Question: Kabbalah says that the reason for all the problems in the world is man’s egoistic desire. But what is the connection between me being an egoist who’s opposite to the Creator and the extreme heat in Moscow or the ecological crisis?

Answer: We are all inside a closed system or sphere called “the Creator” where all the parts are connected through mutual bestowal. That is the law of existence of the entire system as well as each of its parts. We can see this on the example of the human body, the ecosystem, and so on. I exist inside this system like an embryo inside a mother’s womb, and I feel good to the degree I am connected and equivalent to the system and bestowing like it. And vice versa: To the degree I am disparate from it and have different qualities, I feel bad.

Proximity and separation are not defined by distance, but by equivalence of form. If I have a small egoistic desire, then even if I am different from the system, I feel small problems. But if my desire increases, then so does my sensation of discomfort.

Since man’s egoistic desire constantly develops, his opposition to Nature’s system, the Creator, also increases, and thus it is inevitable that man will feel worse. This will continue until he begins to understand what the reason for his suffering and problems is.

I will receive blows of fate from all sides until I understand that it is systematic and not accidental. The problems with the ecology are not accidental! I can no longer keep ignoring them. Similar problems will take place all over the world and in all forms. They will shake people up and make them stop and think, “Apparently, there must be a reason for this?”

As the desire grows, it feels suffering and creates a mind by its side in order to avoid the suffering. A person becomes smarter and shrewder. He learns to connect the causes and consequences and inevitably begins asking, “Why is this happening? Where are all of our problems coming from?” Usually people ask, “What did I do to deserve all of this?” And that is already a subconscious question about the Source of what is happening (Nature, the Creator).

People will reveal that what is operating here is the general law of the universe. Call it “Nature” instead of the Creator; either way it requires us to constantly and consciously maintain balance with Nature, which means we have to have the same quality of bestowal as the whole universe since all parts of the universe exist in universal connection and integral unity.

That is why there is no choice about the matter. Humanity is a cancerous tumor inside all of nature, and it is obligated to cure itself. Eventually, under pressure from all the problems, we will reach this realization. It’s already very close.

From the 4th part of the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 8/10/10, A Lesson On Current Events

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Baal HaSulam’s article “The Teaching of the Kabbalah and Its Essence,” section “Spiritual Expressions”: The spiritual has no image, hence it has no letters to contemplate with. Even if we declare in general that it is Simple Light, which descends and extends to the seeker until one clothes and attains it in the amount sufficient for His revelation, this, too, is a borrowed expression. This is so because everything that is called “Light” in the spiritual world is not like the light of the sun or candlelight.

For a person who does not yet perceive spirituality, spiritual concepts are a total jumble of abstract words. He is like child who doesn’t understand the meaning of the words and simply repeats after adults. And when you reproach him with “What have you done?” he cheerfully echoes, “What have you done!”

In other words, we do not understand the spiritual phenomena the words reflect, and like children repeat the words after the Kabbalists. Yet, gradually we have to approach their true meaning and feel what is hidden behind these words.

All spiritual concepts express a desire and the sensations within a desire since nothing else exists in the whole of reality. There is a desire (spiritual vessel) and something that enters it. The impression within a desire is called “the Light.”

Desire is divided into five levels: Keter, Hochma, Bina, Zeir Anpin, and Malchut. Accordingly, we reveal within desire five types of the Light: Nefesh, Ruach, Neshama, Haya, and Yechida. The sum of these five Lights and five desires defines the “name of the Creator,” meaning someone who influences me. The Creator is the one who created desires in me and gave me screens for them. He is the one who arranged everything in a manner that I feel His impact the way I do. He did everything. All I do is feel the consequences of His actions.

Therefore, all I perceive is called “the work of the Creator.” I call Him by the name that is instigated by the sum of my desires and Lights that I feel in them, that is, by the impression I receive. This is how words are formed in spirituality.

We only need to understand ourselves, and then we will reveal the Creator within us. This is why we call Him “Bo-reh” (come and see). The name of the Creator is me sensing His property of bestowal appearing in me. At first, we, like children, repeat vague words after Kabbalists: Keter, Hochma, Bina, AB, SAG, and so forth. Eventually, however, we will have to attain their meaning and begin sensing them.

