Entries in the 'Zohar' Category

A Guide To The Book of Zohar: The Communications System With The Creator

Dr. Michael LaitmanExcerpts from my upcoming book, A Guide to The Book of Zohar

If we want to improve humanity’s condition, The Book of Zohar has to become the primary book for the whole world. The Zohar is not a book, but rather a system. Reading The Book of Zohar activates a positive influence of the Upper spiritual system onto our world, bringing it abundance.

All the goodness that is revealed in our world passes through the communications system of all the creatures, and this system is called The Book of Zohar. Every second of our lives, we instinctively act to achieve goodness. Therefore, this apparatus, The Book of Zohar, which enables the reception of the positive force, should always remain before us.

If we manage to achieve this even to a small degree, we will see improvement in everything: emotions, reason, perception, and action. The whole reality will change, and the world will become entirely different. Suddenly we will feel how the presence of one force, higher and full of goodness, envelops us. We will feel its actions; the air will as though grow thicker….

The purpose of The Book of Zohar is not to activate abundance and goodness; rather, it is a communication system between us and the Creator. Let us hope that we will heed the advice of the great Kabbalists, and use The Book of Zohar to achieve the purpose of our existence.

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Daily Kabbalah Lesson – 08.03.10

Rabash, Shlavei HaSulam, “These are the Generations of Noah”
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The Book of Zohar – Selections, Chapter “Lech-Lecha (Go Forth), Item 302
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Rav Yehuda Ashlag, Talmud Eser Sefirot, Vol. 6, Part 15, Item 7, Lesson 6
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Rav Yehuda Ashlag, “Introduction to the Book, Panim Meirot uMasbirot,” Item 6, Lesson 6
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Spiritual Signals Amplifier

Dr. Michael LaitmanQuestion: In work with three lines, the left line looks big, heavy, and thick since it embraces our entire evil inclination. In contrast, the right line looks very light and works only as a “spice.” Is this only my personal sensation?

Answer: Of course, a person sees himself as an important “substance” that “owns” the whole material world with all of its egoism. This is an extremely heavy weight. On the other side, there is spirituality, some lightweight, insubstantial “spirit” (Ruach). One wonders: “What power can it have if it is totally elusive?”

Quantum physics investigates elementary particles that cannot even be “caught,” but rather detected only by the deflection of a needle. We know from this world that the more invisible a force is, the more powerful it is. Likewise, spiritual reality defines and retains everything in its “network” by applying its power. Everything that happens originates from the inner forces; their actions materialize and thereby enable us to see elementary particles as well as our entire Universe. Spiritual energy gives birth to the whole material world.

Hence, it is unfeasible even to compare the powers of Light and matter. The Light has created only one black point, “Yesh Mi Ain” (existence from absence). This point never changes, it always remains a point. Within this point a process of apprehension begins: “I am black. I am different from the Light. How different am I? Can the difference be that big?” Afterward, this enormous divergence that, in fact, is represented by just one black point widens to the extent of the realization of its evil nature, thus creating all the worlds. This one point is the essence of everything there is; all of its power comes from the Light.

Due to the presence of the Light and its small desire, this point is able to produce the Returning Light. It is similar to an amplifier that produces a weak signal at the entrance, but by applying an outside power to enhance the weak initial signal, it  intensifies it and thereby turns it into an extremely powerful signal at the exit. That is how you use “outside” energy of the Light, apply it to your tiny desire towards spirituality, and thus make huge changes.

By using your desire to produce the Returning Light and give bestowal back to the Creator, you engage the whole power of the Light, the strength of the Creator, and apply it to a small desire of yours. That is when a huge Reflected Light emerges and equals itself in strength with the Direct Light, the Creator’s influence.

From the 2nd part of the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 7/30/10, The Zohar

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A Guide To The Book Of Zohar: Author’s Preface

Dr. Michael LaitmanDear friends, I am starting to publish excerpts from my upcoming book, A Guide to The Book of Zohar.

Author’s Preface

Dear Reader,

If you are wondering why you need this book, read one page and it should tell you whether or not to continue. The science of Kabbalah and its main book, The Zohar, explain the reason and purpose for our existence, the program of spiritual advancement originally instilled in nature, as well as how to attain the purpose of life using the shortest and easiest path.

As described in The Book of Zohar, the Creator created a program of human development: to bring man to the state of the Creator. Why? Because this state is the best there is. But in order to lead man towards this state, it is not enough to fill him with pleasures or provide him with the knowledge of eternal and perfect life. It is also necessary for man to fully experience this state. For this, man needs to attain this perfect state of the Creator on his own. He has to learn how to separate pleasure and suffering from truth and lie by choosing the bitter truth over sweet deception.

It is not an easy path of development. We cover part of this path unconsciously in the course of multiple reincarnations. But our generation has reached the last stage of human development, and that is why we need to perceive the essence of life and to understand what is going on with us, where and why we live. These questions will gradually lead everyone to the wisdom of Kabbalah, just like they made you open this book right now. This is because after extensive search people will not be able to find a genuine answer, the revelation of the source of their existence, anywhere else.

This book describes the stages of your development, up until reaching complete similarity to the Creator. This process is inevitable and mandatory for everyone who lives on Earth. Whether you decide to close this book and continue to live as you did before, or you make an attempt to realize the usefulness of the wisdom of Kabbalah, it will define your future.

You will either live under stress caused by the circumstances of life, which will eventually force you to refer to Kabbalah anyway, or you will apply the effort to reveal the guiding hand of the Creator. In that case, you will discover the path, the purpose, and the reason for everything that happens; you will find out how to attain an existence similar to that of the Creator in an easy and pleasant way. Good luck!

