A question I received: By disseminating Kabbalah you ascended spiritually and enabled Rabash to ascend even higher. This is why during his life Rabash did everything to make sure that you would continue to disseminate Kabbalah once he is gone – this was the purpose of his life. Before his death Rabash instructed you to continue disseminating Kabbalah. Does your dissemination of Kabbalah today play any role in Rabash’s afterlife?

My Answer: All the souls are absolutely interconnected. Even in our world studies already reveal that every one of us knows everyone else through a sixth acquaintance. Baal HaSulam explains that all the souls in our world go through correction over the course of 6,000 years, in the form of one Partzuf:

• At first, during the first 2,000 years, the world, common soul, Kelim Chabad are corrected with the Light of Nefesh;
• Next, over the second 2,000 years, the world, the common soul, Kelim Hagat are corrected with the Light of Ruach;
• Finally, over the last 2,000 years (and we are living at the end of this period), the world, the common soul, Kelim NHY are corrected with the Light of Neshama.

By correcting ourselves we receive the smallest Light – Nefesh, but due to our correction in the first souls (the forefathers, the great Kabbalists of the past), our corrections reveal the greatest Light – Neshama. The Kabbalists of the past prepared all the conditions for our correction, but it is we who correct the broken (devoid of a screen, of the intention “for the sake of bestowal”) and the mixed (Bina and Malchut) Kelim (desires). Hence, we and our actions are the most important in the process of creation’s development. We raise the entire universe up to the Creator!

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A question I received: What is the Kabbalistic meaning of the Jewish holidays that are coming up?

My Answer: According to the program of creation, all of life is the process of correction of the created egoism so it will be used for love and bestowal to people, and from there – to the Creator. There is no other purpose, meaning or fulfillment in life. This process is comprised of regular actions of correction – the weekdays, and special actions – the Sabbath and holidays.

The Torah divides the holidays (the special actions of correction) into Hagim (Pesach, Shavuot, and Sukkoth) and Moadim. Moadim means “holy gatherings”; they are holy because “bestowal” is called holiness. This is when special corrections are done through greater unity (gatherings) of souls, and this is how the souls attain a special degree of closeness with the Creator. The great Kabbalist the Ari describes these states in detail in the book Ta’amei Mitzvot. However, in our time there are no Moadim because there is no Temple and we are not on the level of the gathering of souls into a single soul.

In addition to this, there are holidays that follow the dates of the calendar, that is to say, that follow the direct implementation of the program of correction. These are the Sabbath, Rosh Hodesh (the new month), Rosh HaShana (the New Year), and Yom Kippur (the Day of Atonement of egoism). So altogether there are five holidays: Pesach (in April), Shavuot (in June), Rosh HaShana (in September), Yom Kippur (in October), and Sukkoth (in October). Each holiday corresponds to a specific level of ascent along the 125 steps of the ladder of ascent toward the correction of the soul, from the egoistic level of our world until the soul’s absolute similarity to the Creator – the World of Infinity.

All the special days are states of ascent due to a special connection between the souls, where the souls attain greater unity in order to become One, like the Creator. All the holidays have been passed down to us from the time when the people of Israel were on the spiritual level and performed acts of correction according to the Creator’s design. However, in our time, instead of correcting egoism and unifying our souls, these actions have been replaced with ritual prayer gatherings.

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The Book of Zohar. Chapter “He Who Rejoices on Holidays” (abridged)

174. Rabbi Shimon opened (the Light) and said: “He who rejoices on holidays and does not give a part to the Creator (receives not for the sake of bestowal), the evil eye (the Light of Hochma in the desire to receive) hates and slanders him, removes him from this world, and brings him many miseries.”

175. The Creator’s role is to cheer the poor (those who reveal the desire for Him), according to His ability. For the Creator appears (reveals Himself) on the holidays (when the desire appears in man from Above) so as to look at all of His broken souls. He comes to them, and He sees that there is nothing to rejoice in, and He weeps for them (conceals Himself), and ascends Above (progressively conceals the Light) to destroy the world.

176. The members of the assembly then appear before the Creator (ascend to Him) and say (raise MAN): “Master of the world, You are called merciful and forgiving, send Your mercy upon Your sons (those who wish to become like You).” He answers them: “Have I not done so, when I created the world based on mercy? As it is written, ‘The world is built by mercy’ and the world is established upon it. However, if they do not show mercy (correction, bestowal) to the poor (empty desires), the world will be destroyed.” The Heavenly angels (nature’s forces) then say to Him: “Master of the world, here is a man who had eaten and drunk to his heart’s content (fulfilled himself for his own sake), and could have been merciful to the poor (corrected his desires), but did not do anything.” The prosecutor appears, receives permission, and persecutes that man (the poor man – one who lacks a Screen to receive the Light inside).