From the 4th part of the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 8/6/10, “The Teaching of the Kabbalah and Its Essence”

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The Zohar, Chapter “Lech Lecha (Go Forth),” Item 356: “The law of the Lord is perfect” because it contains everything. Happy are those who engage in the Torah and do not part from it, for anyone who is separated from the Torah for even an hour, it is as though he has parted from life in the world. And it is written, “For it is your life and the length of your days,” and it is written, “For length of days, and years of life, and peace, will they add to you.”

In the wisdom of Kabbalah, we study the two components of creation: the Light and desire. The Light impacts the desire, whereas the desire merely results from the Light’s impact on it, as it is written, “Light moves desires.”

The universal Light called “the Creator” (Kadosh-Baruch-Hu), the Light of Infinity, leads the entire evolution of the desire through various states, step by step, in a cause and effect order to the equivalence with Self. It is done so that the desire, despite its being created as “existence from absence,” would attain the same condition as the Light, “existence from existence.”

Actions taken by the will to receive pleasure while progressing in stages toward this goal (equivalence with the Creator, the property of bestowal) are called “discernments,” “corrections,” “fillings,” the purpose of which is “adhesions” (Zivugim). “Adhesion” means partial or complete (at the end of all corrections) equivalence to the Light. During these adhesions, the bond between the “will to receive in order to bestow” and the Light, the property of bestowal, manifests.

All our actions are called spiritual work, during which our desire with the help of the intention to bestow attains at least some equivalence with the Light, partial adhesion with it, until such actions reach the highest adhesion called complete correction.

From the 2nd part of the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 8/5/10, The Zohar

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The Creator is a singular quality of bestowal and absolute good. The creature, however, is created by the Creator as a desire to receive pleasure, which makes it opposite to Him. Hence, in order to become similar to the Creator, the creature has to undergo numerous contradictory states. The creature could simply replace the desire to receive with the desire to bestow and merge with the Creator. But to avoid this and remain independent yet similar to the Creator, the creature incorporates two elements within itself: the will to enjoy and the sensation of the Giver.

Our sensation of the world and existence is comprised of these two opposites: Yesh (existence) and Mi Ain (from absence). Only then is the creature able to feel that it exists. We can’t exist in either Yesh (the reality of the Creator) or in Ain (the reality of the creature), and therefore, we undergo gradual transformations in order for the Light (Yesh) that created us from absence (Mi Ain) to mold the desire (Ain) into the form of Yesh (the form of the Creator).

This Light leads me along the chain of cause and effect, where each previous effect becomes the cause of the following state. This goes on until I begin to sense His relationship with me, an outside force that created and is guiding me. Beside the sensation of being filled “within reason,” there is another force of the Creator that educates me by setting a model and a goal to follow. This is where I must act by using “faith.”

In my present state, I exist in my animate form and act according to what I have. At the same time, however, I am aware of my higher state, a degree that I haven’t yet achieved. I take the existence of a higher degree on “faith” because it is opposite to my present state of being. The nature of spiritual degrees is such that each higher degree is opposite to the lower one since it contains a greater degree of bestowal than the one below it.

In order to attain a higher spiritual degree, I must accept its condition of “bestowal despite my egoism” or “faith above reason.” If I don’t, I will forever remain at the present, animate degree. This means that I will continue to receive in the “old” will to receive pleasure and will not climb the spiritual ladder to bestowal. Therefore, it is necessary to prepare ourselves so that we willingly accept a higher spiritual degree and not push it away.

From the 1st part of the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 8/2/10, Article, “The Matter of Truth and Faith”

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Excerpts from my upcoming book, A Guide to The Book of Zohar

If we want to improve humanity’s condition, The Book of Zohar has to become the primary book for the whole world. The Zohar is not a book, but rather a system. Reading The Book of Zohar activates a positive influence of the Upper spiritual system onto our world, bringing it abundance.

All the goodness that is revealed in our world passes through the communications system of all the creatures, and this system is called The Book of Zohar. Every second of our lives, we instinctively act to achieve goodness. Therefore, this apparatus, The Book of Zohar, which enables the reception of the positive force, should always remain before us.

If we manage to achieve this even to a small degree, we will see improvement in everything: emotions, reason, perception, and action. The whole reality will change, and the world will become entirely different. Suddenly we will feel how the presence of one force, higher and full of goodness, envelops us. We will feel its actions; the air will as though grow thicker….

