The Zohar, Chapter “VaYigash (Then Judah Approached),” Item 129:  When the firmaments and the animals, meaning the Nukva, are corrected so that everything is one Merkava for this man, ZA, it is written, “And Joseph prepared his Merkava [chariot/structure], and went up to meet Israel, his father, to Goshen.” This is a Tzadik [righteous], Yesod de ZA, called “the righteous Joseph,” who tied and united his Merkava, the Nukva, with the firmaments and the animals.

Here The Zohar speaks about the desire created by the Creator, which begins to resemble Him, His actions. The Creator is the source that shows the desire to enjoy (that He created) His actions upon it. The Creator influences the desire to enjoy in a variety of ways, and, by perceiving these forms, the desire starts developing from them.

The desire perceives the Creator’s actions in six different directions (four directions of the world and up-down) as well as through a variety of colors, tastes, smells, temperatures, and so on. In essence, the Light emanating from the Creator affects the desire to enjoy and it receives certain impressions.

In accordance with the sensations experienced, the desire ascribes different names to these impressions and defines them by various forms. These phenomena do not exist outside of the desire to enjoy since we are unable to perceive anything outside of our desire. For example, we can say that there is simple Surrounding Light; however, we can only talk about certain phenomena when they’re already within the desire, when the desire already senses them in one way or another.

The Zohar explains the structure of the systems, that is, it clarifies how the desire to enjoy is impressed by the Light and how this determines the desire’s structure. Each time the desire receives an impression from the Light, it acquires a specific shape, which is how the Light leaves various imprints on it. The desire to enjoy is like a living sculpture with a myriad of internal and external forms and systems.

That is why the creature represents an extremely complex system that originates from the influence of the Light upon it. The direct influence of the Creator on the creature means that the creature goes through all His actions and acquires forms in accordance with the system “from Above to below,” that is, directly from the Creator.

There is also an opposite action when the creature says: “Stop! From here on I will operate the system on my own. I want to be similar to You. It’s enough. I’ve already received all the impressions and Reshimot, and now I want to work independently. I want to operate the system that You imprinted in me, in the way You do it. I want to become as giving as You are. I want to bestow to You!”  This is called “work from below to Above.”

From the Evening Zohar Lesson 6/9/10

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A question I received: What is unity? Is it an internal sensation or the revelation of some force?

My Answer: Unity is a new reality that we have no idea about. It is a new matter that we haven’t sensed before and that has the properties of the spiritual world: the properties of bestowal. When we become included in this matter and live in it, we start revealing a different, new dimension as if finding ourselves on a different planet. We reveal this dimension within the properties of this matter: in bestowal.

Thus, unity doesn’t simply mean mutual connection, good relations, or confidence. It is revelation of the new property which doesn’t exist in our world. When we obtain this property and become similar to the Creator, we reveal everything in our mind and feelings, in unity with Him.

There is nothing else for us to do except to reach unity. It is within our power to do so. With regard to this it is written, “We shall do and we shall hear.” This means that we can perform various actions, put forth our effort, and do everything in our power. We can study together and unite as the Kabbalists recommend and as RABASH writes in his articles.

However, we won’t succeed in this. We have to reach the state described as “And they screamed from this work.” It’s an internal scream that we have to unite but are incapable of doing so. Only with this state of this internal scream will it happen. It must be a true prayer, a true cry.

We have already built the entire foundation. Now we only have to reach the property of unity. The new matter which will become revealed as the connection with others is the spiritual matter. It is already to some extent a spiritual vessel which existed before the breaking. At the instant that we reveal it, that we reveal the spiritual existence, the Creator will be revealed.

Therefore, throughout the day, each of us and all of us together have to try, as much as possible, to care only about this.
[15553]
From the 1st part of the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 6/13/10, The Zohar

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Rabash, Shlavei HaSulam, Article “Make Yourself a Rav and Buy Yourself a Friend- 2,” Lesson 3
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The Book of Zohar – Selections, Weekly Parsha, “Chukat” 
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A question I received: In addition to thinking about studying together and wanting to correct ourselves, what should our connection be with the text while reading The Zohar?

My Answer: The connection with the text of The Zohar will come later; you will start feeling how it excites you. The Zohar touches one’s innermost layer of the heart as if it were a very personal, intimate, life-changing letter, a letter from someone very dear to you.

You may go through various states, plunge into some thoughts and actions; however, when you come back to The Zohar, you feel that it enlivens you. It fills, calms, caresses, embraces, and envelops you. This text expresses the state of the soul that is in absolute adhesion with the Creator.

After a person receives a very first sensation of spirituality, he already knows what it means. He can’t live without it anymore. For him, it’s like a very personal, inner message from Above, like “cold water for a weary soul.”

The first feeling is followed by more complex and richer sensations that burst out into a full drama. Yet first we need an initial contact that requires a few years of serious work. If we do it together and really desire it by helping and obligating each other, it will take less time.

We need to establish a contact with spirituality. It may not even be the initial adhesion, but a certain anticipation and sensation that transcend the boundaries of our ordinary reality. Everything seemingly remains the same, yet above everything there is a state starting from which a person unites with The Zohar.