177. There are none greater in our world than Avraham, who acted with mercy toward all creatures. It is written of the day that he prepared a feast: “The child grew and was weaned, and Avraham made a great feast on the day that Yitzhak was weaned.” So Avraham prepared a feast (when his son, the next degree, passed from Katnut into Gadlut) and invited all the leaders of that generation (the governing forces of the Upper degree). It is well known that at every feast (reception of the Light of Hochma), the supreme prosecutor (the condition of mastering the Upper degree) is about, watching. And if there are any poor people in the house, he leaves that house and does not return there. However, if the prosecutor enters a house and sees rejoicing without the poor –without having first shown mercy to the poor – he ascends Above and brings accusations against the host of that feast.

178. Because Avraham was the leader of his generation (the force of ascent onto the next degree), the prosecutor descended from the Heavens and stood at the door of his house, disguised as a poor man (in order to give him an option: either to remain at this degree or to accept the poor, the uncorrected desire, and ascend even higher). And nobody so much as looked at him.

Avraham (the male part of the degree) was attending to kings and ministers (mastering the forces of the degrees), and Sarah (the female part of the degree) was feeding all of their children (filling the newly corrected desires of the degree with the Light of Hassadim), for they did not believe that she had born a child (that the property of Hassadim can beget the next degree), but rather claimed that Yitzhak was a foundling (underwent correction through properties other than theirs), whom they had bought at the marketplace (did not correct themselves). This is why they brought their children with them, and Sarah nursed them in front of all (all properties exist within one man).

179. The Creator said to him: “Who in the world is like Avraham?” And the prosecutor did not leave from there until he had consumed the entire fare (received the Light in his desires, corrected by Avraham – mercy). So the Creator decreed that Yitzhak (the left force, the desire to receive) is to be sacrificed (cut off from receiving Light). And He said that Sarah shall die from grief for her son (as she has no connection to the left line). The cause of this grief is that he did not give anything to the poor.

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A question I received: What is the connection between Reshimot and the history of humanity? You have said that the first Reshimo that developed in this world was the point in the heart. Does this mean that the history of humanity is the sequential expression of Reshimot?

Answer: All matter descended from above downwards, from the World of Infinity to our world, and each level of descent left behind Reshimot (reminiscences, informational data). In our world everything unravels from this spiral of Reshimot in the reverse order, from below upwards.

First comes the development of Reshimot on the still level of nature, then the vegetative level, followed by the animate level and finally matter on the speaking or human level. Man also develops gradually through the chain of Reshimot, and this constitutes the historical development.

However, the first spiritual Reshimo of our movement back (from below upwards) surfaced only 5768 years ago in a man named Adam, and then in more and more people. This is why Kabbalists use Adam as the starting point of the calendar. The nation of Israel was born from the group of Kabbalists, and hence it too considers Adam to be the starting point of its history. Adam was the first man to attain the Creator, and he told us about Him in the book The Angel Raziel.

Today the Reshimot are surfacing and developing on their final stage, and they are demanding their spiritual realization by all people – the ascent of all people to the World of Infinity.

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Three questions I received on the group and virtual connections:

Question: We’ve learned that all of reality is inside us and it’s our desires that make it seem as if everything is outside of us. In addition we learn that it’s necessary to reach love for one’s neighbor, the way we love ourselves. So why do I have to achieve this only with my group that studies Kabbalah? Why not do it with all my other desires too, with the whole world?

My Answer: It’s because, as Baal HaSulam and Rabash write: “Love thy neighbor” is talking about those who are close to you according to the spiritual goal, the people who are going toward the mutual guarantee together with you.

Question: Right now we have a virtual group in Israel as well as other virtual groups in the world Kli. Will everything between us become virtual, including our connections, which will happen through the Internet? Is everything moving toward the unity of the “virtual” Kli, which works together in order to unite?

My Answer: The virtual in our world (in egoistic relationships) will turn into unity in the Upper World (in the relationships of mutual guarantee, love).

Question: Considering all the descents and ascents that happen in the group, what should be the correct group structure for the fastest possible attainment of spirituality?

My Answer: Equality and brotherhood, for the sake of union with the Creator (attainment of the property of bestowal and love).

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The three volume edition of Rabash’s collected works, which we have recently published, includes all of Rabash’s articles, notes, and letters. It is the full collection of his writings.

These texts are a necessary part of one’s preparation for studying, understanding, and realizing The Book of Zohar (ten volumes) and the Talmud Eser Sefirot (six volumes).

When studied correctly, the Talmud Eser Sefirot evokes the Light of Correction on the student. It is the only means of spiritual ascent that exists in our world.

Editor’s Note: These books are available for purchase at the Laitman Kabbalah Publishers official website.

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Four questions I received on the breaking of the common soul, the Star of David, respect for sports stadiums, and self acceptance:

Question: Is it possible for the common soul of Adam to break again after the souls unite?

My Answer: No, which is why it’s called “the full correction” (Gmar Tikkun).