The purpose of The Book of Zohar is not to activate abundance and goodness; rather, it is a communication system between us and the Creator. Let us hope that we will heed the advice of the great Kabbalists, and use The Book of Zohar to achieve the purpose of our existence.

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Question: In work with three lines, the left line looks big, heavy, and thick since it embraces our entire evil inclination. In contrast, the right line looks very light and works only as a “spice.” Is this only my personal sensation?

Answer: Of course, a person sees himself as an important “substance” that “owns” the whole material world with all of its egoism. This is an extremely heavy weight. On the other side, there is spirituality, some lightweight, insubstantial “spirit” (Ruach). One wonders: “What power can it have if it is totally elusive?”

Quantum physics investigates elementary particles that cannot even be “caught,” but rather detected only by the deflection of a needle. We know from this world that the more invisible a force is, the more powerful it is. Likewise, spiritual reality defines and retains everything in its “network” by applying its power. Everything that happens originates from the inner forces; their actions materialize and thereby enable us to see elementary particles as well as our entire Universe. Spiritual energy gives birth to the whole material world.

Hence, it is unfeasible even to compare the powers of Light and matter. The Light has created only one black point, “Yesh Mi Ain” (existence from absence). This point never changes, it always remains a point. Within this point a process of apprehension begins: “I am black. I am different from the Light. How different am I? Can the difference be that big?” Afterward, this enormous divergence that, in fact, is represented by just one black point widens to the extent of the realization of its evil nature, thus creating all the worlds. This one point is the essence of everything there is; all of its power comes from the Light.

Due to the presence of the Light and its small desire, this point is able to produce the Returning Light. It is similar to an amplifier that produces a weak signal at the entrance, but by applying an outside power to enhance the weak initial signal, it  intensifies it and thereby turns it into an extremely powerful signal at the exit. That is how you use “outside” energy of the Light, apply it to your tiny desire towards spirituality, and thus make huge changes.

By using your desire to produce the Returning Light and give bestowal back to the Creator, you engage the whole power of the Light, the strength of the Creator, and apply it to a small desire of yours. That is when a huge Reflected Light emerges and equals itself in strength with the Direct Light, the Creator’s influence.

From the 2nd part of the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 7/30/10, The Zohar

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Question: Lately people often ask me, “What is the science of Kabbalah?” And I am unable to give them a simple definition in one sentence. How do we explain what we are learning? Is it to love the neighbor?

Answer: We are learning how to reveal the Upper Force which controls us. According to Baal HaSulam’s definition, “Kabbalah is the revelation of the Creator to the creatures.” Love for the neighbor is only a means. Revelation of your evil inclination is also a means, and the Torah is a means for correcting that inclination. The result of all these efforts is the revelation of the Creator.

However, a regular person will be confused by the word “Creator” and is likely to assume that it has to do with religion. Therefore, we should explain that there is a force in our world that controls everything and puts everything in motion, and we need to study it.

In fact, our fate depends on this. The science of Kabbalah reveals that Upper Force to us and then we begin to understand everything that happens to us in life. This explanation is more comprehensible to people because everyone is concerned with their fate.

From the 4th part of the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 8/2/10, “Introduction to the Book, Panim Meirot uMasbirot”

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It is written: “I created the evil inclination and the Torah as a remedy for its correction for the Light in it Reforms.” On one hand, I collect my egoism, my evil; on the other, from the Creator, I take the force of bestowal, the Light. From these two components, I construct my new form called “man,” Adam, who is “similar” (from the Hebrew word “Domeh”) to the Creator. Inside this form resides my egoism; however, on the outside, it is equivalent to bestowal. In other words, I am reception on the inside and bestowal on the outside.

Therefore, my action is called “reception for the sake of bestowal,” and my work is in the three lines: right, left, and middle. The right and the left lines descend from Above, from the Creator, whereas the middle line ascends from below upward, from man to the Creator. The left line is represented by “I created the evil inclination,” the right line by “I have created the Torah as the remedy for its correction,” and the middle line by “for the Light in it Reforms.” Then, one becomes as good as the Creator. “I am good and do good, and so do you. Hence, you will be called ‘man,’ meaning ‘similar’ to the Creator.”

From the 2nd part of the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 7/30/10, The Zohar

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Question: Is it possible to transition to bestowal without any pain and suffering?

