A question I received: Why is the upcoming The Zohar Convention 2010 called “Zohar for the Nation?” It’s kind of a loud name, isn’t it?

My Answer: The Zohar is the greatest Light that comes to us from the system of Arich Anpin. It is the Light that corrects us. “For the Nation” means that we want to unite together. It is written, “I dwell inside my nation,” meaning, the Creator dwells inside those who unite into a single whole. The Creator is Light, Love, and Bestowal, and He is revealed inside this unification.

That is why the Congress is named accordingly. Like disconnected pieces, we are trying to draw closer and come together. The Light will change us and weld us together. Like glue, it will enter between us. Thus, the Light of The Zohar changes the nation and so the Congress is called “Zohar for the Nation.” There is nothing mystical about it.

The matter in question is the correction of man, of society, and of the world. I doubt anyone could put up an argument against this. Kabbalah only reveals the good and useful things for humankind.

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A question I received: If you weighed the big Kabbalistic The Zohar Convention 2010 in February dedicated to The Book of Zohar, how many years of study does it substitute on the spiritual scale?

My Answer: I’ll be able to answer that after the Congress, when I can evaluate it. At this point, I don’t know. Everything depends on you, on how much everyone unites and the strength of our unity. The power of our desire to unite will define everyone’s desire to rise above their egoism. Our correction will depend on this. There are no limitations from Above. All the limitations come from us.

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You don’t know what stages you are going through while studying The Zohar, and there is no need to be concerned with this. Your only objective is to use The Zohar as “a miraculous tool.”

Whether you feel good or bad, whether this book attracts you or pushes you away, try to keep going. Patience and continuity on this path is what will bring you success.

The most important thing is to desire to attract the Light of Correction, which will affect you so you will begin feeling and seeing the connection between your study and this Light. It won’t be a miracle anymore, but will become a revealed system. Gradually you’ll understand how it acts and how you are structured; how the Light can affect you and change your desires, thoughts, and intentions.

Also, you’ll see how you affect the Upper System that shines upon you, as well as how your desires and intentions can evoke greater or smaller Light. You will begin to be aware of this system. Just like in any field of study, initially one studies only the external connections without knowing why things are the way they are. But then one penetrates deeper into the system, begins feeling it, and builds a model of it inside oneself. And thus, one begins living in that new world.

Therefore, we can understand spirituality only by building an equivalence to it inside ourselves. If I want to understand how any machine or system works, then it’s not enough to just study it from outside. I need to build its model inside me in order to feel and understand it though my mind. Then I will understand how it works.

However, when building the spiritual model, I have to acquire the forces and qualities first, and then use them to build a model of the spiritual system. In other words, I need to acquire spiritual properties and then the system will gradually emerge and become revealed in me.

Then I will no longer need to make efforts in order to force myself to study. I will understand the entire system of Partzufim, Sefirot, and worlds, and how to purposefully affect them.

This way I will enter the science of Kabbalah and understand what The Zohar is talking about. It will guide me and tell me, “Go there, turn here, and see how it works.” That is how I will learn.

I will feel this system and work with it and all the Partzufim, worlds, and Sefirot. I will begin to reveal its internal force, called the Creator.

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A question I received: How will The Zohar study at The Zohar Convention 2010 differ from what I am now watching on the computer screen?

My Answer: The Upper System descends to our world, where we perceive ourselves inside bodies, separated from one another by distance. Why can’t we just be in the souls, in the spiritual world? Why do we also need this world, the lowest of all the worlds?

This world is necessary because while we are in it, spiritually separated from one another, we can physically reduce the distance between us and thereby bring about spiritual closeness. In the spiritual world we are separated by spiritual distance, which can only be overcome by truly correcting one’s desire.

However, I can perform a correction in this world by coming to the Congress and being next to you. When I pay money to attend the Congress, to have the physical closeness, it helps me to carry out a spiritual correction. This is, in fact, the only reason our world exists; otherwise, there would be no need for it. It is a special reality where our material actions can help us to begin making spiritual actions.