From the 1st part of the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 6/14/10, The Zohar

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The Book of Zohar – Selections, Chapter “VaYetze (And Jacob Went Out),” Item 59
The Creator presented the creatures with the opportunity to take charge of their nature, where with the help of the Light they can obtain the form of bestowal.
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Rav Yehuda Ashlag, “Preface to the Sulam Commentary,” Item 67
Before the breaking all actions were realized from above to below. After the breaking they were realized from below upward which is due to the desire of the lower who ask to be corrected.
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Rav Yehuda Ashlag, Introduction to the Study of the Ten Sefirot, Item 65
“Friends” are the greatest people of the generation and yet they need me to achieve correction.
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Rabash, Shlavei HaSulam, Article ”Make Yourself a Rav and Buy Yourself a Friend – 2,” Lesson 2
Our mind is needed not to understand the learning material, but for listening to the advice of the Kabbalists.
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The Book of Zohar – Selections, Chapter “The Donkey Driver,” Item 112 
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We should be very grateful to the Creator for concealment. Without it, we would remain animals, constantly chasing after pleasures that have been revealed to them.

Concealment helps me stay in the darkness, even though it’s unpleasant, I build myself through the concealment. That’s why it’s impossible to see whether we advance correctly or if our actions will be rewarded. The reward is to walk in concealment attempting to perform actions of bestowal. The best reward is not seeing a reward for this.

Otherwise, we won’t come out of the Creator’s rule. Only in concealment can we seemingly not be subject to Him. He watches us, yet gives us an opportunity to reveal Him and the greatness of His actions in the concealment that has been formed after the restriction in the World of Infinity.

We don’t’ ask about revelation. That would mean that a person, motivated by his natural aspiration, wants to return to the beastly state. Knowing is the worst thing that could happen to us. If we acquire knowledge after “faith above reason,” we then reveal the new knowledge in the properties of bestowal and not reception. This is already Divine knowledge.

However, we first have to perform a restriction, to pass to the other side, and reveal the new knowledge there and not before.

From the 1st part of the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 6/13/10, The Zohar

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A question I received: If I sense everything that happens in my regular life from “within,” is it a sign of my advancement as a result of reading of The Zohar?

My Answer: No. There is no such thing as “regular life” when you read The Book of Zohar. I have an embryo of the soul, the point in the heart, through which I stay within the Upper system that The Zohar describes.

How can I sensibly and rationally connect all these properties (the three lines, ascents and descents, and spiritual actions) with this tiny point in which there is nothing? This is exactly what I am striving for. How can I stay with them, sense them, and experience them at the level of ZON in the World of Atzilut?

I don’t expect anything from this world (from myself or my group friends) in the way that I perceive them or the entire world within my five senses. Why do I need it? This world doesn’t exist; I only imagine it within my ego (the desire to receive). If I climb to a higher degree of bestowal and “faith above reason,” I’ll perceive everything in a totally different way.

I have no desire to deal with this world. All I want is to rise and merge with the Upper One! However, I exercise a realistic approach and I don’t abandon this world. But I study The Book of Zohar as well as the rest of the wisdom of Kabbalah in order to reveal the Upper reality rather than to pull it down into this world. It will never happen. Never will the spiritual world clothe into the material one.

On the contrary, our material world will rise to its roots: the spiritual world. Through this material world I’ll eventually see the Upper World, but first I have to perceive spirituality. That’s why I have to detach myself from all my worldly possessions since at this point I am learning about perfection, spirituality, and the Creator.

From the 1st part of the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 6/10/10, The Zohar

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The Zohar, Chapter “VaYigash (Then Judah Approached),” Item 120: …Also, it is written, “I will go down to Egypt with you,” meaning that Divinity went down to exile with him, and wherever Israel exiled, Divinity exiled with them.

It wouldn’t be an exile otherwise. Exile means that you feel concealment. You feel that spirituality (the Creator) exists, yet you sense His reverse side. It shines to you in a way that allows you to feel the Creator’s presence, but in a concealed form. That is when it is called exile.

If your sensation of the Creator’s concealment is absent, this is not exile. As far as you’re concerned He simply doesn’t exist, meaning you exist at a level below spirituality. Exile is a spiritual sensation which is above the level of our world. Therefore, we cannot say that people in this world are in exile.

However, if you know that something spiritual ought to be here, if you have that feeling or are somehow familiar with what is concealed, then you are in exile. This is a connection that shines via its reverse side, in a black light instead of white. It follows that “Israel in Egypt” is a spiritual degree. They have a Light, a special illumination, so they are not detached from spirituality. Whereas we are “like mortal beasts” if we have no sensation of exile.

Today, as we read The Zohar, we gradually awaken from our beastly existence, and the reality of our exile is slowly becoming apparent. It is no small feat to ascend to the level of exile. For that you need to truly feel the concealment, the striving (desire) for the spiritual world, to discern from the darkness Who it is that is concealed from you, and how you can grab onto Him.

Exile is a spiritual degree which is the reverse side of the same degree of revelation. The sensation and work of this reverse side is part of the Creator’s work.
[15835]
From the 1st part of the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 6/9/10, The Zohar

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The Book of Zohar – Selections, Chapter “VaYetze (And Jacob Went Out),” Item 34
In order to gain maximum benefit from The Book of Zohar we must prepare to be one man with one heart during our studies.
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Rav Yehuda Ashlag, “Preface to the Sulam Commentary,” Item 67
A “person” is one who combines the left and the right line: the created desire to receive pleasure and the Creator’s desire that’s aimed at bestowal.
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Rav Yehuda Ashlag, Introduction to the Study of the Ten Sefirot, Item 54
Spiritual trepidation is not fear of falling into egoistic intention, but a fear of not being able to bestow, regardless of a great desire.
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Rabash, Shlavei HaSulam, Article “Make Yourself a Rav and Buy Yourself a Friend – 2,” Lesson 1
“Buy yourself a friend” means invest in him all that’s the best in you, only so, that he would want to unite with you.
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