I have been hearing reactions that people find it very difficult to read The Zohar. They don’t have the patience for it; they lack connection with the text and the taste for it. I agree with all these complaints because if that’s how a person feels, there’s nothing you can say in objection. However, we have to take an example from our regular lives and how naturally we enter this world.

How do babies learn to live in this world? They simply listen and watch everything, without understanding what is happening to them. Thus, they involuntarily establish connections with the world, and naturally, with the help of the Light, they receive all the notions, language, and understanding of this world.

If we knew how this whole process happens to a person in this world and all the mechanics of it, then we would understand that we go through the same thing in spirituality. It is the only possible development; it happens naturally and enables us to enter an additional world – the spiritual world. Granted, the process is easier for babies in this world because they have already been born into it and all they need to do is assimilate knowledge and sensations of their surroundings, according to the nature of a newborn. We, on the other hand, have to learn the systems and acquire the sensations of a world that is opposite to our qualities.

We don’t even know what this opposition means because we are completely separated from the spiritual world. Therefore, our entrance into it must happen even more naturally; that is to say, it must happen exclusively with the help of the forces of nature, because on our part it is impossible to understand or feel it in any way ahead of time.

On the contrary, we have to rise above all of the understanding and sensations that we already have by virtue of the force of bestowal. This is called, “faith above reason.” We have to make these efforts and desire to belong to the spiritual world above our feelings and our mind. We have to desire for it to influence and develop us, to give us a new heart and a new mind instead of our current, material ones. That way we will reveal ourselves above our current nature. We will then desire to remain open and to absorb everything that the Upper Light is able to do to us.

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The Zohar, Chapter “BeHaalotcha (When You Mount the Candles),” Item 62: Such is the Torah. It has a body, which is the Mitzvot of the Torah, which are called “the bodies of the Torah.” This body clothes in dresses, which are mundane stories, and the fools in the world consider only that clothing, which is the story of the Torah. They do not know more and do not consider what exists underneath that clothing.  Those who know more do not consider the clothing, but the body under that clothing. But the sages, the servants of the High King, those who stood on Mount Sinai, consider only the soul in the Torah, which is the essence of it all, the actual law. In the future, they will gaze upon the soul within the soul of the Torah.

This passage tells us about the processes that take place within a person. We are the “fools” or the “sages,” depending on the state we are in. A big Aviut (coarseness of desire) reveals itself within us—and we fall down. If we’re able to cope with this newly revealed Aviut by building a screen above it, we become more sensitive, corrected, and can go deeper.

The same applies to our material world: Some people are foolish, others are wise. What does “foolish people” mean? Their desire to receive pleasure is very small. Because they are not developed enough, they don’t penetrate into the “body” (Guf) of the Torah. The “clothing” (worldly stories) is enough for them. Their desire doesn’t demand, obligate, nor force them to reveal the inner essence of what’s written in the Torah.

When the desire to receive pleasure grows and manifests in each person as a part of a global desire (that is the whole system of connections between us reveals itself), we start asking questions about the meaning of our life and about our purpose. At this point, we realize that we all depend on each other, and therefore have to unite. Everything depends on the depth of our desire to receive pleasure (our ego) that is gradually being revealed within us. It helps us to transcend from the clothing to the deeper content of the Torah.

Hence, each person must force himself to connect with others as much as possible. Then, with the help of the group, he will receive a much stronger power of the Light that Reforms. Accordingly, a rougher desire to receive pleasure will be revealed, a person will be able to get deeper into it, and thus will reveal the inner essence that hides behind the clothing.

There are fools and sages within each of us. Therefore, we have to make sure that we are able to deal with the deepest layers of the desire to receive pleasure. Revelation of the Torah happens within the corrected desire to enjoy in correlation to its power and coarseness. Then, Aviut (coarseness) of the desire is transformed into Zakut (purity, subtlety).

