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.

Related Material:
Prologue to The Zohar

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When it comes to being persistent, the men have something to learn from the women. Women never cease asking – how can they be equal to men? The sensation of inferiority subconsciously weighs down on them. It comes from the “Creator’s curse” described in the Torah. Hence, it is present in every woman and she feels it in everything.

In spiritual work, our desires are “the woman within us,” whereas the intentions of bestowal that we have to acquire over these desires are “the men within us.” Our “inner women” have to desire to acquire their “inner men,” to unite with them and give birth to sons – the corrected souls filled with Light!

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The Book of Zohar. Chapter “Who Is This?” (abridged)

169. Rabbi Elazar opened (the way for the Light into his Kli) and said (revealed what was discovered), “Who is this coming up from the wasteland?” WHO IS THIS (MI ZOT) is the common ground of the two worlds, Bina and Malchut, which are bound together. COMING UP – coming up to become the “Holy of Holies.” For MI is Bina, called the “Holy of Holies.” And she joins with ZOT (Malchut), so that Malchut could come up and inherit THIS, to become a bride (of the Creator) and enter (together with Him) the bridal canopy (the common Screen).

170. She comes up from the wasteland (exile, the darkness of this world) of the soft utterance of lips, as it is written in Song of Songs, “And your mouth is comely.” This is because the Hebrew word MIDBAR (desert/wasteland) is derived from DIBUR (speech). It is written that the mighty forces strike Egypt (man’s egoism) with all the plagues of the wasteland (lack of fulfillment), for the Creator did not create souls in the wasteland (emptiness and darkness), but in settlements (opportunities to fulfill themselves).

171. He asks: “How does Malchut ascend in speech?” And he replies: “When man first awakens in the morning (when the Upper Light begins to shine from the darkness), and opens his eyes (becomes aware of the world, the goal, and the path), he must bless his Creator (for the property of bestowal that he has received, for acquiring a soul). How is he to bless Him? The way it was done by the first (those who have acquired souls) Hassidim (those who have acquired the Light of Hassadim – the property of bestowal): they would prepare a vessel of water (the property of bestowal, Bina) beside them (with their uncorrected desires) from evening (in spiritual darkness), so that when they woke at night (due to the Upper Light that came to them), they would wash their hands at once (correct their desires “to receive” to desires of bestowal), and would rise (in all the thirty Sefirot of the soul’s height) to study the Torah (to correct their desires), having blessed it (for this property of correction).

When the rooster (the desire for the Light, for the property of bestowal) crowed, precisely heralding midnight (the initial point of correcting one’s desires), the Creator was with the righteous (those who desire to correct themselves) in the Garden of Eden (Malchut that rose to Bina). And in the morning (the Light shines, and hence) it is forbidden to perform a blessing with unclean hands (with the desires to receive).”

172. For when man is asleep (when spirituality is concealed), his soul leaves him (he cannot feel it). And as soon as his soul (the property of bestowal) departs from him, the impure spirit (the property of reception) replaces it at once, and it fills his hands (desires) and defiles them (with egoism), and hence it is forbidden to utter a blessing without washing one’s hands (correcting one’s desires).

173. But woe unto those who do not beware and do not guard the Creator’s glory, for they do not know the foundation of the world.

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A question I received: When I started studying Kabbalah, I was fascinated and dedicated, and everything was all right. I had downs and ups, but after a down there was always an up. The problem is that some time ago I started feeling depressed all the time. I can`t stand my reality, I feel sick, I am moaning all the time, and I can’t reach balance. I’m still trying to study with my virtual group, but because of my work, I can’t watch morning lessons. I also feel that my intention is worth nothing now. I don’t even know where it is. I feel confused and weak. Also the people around me keep telling me that I have changed, that I’m aggressive and nervous, and that I am thinking only about myself. And I feel that this is true, but I can’t change my behavior.

