The word Hatan [bridegroom] also indicates descent, as we learn, “Come down from your degree and marry a woman” (Rashbi, Zohar for All, “On the Night of the Bride, 128”).

Hatan (groom), from the word “Nahut,” Nahut Darga, means that the groom descends from his height to the bride, and takes her as his wife.

In other words, the Creator clothes himself in people so that they can begin to attain Him. In this case, He approaches them and they can study Him. A person begins to feel that he has a longing for understanding the meaning of life, spiritual ascent, and the closeness between people.

This is how the first encounter between the Creator and the soul of a person takes place.
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From KabTV’s “Introduction of The Book of Zohar” 11/12/23

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Question: In one of the comments to the “Preface of The Book of Zohar” you explained: “In fact, the night is full of light, and only we are not able to see at night. We lack the light of love, the light of bestowal—Hasadim, so, to see it.” How should we understand this?

Answer: Very simply, if we had the qualities of bestowal in us and if we wanted to get closer to each other and to the Creator, then we would light up the darkness of the night with our striving and it would shine.

We see only darkness in our relationship, not light. We do not enjoy giving and caring for each other, but enjoy using one another.

Therefore, our method is to correct the state of darkness where I feel very bad bestowing to others and to turn the night into day.
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From KabTV’s “Introduction of The Book of Zohar” 11/12/23

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Question: Baal HaSulam in his articles warns us about being under the control of external influences. But, on the other hand, we need to disseminate to convey our knowledge to the world.

What is the necessary proportion in order to be connected with external people and bestow to them on one hand, and on the other hand, not to be under their power?

Answer: We are not under anyone’s power except our uncorrected will to receive. Only our corrupted egoism is above us.

We are trying to spread our values in society, not to receive their values for ourselves. Therefore, we are engaged in disseminating Kabbalistic knowledge among all nations of the world.

Question: How can we maintain this proportion correctly?

Answer: Only by continuing to practice our methodology together will we begin to feel how to do this.
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From the 3^rd part of the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 11/23/23, Writings of Baal HaSulam “A Speech for the Completion of The Zohar”

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“God has done so as to fear Him.” It is so because there cannot be awakening from below and raising of MAN without fear (Introduction of The Book of Zohar “Laila de Kalah [The Night of the Bride],” Item 129).

We are created by the Creator in the desire to receive, to be filled, to enjoy. And it is possible to make us tremble before the Creator only by negative influences so that we feel that we need something without which we cannot live. And then we awaken to a merge with the Creator.

And without fear, we will not be able to turn to Him. We are created so egoistic that at first only fear can guide us. And then there are other qualities.
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From KabTV’s “Introduction of The Book of Zohar” 11/12/23

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Question: The article “The Night of the Bride” in the “Introduction to the Book of Zohar” begins with the fact that Rabbi Shimon studied the Torah at night when the bride unites with her husband. Who are the husband and the bride? What is it about?

Answer: “The Night of the Bride” is a state that humanity goes through before attaining the Creator, when the Creator does not yet reveal the desires of people in order to awaken their hearts.

In other words, “night” is a state of concealment, “bride” is all of humanity, our soul, our desires, and “husband” is the Creator.

Question: Why then could it not be written: “Humanity unites with the Creator”? Why specifically “bride” and “her husband”?

Answer: I think that Rabbi Shimon decided to express what he felt in this way. Moreover, he expressed his feelings in this way because he felt spirituality very deeply, and not because he saw an artistic image according to which everything that humanity experiences before the revelation of the Creator is called “night,” and the connection of humanity with the Creator is called “wedding ceremony.”
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From KabTV’s “Introduction of The Book of Zohar” 11/12/23

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Question: How to read The Book of Zohar correctly?

Answer: To begin with, just read in a language that you understand. Maybe at first this book will be perceived by you as some kind of legend or something like that, but it will still influence you, and you will change. So I advise everyone to read it.

Question: Do I need any preliminary preparation before reading? Is it better to read alone or in a group?

Answer: No, it is very difficult to read it in a group. It is enough to read alone for now. Everyone can start reading The Book of Zohar, and immerse themselves in it. Don’t read all kinds of introductions, but The Book of Zohar itself, the articles “The Letters of Rav Hamnuna Saba,” “The Vision of Rabbi Hiya,” and others.
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From the 3^rd part of the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 11/12/23, Writings of Baal HaSulam “The Shofar of the Messiah“

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In the article “The Donkey Driver,” a sage named Elazar talks about the six days of the creation of the world: each day is a revelation of the special power of the Creator.

