on the correct attitude towards others, the point where I can exert my effort, my desire, in order for it to be revealed. But how can I create and achieve such desire? Where does it come from? It comes from the group; it is where I influence my friends and they influence me. I have to feel my lowliness in order to receive the importance of the goal from them, and the Creator will be revealed between us.

Thus, I unveil this point more and more using the force of one gram, and all of the worlds light up. Why do I do it? In order to attain this entire labyrinth, to pass through it, learn the whole program of creation, and attain the entire wisdom.
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From the 2nd part of the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 1/12/11, “Introduction of The Book of Zohar,” Article “The Donkey Driver”

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Question: Why during reading The Book of Zohar do we not only have to focus on our mutual connection but also need to listen to the commentaries on The Zohar?

Answer: First of all, if we read the original text of The Zohar, we have virtually nothing to go by. Therefore, we need the commentaries. A commentary is a connecting, somewhat-abridged authentic source either in the outer form, in the degree, or in several criteria at the same time. But it connects us to the original.

The Zohar per se is also a commentary on the Torah. The major part of The Zohar is based on citations taken from the Torah, which it processes in a different form. Does The Zohar comment on these passages at a level lower than that which the Torah was written by Moses or not? I don’t want to discuss it, but such question does arise.

Does the Sulam commentary reduce the degree of The Book of Zohar by making it closer to our understanding? We understand little of this. The following could be said: Each commentary includes two extreme points. At its highest point, the authors of The Zohar share Moses’ revelation at his level; otherwise, they wouldn’t be able to make the commentary.

But they write the commentary itself with the reader in mind, meaning in a simplified form and at a lower degree of the spiritual ladder. After all, the entire benefit from revealing the Torah lies in using it to correct the will to enjoy, as described by the verse: “I created the evil inclination, and I created the Torah for its correction.”

Hence, the author of a commentary has to stand on both levels: at the degree where he is receiving the source and at a lower degree to which he wishes to pass this source but in a more suitable form, adjusted to the receiver’s degree. This is the goal of each commentary.

Therefore, up to now, nothing can replace the Sulam commentary since on one hand, Baal HaSulam attained the degree of the ARI having thereby received the incarnation of the ARI’s soul and having attained the degree of The Zohar’s writers. On the other hand, he approximated The Zohar to our degree, explaining it in the three lines, in the language of Kabbalah, using the definitions of Partzufim, the worlds, Sefirot, Reshimot, and so on.

We don’t need anything else but to try to actualize it on ourselves. However, now the whole world is supposed to be approaching the transformation of souls. Hence, to make The Zohar easier to understand for the masses, we have somewhat refined The Zohar’s text from numerous symbols that might be an obstacle for a layman, in order to make the reading itself easier for him.

But we never add any comments of our own and only facilitate the mechanical reading of the text to help a person understand the text. We simply put it through some kind of “filter” that extracts all Aramaic language from it as well as some references and various versions. This is, in essence, what we did with the book The Zohar for All. Let’s hope that in this form, The Zohar is even more ready to use for the correction of the souls.
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From the 2nd part of the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 1/12/11, “Introduction of The Book of Zohar,” Article “The Donkey Driver”

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Writings of Rabash, Shlavei HaSulam, “What is the Prohibition to Bless On An Empty Table in the Work”
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The Book of Zohar — Introduction: “The Donkey Driver,” Item 94, Lesson 5
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Talmud Eser Sefirot 3, Part 8, Item 59, Lesson 33
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Writings of Baal HaSulam “The Quality of the Hidden Wisdom – in General,” Lesson 2
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“Introduction of The Book of Zohar,” Article “The Donkey Driver,” Item 88: They said to him, “But you have not told us your name, and where is your dwelling place?”

He replied to them, “My dwelling place is good and of great value to me. It is a tower floating in the air, great and honorable. And those who dwell in that tower are the Creator and one poor man. This is my dwelling place."

It is a problem when during the reading of The Zohar we begin to enjoy the narration because the pleasure muffles our inner search.

Question: But what do I need to look for here?

Answer: Let us say that I am taking a walk with my friend, and we receive pleasure from it on the spot. We are walking and enjoying every step of the way: The birds are singing, the grass is green, there is a nice breeze, the sun is shining. This is called a stroll because we enjoy the actual walk.

But there is another way to walk. We walk covered in sweat, it’s hard for us, and we curse the entire journey. But why do we continue walking? It’s because we want to reach the goal, and it is impossible to make it there in a nice and pleasant way. The path is so unpleasant that we would gladly give it up if we were able to reach the goal in one jump.

Basically, there are different ways to treat the journey: as a walk or as a means to reach the goal. The walk is not a means; it is a goal in its own, which we immediately attain. Now you need to decide for yourself the process that you are in: Are you even moving? Are you taking a walk? Or are you walking towards the goal?

If you read The Zohar and enjoy the actual reading, you are taking a walk. You feel good and you are not thinking about the distant goal. “What a beautiful narration! I am enjoying every word!” This is a walk.

You lack the intention, the inner search, the aspiration of unity with friends. You will see it as soon as you think about connecting. And then this will no longer be a walk, but a journey toward the goal.
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From the 2nd part of the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 1/11/2011, “Introduction of The Book of Zohar,” Article “The Donkey Driver”

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"Introduction of The Zohar," Article “The Donkey Driver,” Item 85: …The donkey driver who is leading the donkeys behind them is the assistance to the souls of the righteous, which is sent to them from above to raise them from one degree to the next.

…Hence the Creator sends a high soul from above according to the merit and degree of each righteous, and it assists him on his way…. This is called “the impregnation of the righteous’ soul.”

Question: When do we merit the impregnation of the righteous’ soul?

Answer: It happens when we desire to ascend. There is no problem; the ladder of the degrees does not change. The forces that operate on the degrees are constant.

Everything is accessible; everything is waiting for the launch signal. And we are the ones who launch this system.

There is nothing we should be waiting for. Push the “buttons,” pull the “levers,” and everything will start working. You need to launch this mechanism. It is under your control, so go ahead!

This is why the “when” depends on a person. It is whenever you want it.
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From the 2nd part of the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 1/11/11, The Zohar

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