Is all of this natural for a person studying Kabbalah or I am doing something wrong? What can I do to pass this and be better for everybody around me and for myself, because I feel that I hate myself as well?

My Answer: We all go through states like this. Kabbalah compresses all of your future states for many years ahead, leading you through them over a shorter period of time. Hence, it isn’t easy to live through this period. Everything inside you changes suddenly and drastically. You get thrown from Light into darkness, from joy into depression, and so on.

The only thing that will help is to lower your head. In other words, regardless of your thoughts and desires (your mind and heart, and the sensations in them), cling to the group as the only source of salvation in this world given to you by the Creator. Organize systematic, daily studies for yourself, and spend all your free time participating in dissemination. Accept the fact that this life was given to you in order to come out of it and enter the Upper Life.

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A question I received: Lately you’ve been talking about going from regular newspaper dissemination like in Sochi and other places to dissemination through the Internet. Does this mean that we are going to stop publishing newspapers and magazines, producing TV shows, and so on?

My Answer: We are not going to make any hasty changes. We are continuing all of our present means of dissemination, including publication of books and newspapers, productions of films, and so on. However, gradually the priority is shifting to dissemination through the Internet. Here’s why:

Necessary for existence. Nature on the still, vegetative, and animate levels is programmed to consume only what is necessary for existence. The rest of the time, it rests.

Excess or luxury needs. Unlike animals, man strives to satisfy more than the natural (animalistic) needs of the body, such as food, shelter, sex, and family. He starts feeling additional desires for excess or luxury things by absorbing them from society. Hence, he begins wanting things like wealth, respect, fame, and knowledge. This is why man is forced to work more than is really necessary, in order to satisfy these excess demands. However, these desires aren’t actually his own, but society’s, and they were imposed on him by society. He devotes most of his life to satisfying these demands, and along the way, burdens many other people with extra work.

Needless luxuries are the cause of self-destruction. Nature’s harmony becomes disrupted when man, as a species, takes more from nature than what he needs for existence. This is why we are witnessing the exhaustion of the planet’s natural resources as well as the general crisis.

A society of necessary consumption. The solution to the problem lies in establishing a merciful attitude to one another. When we achieve an attitude of love, then society will no longer impose extra desires and work on man, but only those necessary for existence.

The time and efforts that will be freed up by this will be used for man’s spiritual development – a connection with the Creator, the highest reward. This will be realized by means of a greater connection between people (souls), until they are all drawn together into a single system of total inner interconnection – the single soul of Adam.

Establishing new relationships. New relationships between people – bestowal, mutual guarantee, and love for one’s neighbor, will mainly be realized through the virtual World Wide Web, which will incorporate all people. The diversity of the Internet will enable every user to satisfy all his needs, including study, communication, work, rest, and even some of the physiological needs, and so on. Even the necessary work will mostly be done through the Internet. Only a small number of people who work to produce goods and services necessary for human existence, will retain work outside of the World Wide Web.

Changing man. If we could transfer all the lessons, teaching, dissemination work, and the realization of the program of union with the Creator (gatherings of friends, communication, and congresses) to the virtual World Wide Web environment, and attract all of humanity into our environment, then we will be able to revive the world, making it ecologically healthy, and reeducate man.

The realization. People’s entire connection through the Internet is based on their desire to communicate with each other. Therefore, we have to show that we are willing to have any kind of contact with all the users. The development of Kabbalah on the Internet is a top priority. It will allow us to bring man not only to the perception of our world or the virtual world – but the true Upper World and the Creator.

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The Book of Zohar. Chapter “Among All the Sages of the Nations of the World, There Are None Like You” (abridged)

161. Rabbi Elazar said, “It is written: ‘Who would not fear the King of the nations of the world!’ What kind of praise is this?” Rabbi Shimon replied: “This has been said, but one should not understand the verse, ‘For among all the sages of the nations of the world, and in all their kingdoms, there are none like You,’ in its simple, literal interpretation. This is because it naturally gives rise to evil intentions of sinners. Therefore, their folly must be clarified.