The power of the Creator comes from the first three higher Sefirot—Keter, Hochma, and Binah, and then develops inside a person in the six lower Sefirot—Hesed, Gevurah, Tifferet, Netzach, Hod, Yesod, and in the final Sefira Malchut, which collects all the properties of the previous six Sefirot, and thus reveals the Creator within himself.

There are five levels of desires, which symbolize the five days of the creation of the world. The sixth day is Yesod, a collective action that mixes all the previous properties. The seventh day is already the filling of the corrected Kli with light; therefore, it is not customary to do work on Saturday, i.e., correction.
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From KabTV’s “Preface to the Book of Zohar” 9/3/23

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Rabbi Elazar and Rabbi Aba rejoiced, wept, and said, “Go, ride the donkey, and we will prod it behind you (Zohar for All, “The Donkey Driver”).

That is, the sages recognized that the force that exists in the donkey (“donkey” in Hebrew is Homer, the matter of all creation) is the dwelling place of the Creator. Therefore, they began to treat differently the one who drives them, accompanies them, and leads them to the goal.

When they arrived at the house of Rabbi Yosi, son of Rabbi Shimon, son of Lakunia, they saw Rabbi Shimon there and they were glad. Rabbi Shimon was glad. He told them, “You must have passed through a road of miracles and high tokens, for I have been sleeping now and saw you and Benayahu Ben Yehoyada sending you two crowns through an old man, to crown you. It must be that the Creator was on that way, for I see that your faces have changed.” Rabbi Yosi said, “You said well—that a sage is preferable to a prophet.” Rabbi Elazar came and placed his head between the knees of his father, Rabbi Shimon, and told him the feat.

That is, they did not fully understand everything, but now that they have finished their journey, they are beginning to reveal that in fact, they have passed such degrees that they never assumed or knew they would pass. They talk about this further in The Book of Zohar.

It means that this is just the beginning, just the first chapter, and then the whole Book of Zohar tells about what they found there, on these degrees.

Question: It is clear that there is some allegorical meaning here. Because it is said that Rabbi Elazar, the son of Rabbi Shimon, who wrote The Zohar, came and placed his head between the knees of his father, Rabbi Shimon, and told him the feat,  about what had happened to this donkey driver. What does “came, placed his head between the knees of his father” mean?

Answer: Placed his head between the knees of his father means that Rabbi Elazar bowed before the wisdom of his father and, as the one who follows him along the spiritual degrees, asked for help to ascend to the next degree.
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From KabTV’s “Introduction of The Book of Zohar” 9/3/23

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Rabbi Elazar and Rabbi Aba came down from their donkeys and kissed the donkey driver. They said, “What is all that wisdom that is under your hand, while you are driving our donkeys? Who are you?” He told them, “Ask not who I am, but I and you shall walk and engage in Torah, and each shall say words of wisdom to illuminate the way” (Zohar for All, “The Donkey Driver”).

“Donkey” (“Hamor” in Hebrew) means matter (Homer). The sages bowed to the driver and asked him to lead them down the path of attainment of the Creator.

In other words, you discover an upper force within, that seemingly drives you and leads you forward, because you still associate yourself with your donkey.

And suddenly you realize this force is kind and doing good and it leads you only to the highest attainments.
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From KabTV’s “Introduction of The Book of Zohar” 9/3/23

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Question: What is the main idea of the article “The Donkey Driver”? How can you practically use what is written there for your spiritual development?

Answer: Try to find guides in your life who will lead you step by step from degree to degree, so that you finally feel, recognize them, and by yourself begin to ask for the revelation of these degrees.

In principle, this article is an instruction for those who are already in spiritual attainment.

But reading it affects a person who has not yet found all the internal properties and forces in himself and cannot operate them. After all, by reading it, he evokes upon himself the illumination of the upper light, which gradually reveals to him his inner properties and brings him closer to spiritual attainment.

Therefore, even without understanding anything in this text, a person evokes some positive forces that change him. If he is already in attainment, then he consciously uses these forces.
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From KabTV’s “Introduction of The Book of Zohar” 9/3/23

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