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Reception Inside, Bestowal Outside

Dr. Michael LaitmanIt is written: “I created the evil inclination and the Torah as a remedy for its correction for the Light in it Reforms.” On one hand, I collect my egoism, my evil; on the other, from the Creator, I take the force of bestowal, the Light. From these two components, I construct my new form called “man,” Adam, who is “similar” (from the Hebrew word “Domeh”) to the Creator. Inside this form resides my egoism; however, on the outside, it is equivalent to bestowal. In other words, I am reception on the inside and bestowal on the outside.

Therefore, my action is called “reception for the sake of bestowal,” and my work is in the three lines: right, left, and middle. The right and the left lines descend from Above, from the Creator, whereas the middle line ascends from below upward, from man to the Creator. The left line is represented by “I created the evil inclination,” the right line by “I have created the Torah as the remedy for its correction,” and the middle line by “for the Light in it Reforms.” Then, one becomes as good as the Creator. “I am good and do good, and so do you. Hence, you will be called ‘man,’ meaning ‘similar’ to the Creator.”

From the 2nd part of the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 7/30/10, The Zohar

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Daily Kabbalah Lesson – 08.02.10

Rabash, Shlavei HaSulam, “The Matter of Truth and Faith”
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The Book of Zohar – Selections, Chapter “Lech-Lecha (Go Forth), Item 281
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Rav Yehuda Ashlag, Talmud Eser Sefirot, Vol. 6, Part 15, Item 6, Lesson 5
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Rav Yehuda Ashlag, “Introduction to the Book, Panim Meirot uMasbirot,” Item 5, Lesson 5
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Do You Wish To Enter?

Dr. Michael LaitmanThe Zohar, Chapter “Lech Lecha (Go Forth),” Item 237: When the Creator, Bina, wished to create the world, which is ZA, He elicited one flame of the harsh spark and blew wind into wind, and the flame was darkened, as well as burned. He elicited a single drop from the sides of the deep and put them together—the drop and the flame—and created the world with them, ZA.

The Upper Governance descends to us from the system called GAR of the World of Atzilut. Below it, resides Zeir Anpin whom we call the Creator because he is the Upper One in relation to Malchut of the World of Atzilut, the place of the gathering of all souls.

At present, however, our souls are broken and they reside below Malchut. When the broken souls desire correction, they raise their prayer to her. Yet, how do they know what this correction entails? They wish to stick together! They say: “We are willing to pledge for each other and unite!” Malchut means assembly of all souls that yearn for the Creator (Isra-El). Only he who wants to be with the others without any exception will be able to enter Malchut; and the one who doesn’t will not.

The condition is very clear and simple, and everyone is welcome. The door is open, come in! But at the entrance, you will have to meet the condition, and if you do, you will enter; if you don’t you will not. If you wish to come in, prepare yourself.

All souls who enter Malchut come together and raise a prayer to the Creator (Zeir Anpin). This prayer is a request to become similar to Him. In the beginning, with the help of the group, we raise our first prayer to Malchut. From Malchut, we raise the prayer (MAN) further, to Zeir Anpin. Zeir Anpin collects our prayer and raises it to Bina (Ima Ilaa), and there, he receives the force, Light, and anti-egoistic screens on our behalf. Then, he descends and passes this force down to Malchut, who passes it on to the souls included in her. In this way, everyone who has entered Malchut is granted the entire Light promised to him from Above.

This is what all of The Zohar is talking about. And this is the only system that exists in Universe.

From the 2nd part of the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 7/30/10, The Zohar

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Excerpts From My Book-In-Progress: The Guide To The Book Of Zohar

Dr. Michael LaitmanThe Zohar is the crown of the science of Kabbalah. It is no coincidence that it holds a special place in the treasury of humanity’s heritage. And it is not by mere chance that it rouses such respect and fear. There is a great gift in this book which we received directly from the Creator. It is a special and wonderful force capable of bringing us all to goodness, eternity, and perfection.

This is precisely why today, when the whole of humanity is at the turning point of its development, this book is being revealed. No other book (not even any of the other Kabbalistic books whose purpose is to raise us to the Upper World) can compare to The Book of Zohar in terms of its influential power. It engages, captures, and attracts the reader to such an extent that one wishes to return to it, to place oneself under its influence, again and again.

For a reader who has already delved into it, it becomes a source of energy, strength, and life. This book reveals the secrets of both the Upper Worlds and this world, which science is still unable to discover today. With the help of The Book of Zohar, we can understand what happens to us, reveal a new life for ourselves, and unite with a source of goodness and perfect fulfillment.

The purpose of this book is to prepare the reader for studying The Book of Zohar. The Guide to The Book Of Zohar is meant to be studied independently, as its title denotes, as a guide to The Book of Zohar, and it does not require any preliminary knowledge in the wisdom of Kabbalah.

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Daily Kabbalah Lesson – 08.01.10

Rabash, Shlavei HaSulam, “The Matter of Root and Branch”
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The Book of Zohar – Selections, Chapter “Lech-Lecha (Go Forth), Item 240
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Rav Yehuda Ashlag, Talmud Eser Sefirot, Vol. 6, Part 15, Item 5, Lesson 4
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Rav Yehuda Ashlag, “Introduction to the Book, Panim Meirot uMasbirot,” Item 3, Lesson 4
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Weekly Torah Portion – 07.30.10

The Book of Zohar, Weekly Torah Portion “Ekev,” Selected Excerpts
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