A philosopher came to me and said, “You say that your Creator governs the entire Heavens, and that all the Heavenly hosts are unable to attain Him, nor come to know His dwelling place. However, this does not add to His greatness, as it is written, ‘among all the sages of the nations of the world, and in all their kingdoms, there is none like You.’ What kind of a comparison is this when the Creator is compared to man, who is nothing?’”

162. Furthermore, you claim, as your Torah says, that “There had not risen a prophet since in Israel like Moshe.” There are none in Israel, but there is one among the nations of the world! So I claim the same: there is none like You among all the sages of the nations of the world, but among the sages of Israel there is one like You. However, if there is one like Him among the sages of Israel, then He cannot be the Supreme Ruler.

163. Rabbi Shimon said to him, “You object correctly that there are those among the sages of Israel who are similar to the Creator. For the Creator resurrects the dead back to life, yet Eliyahu and Elisha came and resurrected the dead back to life! The Creator causes rains to fall, yet Eliyahu came and abolished rains! The Creator created the Heavens and the earth, yet for Avraham the Heavens and the earth were revived.”

164. “The Creator governs the sun, yet Yehoshua came and stopped it. The Creator issues His decree, yet Moshe immediately issues a decree of his own, and it is carried out. The Creator wishes to punish, and the righteous of Israel annul His verdict. Moreover, He bid us to closely follow His ways and to be like Him in every way.” The philosopher then went and became Israel, and lived in the village of Shachalayim, and they called him Yosi HaKatan (Little Yosi). He studied the Torah a great deal, and was among the sages and the righteous of that village.

165. And now the time has come to take a closer look at this verse (to understand the inner essence of it). It is written that all the nations of the world are nothing before the Creator. Yet, how does this exalt Him? Hence, it is written: “Who sees the King of the nations of the world?” Yet, is the King of the nations of the world also not the King of Israel? The Creator wishes to elevate Israel (the property of love and bestowal toward others, similarity to Himself); this is why He is called everywhere “the King of Israel” (in accordance with man’s intention towards the Creator: Israel = Isra-El = straight to the Creator). The other nations of the world (egoistic intentions) say (about man) that they have another King up in the Heavens (egoistic goals), for it seems to them that He governs only them, and not us (they claim that the governance over the property of reception and the property of bestowal, seeing as they are opposite, does not descend from a single Upper Force).

166. It is written: “Who would not fear the King of the nations of the world?” That is, their Supernal King is there to threaten and persecute them, and do with them as He pleases (so strictly does the Creator manifest in egoistic desires). Hence, He should be feared. And all fear Him, Above and below. For it is written that among all the sages of the nations of the world (the angels that rule over these nations) and in their Kingdoms (Above) there is none like You. There are four Kingdoms Above that rule over all the nations of the world (the universal egoism, so as to bring it to correction) according to the Creator’s will. And there is no one who can do even the smallest action without His personal instruction (because the end goal determines every action). The sages of the nations of the world are the forces that rule them from Above, and all the wisdom of the nations of the world comes from these rulers. “In all their Kingdoms” means that the Creator’s will rules over them.

167. Yet, among all the sages of the nations of the world and in all their kingdoms, who among them can do it if not You, who will do it better than You! For You excel over them all in both properties and deeds. Hence, it is written: “There is none like You.”

168. Rabbi Shimon (joyous over the revelation that everything stems from the Creator) said to his friends: “This wedding (unification of souls with the Creator) must be a wedding for all of you, and each of you should bring a gift (his own part in the common Malchut) to the Bride.” He said to Rabbi Elazar, his son: “Present the Bride (Malchut) with a gift, for on the following day Zeir Anpin will look as he enters the wedding canopy (the common Screen with Ohr Hozer) at the sound of these songs and praises of the sons of the wedding canopy (the souls exiting exile into adhesion), who stand before the Creator.”