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The Book of Zohar — Selections, Chapter “BeHaalotcha (When You Mount the Candles),” Item 131
The spiritual world is the opposite of what we are. We must enter the spiritual world naturally by opening ourselves up and allowing it to influence us.
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The Book of Zohar — Selections, Chapter “Ve’Eleh Toldot Itzhak (These Are the Generations of Isaac) ,” Item 1
By demanding inner changes from The Zohar, I become more sensitive to its words and discover that they are familiar to me.
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Talmud Eser Sefirot, Volume 6, Part 15, Item 200
Purim embodies the final correction when Nukva is ready to take on the form of Zeir Anpin.
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“Writings of Rabash — Dargot HaSulam,” Article 909
A teacher is my next spiritual degree; a means for connecting to the Upper.
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“Writings of Rabash — Dargot HaSulam,” Article 910
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The Book of Zohar — Selections, Chapter “BeHaalotcha (When You Mount the Candles),” Item 124
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Studying Kabbalah, I know that you yourself would not want to study, except from one greater than you. And you will not find it except in studying The Book of Zohar. However, prior to each study, resolve within yourself to not make it a habit, but only for the Creator. And not all times are the same: at times you will be able to study for the Creator fervently, if you are rewarded with praying with a pure thought; and sometimes with a small thought, but all with a thought to benefit the Creator.
–The Rav Meshulam Feibush,
Yosehr Divrey Emet (Sincerity, Words of Truth), p 25

If one merits it, he will study The Book of Zohar at dawn, because by its power Israel will come out of exile as out of darkness.
–Ohr Tzadikim veDerech Seuda, Volume 1, Chapter 15

Study in a book of Kabbalah, and even if you do not understand them, say the words of The Zohar, for they can purify the soul.
–The Rav Yaakov Kapil Prayer Book, Section “The Intention in the Study”

It is true that we accept that even for one who knows nothing, the words of The Zohar can still cleanse the soul.
–Rav Tzvi Elimelech Shapira (MAHARTZA),
The MAHARTZA Additions, Item 9

Each and every letter in The Book of Zohar and the writings of our great teacher, by Rav Chaim Vital…are great corrections for the soul, to correct all the incarnations.
–Rav Yitzhak Yehudah Yehiel of Komarno,
Notzer Hesed (Keeping Mercy), Chapter 4, Teaching 20

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Preparation To The Lesson
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“Preface to the Wisdom of Kabbalah,” Item 30
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The Book of Zohar — Selections, Chapter “BeHaalotcha (When You Mount the Candles),” Item 118
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The Book of Zohar — Selections, Chapter “BeHaalotcha (When You Mount the Candles),” Item 112
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A person who consciously seeks spirituality is influenced by different developmental laws than a person who walks the natural path. It’s similar to the difference between classical physics, which deals with large material objects, and quantum physics, which studies elementary particles. The difference between them is like the difference between light and dark. Regular physics speaks of matter, while quantum physics speaks of light, because a quantum particle is a particle of light. In other words, it is a different level of nature, even though it is still within the boundaries of this world, and it differs greatly from what we are accustomed to.

With regard to spirituality, if the sparks of correction aren’t awakened within a person, he is corrected in a similar fashion as all of nature – by being incorporated inside those who do have the spiritual spark, those who aspire toward spirituality and ask the question, “What is the meaning of my life?” Some carry out the spiritual work, while others help them either by supporting or by hindering. Thus, all advance together.

That is why the science of Kabbalah must be disseminated among all people, for as long as it hasn’t in some way reached even one person, he will not participate in correction. It’s similar to how at first glance it seems that humankind bears no relation to what happens in some galaxy millions of light years away from earth. But in fact, we simply don’t yet understand just how dependent we are at the end of correction on every gram of matter, even at some distant star, because it too must be part of us in order to result in perfection, Malchut of Infinity.

This principle applies all the more so to every person in this world, even one who leads the simplest existence and doesn’t have a care about spirituality. This person, nonetheless, pertains to the process of correction to whatever extent he is able, and therefore, we must bring the knowledge of Kabbalah to him as well.

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Zohar Convention 2010, Lesson 7
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Zohar Convention 2010, Lesson 8
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Zohar Convention 2010, Lesson 9
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A question I received: What are the signs of our advancement in reading The Book of Zohar and generally in our spiritual work?

My Answer: The clearest and strongest sign of advancement in reading The Book of Zohar is the feeling of a greater need for connection with others.

Another sign is that I feel that The Zohar attracts me for some reason. Sometimes it draws me more and sometimes less, but no matter what, I feel good being near this book, whether reading or listening to it. I feel that there is power in this book that connects me with life. It has this effect.

Even if a person does not understand or attain what The Book of Zohar describes, he still feels that this book is like a rope or a life-line that the Creator has thrown to his creatures here in this world, as Baal HaSulam writes in his article “A Speech in Celebration of the Conclusion ofThe Zohar.”

By gripping the end of this rope, we can ascend to Him.

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