Question: Can you explain the Kabbalistic meaning of the Star of David?

My Answer: The two triangles represent the descent of the souls from above downward and their ascent from below upward. The fact that they overlap stands for the Creator’s particular and general governance of Malchut (David).

Question: While browsing through the Kabbalah website, I found a story about how you drove past a sports stadium with Rabash, and he commented that we have to respect this place because it gives a lot of pleasure to many people. How can a place like that be respected if the people there don’t have any desire for the Creator, and their entire desire and pleasure are just primitive egoism?

My Answer: A sports stadium is the Creator’s way of giving pleasure to the masses, and we have to respect everything that comes from the Creator, if it does not hurt one’s neighbor.

Question: Dear Rav, does the notion of self acceptance work with your teaching? It strikes me that it is necessary to renounce one’s self if one is ever to advance. Is that so?

My Answer: Accept yourself the way the Creator made you – deformed, in order to then justify the way He created you and the world. One does this by gradually revealing one’s oppositeness to the Creator, and then correcting it – transforming it to similarity to Him.

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Questions I received on the prophets, the future of humanity, and the Bnei Baruch community:

Question: I’m wondering whether I understand this correctly: None of the prophets ever spoke about what was happening in their time nor about the forthcoming destruction of the Temple, but only about our times – the spiritual ascent and elimination of egoism that will take place?

My Answer: Yes. See the Babylonian Talmud, Sanhedrin, page 99 А.

Question: I am worried: will humanity be able to change and understand what matters most, or will it be held back by the war between Russia and Georgia and the world will drown in madness and chaos?

My Answer: I hope that our dissemination efforts will bring the world to a peaceful correction, without preliminary fighting.

Question: I heard that there was a time when Bnei Baruch was looking for an opportunity for Kabbalists to live together. However, even though your students live near the Bnei Baruch center, they still don’t live together. Why is that? Do you lack finances, an appropriate place, or this is necessary to strengthen the desire?

My Answer: We wanted to create a model of the future society within a close-knit environment, until we discovered that it’s necessary to come out into the greater world and enlighten the whole of humanity, instead of isolating ourselves.

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Two questions I received on who can study Kabbalah:

Question: In your blog entry Get a Job you say, “Actually, Kabbalah obligates a person to get a job, get married and only then study Kabbalah.” What does “study Kabbalah” mean? Don’t children study it in many groups? So I’m wondering what “study Kabbalah” means. I think that “study Kabbalah” means the more in depth study, the full study, not the study of human interaction and coexistence with one another that the kids are involved in.

My Answer: Kabbalists write that in our time there are no bans on studying Kabbalah, and it can be studied at any age. The children will grow up, get married, and start working with the knowledge in depth. The world is made in such way that a person must “establish himself according to nature” (get married, work, and so on), and only then can he begin discerning his differences from the Creator and correcting them.

Question: I have never asked myself what I am living for, but I want to study Kabbalah. Can I do it?

My Answer: Rav Kook and other Kabbalists write that there are no restrictions on studying Kabbalah. Even if you don’t have questions, you can study in a group according to the principle, “You’ll work up an appetite once you start eating.” You will acquire the group’s aspiration for the search of the meaning of life. The environment influences the individual, and hence you will also begin to feel your point in the heart and will include your desire into the common ascent!

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A question I received: I would like to say a huge thank you to everyone who creates Kabbalah Internet resources! I found Kabbalah on the Internet two years ago, and my life has made a 180 degree turnaround. I finally found my inner world, and all of the questions that haven’t given me a moment of rest since the day I was born have stopped bothering me. I started to understand the essence of things and the reasons behind the things that happen to me. Currently I work on disseminating video lectures and lessons on the Internet.

There is a question that has been bothering me for many years. What is the meaning of the Biblical verse, “A day for each year”? Does this have anything to do with corporeal time?

My Answer: This has absolutely no relation to corporeal time. When a person advances down the path of the Light’s influence on him, then he shortens his path, and this is like “A day for each year” (a day instead of a year). However, this isn’t a corporeal ratio.

There is only one way to ascend to a higher spiritual degree – through desire and love. (All of the Torah speaks only about this – one’s ascent up 125 degrees toward adhesion with the Creator.) However, when it comes to the first degree, one ascends to it from one’s absolutely egoistic properties (the degree called “our world” or “this world”). After the first degree, you no longer have to change yourself completely in order to ascend, but must only keep developing greater altruistic properties within you.

This is why the ascent to the first degree is the most difficult and takes the most time (although the higher you rise, the more difficult it gets; but experience and knowledge help you do this – see Baal HaSulam’s example about ascending up the Creator’s mountain). One’s development either happens through the path of suffering, or through the path of Light, which descends during Kabbalah study. So the verse “A day for each year” expresses the difference in the time it takes to attain the goal (the first degree) through suffering (without using Kabbalah) or through Light (using Kabbalah).

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