Answer: Yes. It is possible to make this transition without suffering if you do it under the influence of the environment.

The environment is able to imbue me with an aspiration to any goal, even the most unrealistic one. If everyone around me thinks about it, I will also start to aspire to it. Then it won’t be at all difficult for me to value the quality of bestowal. I will see it as a great reward instead of my current egoistic reception. However, the condition for this is that others around me also think and act this way.

A person is much like a computer whose old program can be erased by society and a new, more advanced program with new data can be installed. I advance to the degree this happens.

The only reason I need a mind is to follow those who show me the spiritual path. However, following them is not that simple because you don’t do it by turning into a robot, but on the contrary, you grow!

You constantly receive interferences on all levels: still, vegetative, animate, and human, which impede you from following the spiritual path. You have to lower yourself and come down from the height of your enormous egoism in order to be able to follow the spiritual teacher. That is why you have to have a great mind in order to decipher all of the shrewd tricks of your egoism. Then you will avoid following your egoism and will advance by faith above reason, by following your teacher.

We receive states that are so confusing that we start to look down on the teacher and even to hate him. However, if you are able to ascend above this and turn yourself into “nothing,” to “dust under the feet of the righteous,” it means you are following a righteous person on the spiritual path. This causes you to be great like that person because you receive everything that is in his mind. You receive this through him from the Creator.

When it says that the nation followed Moses like a flock follows a shepherd, it doesn’t mean that they walked like animals. Rather, it is talking about a special form of advancement where you nullify yourself before the teacher, Moses, and through him you nullify yourself relative to the Creator. In the same exact way we go from love for the people to love for the Creator. Otherwise, we cannot change.

You change your previous form and acquire a new one, which is similar to the Creator. This does not belittle you in any way. If you nullify yourself in the spiritual world against the Klipot at the height of the Worlds of Assiya, Yetzira, Beria, and Atzilut, and you follow your teacher, then you rise to the height of those worlds. We are talking only about the height of your opposition to the interferences that are sent to you (that emerge).

This is called “walking by faith above reason.” I don’t have the knowledge that my spiritual teacher does, and thus I nullify myself in relation to him. I cancel my mind and receive new knowledge from him. It is knowledge of the Upper Level, “faith.” The lower part of his spiritual Partzuf, AHP, becomes immersed in me and I accept darkness as Light even though it appears dark inside my egoistic desire. That is how I can advance along the spiritual path.

From the 4th part of the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 8/1/10, “Introduction to the Book, Panim Meirot uMasbirot”

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The Zohar, Chapter “Lech Lecha (Go Forth),” Item 237: When the Creator, Bina, wished to create the world, which is ZA, He elicited one flame of the harsh spark and blew wind into wind, and the flame was darkened, as well as burned. He elicited a single drop from the sides of the deep and put them together—the drop and the flame—and created the world with them, ZA.

The Upper Governance descends to us from the system called GAR of the World of Atzilut. Below it, resides Zeir Anpin whom we call the Creator because he is the Upper One in relation to Malchut of the World of Atzilut, the place of the gathering of all souls.

At present, however, our souls are broken and they reside below Malchut. When the broken souls desire correction, they raise their prayer to her. Yet, how do they know what this correction entails? They wish to stick together! They say: “We are willing to pledge for each other and unite!” Malchut means assembly of all souls that yearn for the Creator (Isra-El). Only he who wants to be with the others without any exception will be able to enter Malchut; and the one who doesn’t will not.

The condition is very clear and simple, and everyone is welcome. The door is open, come in! But at the entrance, you will have to meet the condition, and if you do, you will enter; if you don’t you will not. If you wish to come in, prepare yourself.

All souls who enter Malchut come together and raise a prayer to the Creator (Zeir Anpin). This prayer is a request to become similar to Him. In the beginning, with the help of the group, we raise our first prayer to Malchut. From Malchut, we raise the prayer (MAN) further, to Zeir Anpin. Zeir Anpin collects our prayer and raises it to Bina (Ima Ilaa), and there, he receives the force, Light, and anti-egoistic screens on our behalf. Then, he descends and passes this force down to Malchut, who passes it on to the souls included in her. In this way, everyone who has entered Malchut is granted the entire Light promised to him from Above.

This is what all of The Zohar is talking about. And this is the only system that exists in Universe.

From the 2nd part of the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 7/30/10, The Zohar

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