You can turn on an engine by twisting a knob, and it will work. But how can you turn on the engine of love and bestowal if you’re an egoist? You can do it by physically coming closer to another person while thinking of a spiritual reward. If I try to come into contact with others who have the same goal as me, then by physically uniting with them, I can “turn on” the “spiritual engine.” This is how I set the Upper System in motion, which corrects me.

We aren’t expected to unite our hearts, since it’s obvious that we are egoists. It suffices for us to make physical efforts to draw closer to one another, in order to turn on the engine of the spiritual system. It then shines upon us with the Light of Correction, making us similar to the Creator.

The Light of Correction comes to us in response to our actions. It travels through us and begins to raise us. All of the descent of the worlds from above downwards took place only to enable you to turn on the spiritual system even while being at the lowest point – this world. You can do it yourself, independent of the Upper Level, through your material actions.

This is exactly what we do by coming to the Congress.

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The Zohar is the name of the Light that comes from the head of Arich Anpin, which is the state of the end of correction. The Zohar was composed by ten great Kabbalists who represent the ten main Sefirot, the complete HaVaYah. This is the original Upper System which descended to a particular level, and later, Baal HaSulam brought it even closer to us. As a result, we have a connection with the highest state. All of this was done for us.

Talmud Eser Sefirot is a special book. However, it is written in a form that distracts our mind so much that we cannot bring our feelings into it. Perhaps after reading The Zohar, we will be able to begin to read Talmud Eser Sefirot properly. The Zohar addresses our feelings and the Sulam Commentary addresses our minds. Together, they stir us in both of these directions and we are unable to resist it.

The Zohar is a revelation of the Upper System where you are allowed to press the buttons controlling everything. Even though you don’t know what buttons you are pressing, the system translates them into the proper influences. The Upper Degree (or a Kabbalist) understands what you want. He doesn’t give you what you are asking for, but what you really need. He acts in accordance with your inner need. For this reason, The Book of Zohar is the most special book of all the books of Kabbalah.

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The Zohar, Chapter ”Metzorah (The Leper),” Item 20: “She is a tree of life to those who take hold of her, and happy are all who support her.” The tree of life is the Torah, a high and mighty tree. It is called Torah (teaching) because it instructs and reveals what was hidden and unknown. She is called “life” because all the upper life is included in her and stems from her.

The “Torah” stands for the Light of Correction, which is the Light that Reforms. This Light is attracted through the study of Kabbalah. It influences our intention and changes it from the natural, egoistic one to an intention of giving. By changing our intention, our desire is redirected from “for my own sake” to “for my neighbor’s sake,” or in other words, from receiving to giving.

The desire itself is neither receiving nor giving. Desire is defined by the intention. To the extent of our similarity with the Creator, we reveal Him and the Light that fulfills us.

Correction of our intentions is referred to as carrying out the commandments or the Creator’s directions. When we correct the 613 intentions that are “for my own sake” by transforming them into “for the sake of bestowal,” it is called the execution of 613 commandments. The 613 Lights or “613 advices” (Tariag Eitin) correct us by filling the 613 desires.

“Isra-El” (directly to the Creator) refers to a person who strives to attain the Creator by correcting himself. Zeir Anpin of the World of Atzilut is called the Tree of Life because it brings the Light of Correction to us.

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The Zohar, Chapter “Metzorah (At The End),” Item 100: Therefore, we learned that when the Sabbath starts, all the wicked in hell rest, and they have freedom and rest. And when the Sabbath ends, we should evoke the upper joy upon ourselves, to be saved from the punishment of the wicked that are sentenced from that time forth. And we should awaken and say, “Let the pleasantness of the Lord our God be upon us.” This is the higher pleasantness, the joy of all, the Mochin de Yeshshut. And it is said about that, “Her ways are ways of pleasantness.”

“The wicked” refers to the desires that give us a feeling of being in “hell.” It is a sense of shame that is evoked because we recognize the property of bestowal, and in contrast to it, see our own uncorrected properties.

