Two questions I received on the connections within the virtual group:

Question: By participating in the virtual lessons, we are creating a united Internet group that isn’t located physically in one place, but is connected only in the dimension of time, on-line. This is a group of like-minded people or friends. Do I become a part of the group if I listen to the lessons later, not at 3AM Israel time?

My Answer: To be part of the group is not just to listen to the lessons at the same time, but to be connected with all the virtual friends, who are united by a common desire and goal to attain the Creator, as well as the means of attaining this goal – the original source texts (The Book of Zohar, and the compositions of the Ari and Baal HaSulam with my commentaries). In addition, they agree to observe the Mutual Guarantee (see the article “The Arvut“), abide by the “Charter of the Virtual Group,” participate in dissemination, pay Maaser (tithe) for dissemination, and attend a Congress at least once a year.

Question: Can women sing and dance during a Congress?

My Answer: Yes, if they do it separately from the men, so the men won’t get distracted from high thoughts and unity of friends.

Related Material:
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Shamati #20: “LISHMA (for Her Name)”

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A question I received: Originally Adam had only one woman, Eve. Will we return to monogamy when corrected? Or will we not care when we are corrected?

My Answer: Sexual union in our world comes from the spiritual union between the Upper Light and the soul, called “Zivug de Hakaa” by means of a screen. In this spiritual union between the soul and the Creator (the Kli and the Light), the Creator or the Light is the male part which bestows, and the soul or Kli is the female part which receives. In the process of correction the soul (Kli) acquires the property of bestowal, and then it is ready to accept the Light in order to satisfy the Creator’s (the Light’s) desire “to bestow.”

The process of union (merging, Zivug – spiritual coupling) happens in the common desires of both “to fulfill the other with pleasure,” to feel pleasure only to the extent that will give pleasure to the other partner. Hence, what happens is a constant comparison of common desires and intentions (in the Rosh of the Partzuf, before reception inside its Toch), which becomes expressed in our physiology as the movements of sexual intercourse, preceding the outpouring of the Light of Hochma (Ohr Pnimi, semen) into the soul (into the Kli, from the Rosh into the Toch of the Partzuf).

These alternating and progressive mutual movements are meant to create a complete desire in each spiritual partner, by way of interrupting and resuming contact. This creates the possibility of wholesome pleasure: when this level is attained, the Light passes from Peh to Toch – the pleasure enters the desire, as written in the Torah: “As an arrow hits the desired target at the desired time, in the desired woman, and in the desired place.”

Thus, when one’s soul attains full correction, one views sex as the physiological expression of the spiritual connection. And if there is no spiritual connection, then there is no incentive or reason for a bodily connection.

Related Material:
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Questions I received on perceiving spirituality:

Question: I am absolutely convinced by the way Kabbalah explains everything – the creation, life, and the end of all of this. But in my heart I feel that I need something tangible, something that I can sense with my ordinary five senses, some kind of a clue, sign or miracle. I know that this is not how Kabbalah works and I feel it is rude and ignorant to desire such things, and I should not do it. What do you advise me to do with such thoughts and desires?

My Answer: You will become more and more detached from this desire, because you’ll begin to understand that spirituality is attained differently – inside you. Actually, you even perceive our world, all the corporeal things, only inside yourself. Nothing exists outside of you. Gradually you will begin realizing this, to the extent that you will gain a perception of the world of souls, the Creator, in parallel to your perception of this world.

You shouldn’t do anything forcibly, but only include yourself in the group. Then the desires you receive from the group will draw the Upper Light, which will change you and make you just how you should be, without your intervention.

Question: When you talk about the sixth sense, you don’t mean just one more “sixth” sense in addition to the other five, but five new senses that exist in parallel to the ones we already have, and that operate differently from them?

My Answer: It’s a new type of perception comprised of five parts (from Keter to Malchut with Ohr Hozer). It is called a “soul” and it perceives like the Creator, inside the quality of bestowal, in the Reflected Light. Of course, it is not just an additional sense, as I sometimes say to avoid scaring off the beginners.

After a person gains the ability to perceive in the Reflected Light, in bestowal, he also begins to perceive differently in his five bodily senses, perceiving new relationships and connections between forces, objects, and actions. In addition, he always retains the ability to descend to the regular perception, to be like an ordinary person, to understand him.

Related Material:
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Baal HaSulam Article: “The Essence of the Wisdom of Kabbalah”
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The Book of Zohar. Chapter “Heaven and Earth” (abridged)

151. Rabbi Shimon opened (the way for the Light) and said (revealed it to his disciples), “In the beginning the Creator created the Heavens and the earth.” This verse should be looked at (revealed in the Light of Hochma), for whoever (he who attains) claims that there is another Creator (when he attains a property other than bestowal), (in this state) he disappears from the world (loses this degree), as it is written, “He who claims that there is another Creator perishes from both the earth (Malchut of that degree) and from the Heavens (Bina of that degree), for there is no other Creator (the Upper degree with regard to him), but the Almighty (a higher degree of bestowal than him).”