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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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A question I received: I have a question about that period just before going to sleep and the importance of reading or listening to something inspirational. I have often heard the phrase, “Passing the night guards safely.” Who are these night guards? What happens to us when we fall asleep?

My Answer: In spirituality, falling asleep is when one gradually loses the clear perception of the Upper Light. In Hebrew, “evening” comes from the word Erev, to mix. Hence the phrase “evening descends onto man” refers to the mixing of Light and darkness. A person is no longer clear on the difference between the Light and the darkness, and he gradually submerges into the night – the absence of the Upper Light. Hence he is unable to correct his desires.

This is a state, because there is no time in spirituality, and it is necessary in order for new, uncorrected desires to be revealed in a person, as well as the desire to correct them. When one is in the state of darkness, but he desires to start correcting his new desires, this is called “morning.” This is when love and bestowal (which seemed as darkness before, in the new uncorrected desires) start surfacing and one feels that they are good, and he desires them. This is the dawn!

Once a person fully corrects all of his desires, then the entire darkness of our world, of every state in it, will turn to Light. He will understand that it has always been this way, but like a bat, he could not see Light. Then there will only be daytime, without the night.

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News Report (from NewScientist and newsru.com): New research shows that polygamists live on average seven years longer. Ecologist Virpi Lummaa and colleague Andy Russell (University of Sheffield, UK) analyzed longevity data on 189 countries from the World Health Organization, taking into account a country’s gross domestic product and average income to minimize the effect of better nutrition and healthcare in monogamous Western nations. They found that men from countries that practice polygamy live much longer than in monogamous nations – 12% longer.

But women also live long, even longer than men! According to Cedrik Puleston, a demographer of Stanford University, there are two hypotheses seeking to explain male and female longevity. Women live longer because they become grandmothers and have to take care of their grandchildren. Menopause “frees” them, enabling them to start educating children. Men, on the other hand, live long because they marry younger women and are influenced by female longevity.

My Comment: Why do people live long? The human being is a unique creature in the animal kingdom, because he continues to live long beyond reproductive age. Human longevity is unnatural – people shouldn’t live past 45-50 years. In women, climax and menopause is a transitional period from sexual maturity to the elderly period, and just like with men, it means that there is no reason for people to keep on living – other than to attain their higher purpose!

The fact is that people have to develop their egoism, in order to then understand that it is evil and evoke the force of correction by studying in a group. They have to cross the Machsom and overcome the 125 degrees until the full correction. This takes many years of serious effort, and this is why in our era – the era of correction, Nature (the Creator) has made human lifespan as long as necessary for people to complete their higher mission during their lives!

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Three questions I received on the daily, mundane reality of a Kabbalist:

Question: What’s the right attitude to have to my actions in this world, considering the fact that I don’t have any freedom of will? Should I stop trying to control all the things that don’t really matter, or the opposite – strive for perfection at every moment?

My Answer: Neither of the above. You should be in the Upper One, in the system of Adam, with your entire mind and heart. But in our world, you should function as a robot, “like everyone else”.

Question: What should be our response to people who want to take advantage of us? If we desire to be altruistic, not to be egoistic, and to help others, and if I think that I have this desire, then when I encounter those kinds of people, what’s the right way to deal with them?

My Answer: You should treat them the same way any regular person would – “politely/egoistically.”

Question: What helps a Kabbalist stay connected with the theater of the world of robots, after he rises above the common perception of reality? What helps a Kabbalist remain in the mainstream of life? Which values, that can be understood by regular people, remain “valid” in spirituality? What motivates a Kabbalist to live in the body, in the state of “Hafets Hesed?” How does a Kabbalist keep connected to a group of students? Does he depend only on the natural development of the worlds, or are there special methods of “spiritual descent?”

My Answer: I don’t understand why you’re concerned with any of this, but there’s just one brief answer to all your questions – “love for one’s neighbor.”

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