We have to learn to see each of our properties within such a state. The correction of our desires is impossible without sensing “hell” in each of our uncorrected properties, which are opposite to the Creator.

Therefore, when we’re able to recognize our uncorrected properties opposite to the Creator and arrive at correction, all roads turn into “roads of pleasantness.” We are the ones who decide that it’s so.

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The Zohar, Chapter “Miketz (At the End),” Item 85: Wherever the judgment is placed on Israel, and it says, “burden,” it is seemingly a burden on the Creator to punish Israel. This is a burden from both sides, as though He is burdened whether He punishes them or does not punish them. If He does not punish them, they will remain in the filth of the sin. And if He does punish them, He is seemingly suffering for the affliction of Israel. This is why it is bad when it writes, “burden,” concerning them.

It is impossible to make spiritual progress without revealing the will to enjoy. Our desire to be filled with pleasure is infinite, but it is concealed within us. When this desire gradually reveals itself in its uncorrected form, we begin to experience problems. Our heart becomes burdened and our advancement becomes even more difficult. Yet the process we undergo is inevitable because our correction occurs over our desire to enjoy. Therefore, it must be revealed this way.

Revelation of our uncorrected desires is a sign that we are ready to be corrected. This is why new layers of the uncorrected desire to enjoy are revealed, allowing us to work on them. For this reason, we must appreciate both the good and the bad.

There is no such thing as “bad,” but only what is called the “Revelation of Evil.” When that which was previously concealed becomes disclosed to us in the form of “wicked” (egoistic) desires, the process of correction is made possible.

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We think that the spiritual levels described by The Zohar are light-years away from us. But when spirituality becomes revealed, it happens very quickly, and if we unite at the upcoming The Zohar Convention 2010 , we will be able to attain the sensation of spirituality.

Besides, we have to keep in mind that all spiritual development until now took place on the individual level. It was done by select individuals, each of whom had to make extraordinary efforts.

But now is time of revelation, marking a shift in the number of people studying as well as the method of study. It is now the method of the whole world’s correction, the correction of the masses. The only thing required for this to happen is a slight desire on our part.

None of the Kabbalists of the past wrote about this state because they did not live in a generation such as ours. Now the correction has become global; it is the true correction where we must all unite together. Nothing like this has ever happened in history yet.

We are witnesses of the expansion and growth of this wave, which is enveloping more and more people. It is moving together with us, giving us support, and making us a necessary presence in the world.

Therefore, I have great hopes for the upcoming gathering, but everything will depend on you.

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The Zohar, Chapter “Ki Tissa (When You Take),” Item 16: “All those who are angered at you will be shamed and dishonored.” The Creator is destined to do unto Israel all that good, which He had said through the prophets of truth, and for which Israel greatly suffered in the exile. Had it not been for all that good that they await and see, which is written in the Torah, they would have been unable to tolerate and stand the exile.

This means that a person gains a greater desire for correction, called “Isra-el” (directly to the Creator), by anticipating the goodness and abundance that will come later on. And moreover, his desire grows even stronger when he gains an initial connection with that goodness.

In our world, a person feels like he knows that he will receive a future reward for his suffering. But in spirituality, this is not the case. There, a person doesn’t receive psychological relief by thinking that evil will turn into goodness. One who is studying Kabbalah relates to this differently. When a person is on the path of truth, he knows that evil is there to help him attain goodness. He sees that the evil is actually within him and he has to correct it instead of simply enduring it. Then, instead of feeling the evil, he feels goodness.

A person does not expect a lucky streak to follow a bad one, but knows that the “unlucky streak” he is experiencing is the revelation of evil within him, which he has to reveal and then correct. In this manner, he attains goodness within. It’s not that the suffering takes place in one place and the reward comes in another, or that he makes an effort here and receives a payment there. Rather, by carrying out the correction, he transforms the “evil inclination” into the “good inclination” – and that’s the reward.

That is why a person rejoices when the “wicked are revealed” – because this gives him something to work on and to correct. It is thanks to this work that he attains spirituality, the Creator, the property of bestowal. Yet, everything happens in the same place: the desire to enjoy.

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