152.With the exception of the word ELEH, everything is written in Aramaic, which is called “translation.” He asks: However, should you suggest that it is because the holy angels (the forces of bestowal below the level of man) do not understand the translation (cannot participate in this action), i.e., the Aramaic language, then everything should have been said in Hebrew, so the holy angels would hear and be grateful for it (all the forces would participate in the action)

153. He asks: earth is called Arka, when it should read, Ar’a. He answers: because Arka is one of the seven lands below, where the sons of Cain’s sons reside. Indeed, after being banished from the face of the earth, they descended there and fathered generations; wisdom became so lost that all understanding was lost, and this is a double land, consisting of darkness and Light.

154. And there are two rulers there – one rules over darkness and one over Light, and they become hostile to each other. When Cain descended there, they joined together and became complete. And they all saw that they were Cain’s descendants. Therefore, their two heads are like two serpents, except for when the ruler of Light defeats the other, the ruler of darkness. Hence, they enter Light and darkness, and become as one.

155.For these are the two rulers, called Afrira and Kastimon, who resemble holy angels with six wings. One has the image of a bull, and the other of an eagle. And when they unite, they create an image of man.

156. When they are covered with darkness, they turn into a serpent with two heads, and move like a serpent. They soar in the void and bathe in the Great Sea, and when they approach the chains of Aza and Azael, they rile and rouse them and leap into the mountains of darkness, thinking that the Creator wishes to bring justice upon them.

157. And these two Creator-appointed rulers swim in the Great Sea, fly up from there, and at night go to Naamah, the mother of witches, for whom the first people fell. And they wish to approach her, but she leaps 60,000 Parsa’ot and assumes several different forms, so that people may be deceived and enticed by her.

158. These two rulers soar in the entire world and then return to their places. And they rouse the sons of Cain’s sons with a spirit of evil desires to beget children.

“Soar in the entire world” means that they bring harm to man in all of their thoughts, wherever they can, and lure him into the darkness of night.

159. The Heavens that rule there are not like ours, and the land bears neither seed nor fruit by the power of Heaven, as ours does, and the grains grow again only once in several years. Hence, it is written of them that they could not correct Shemaya and Arka, and perished from the Supernal land, called Tevel, where they will not be able to exist, nor rule over it, nor cause human beings to sin because of the night. Hence, they disappeared from Arka and from the place of Shemaya that were created by the name ELEH.

160. Hence, there exists a Targum, a translation (from Hebrew to Aramaic; the Zohar calls Aramaic – Targum), so the holy angels will not think that it is said about them, so they will not harm us. This is the secret of the word ELEH – as we have already stated, it is a holy word that cannot be translated into a Targum.

Related Material:
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Two questions I received on abnormal phenomena and science:

Question: Recently I saw a program about the secrets of the Bermuda Triangle. One explanation the scientists gave for the mysterious and sudden disappearance of ships and airplanes in that area is that it holds an entrance to a parallel world. I know from Kabbalah that all the worlds are inside man, so I understand that the scientists are speaking about a completely different world, which definitely isn’t inside of man, but is supposedly outside. But how do you explain these abnormal phenomena? Is there a Kabbalistic explanation to this secret of why objects disappear?

My Answer: There is nothing “secret” in the world. The program you saw was simply exploiting a myth. Our world and all the spiritual worlds are the perception of the Light inside the desire. Our world is the perception of a micro dose of Light in a microscopic sized desire. For more on this see item 34 of the “Introduction to the Book of Zohar.”

Question: I am confused because in some of your lessons you have explained that things like circles on fields or archeological finds (a practically indisputable fact, even though it wasn’t not verified by anyone) are illusory. However, at other times you have cited results obtained by scientists. Why is it that in some cases you present the scientific arguments in a positive light, and in other cases – in a negative one, saying that we shouldn’t pay attention to them?

My Answer: Kabbalah welcomes things that were derived from experience or strictly scientific research. It discards the rest because it is misleading and distracts people from the goal – the true attainment of Nature.

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The Book of Zohar. Chapter “The Night of the Bride,” Part 2 (abridged)

139. Thus, “the Heavens declare the work of His hands.” These are the friends who have united in the bride (Malchut) by studying the Torah on the night of the holiday of Shavuot. They are all participants of the covenant with her, and are called “the work of His hands.” And she praises and notes each and every one of them. What is Heaven, firmament? It is the firmament, where the sun, the moon, the stars, and the signs of fortune (zodiac) are located. This firmament is called the Book of Remembrance, and it declares and records them, so they shall become the sons of His palace, and He will fulfill all their desires.

140. Day after day brings Omer – a sheaf. The holy day out of those days (Sefirot) of the King (Zeir Anpin) praises the friends, who study the Torah on the night of Shavuot. They say to each other, “Day after day shall bring a sheaf,” and praise it. And the words “night after night” refer to all the degrees, Sefirot of Malchut, that reign in the night, praise one another by each receiving from a friend, from another Sefira. And the state of complete perfection makes them beloved friends.

141. Does he speak of the others in the world who do not obey the Creator, and whom He does not wish to hear? But they made lines through all the earth, that is, these things make a line out of those that reside Above and out of those that reside below. From the first – firmaments are made, and from the second, from their return – earth. And should you say that they revolve around the earth in one place, it is said that they are also at the end of the world.

142. And since out of them Heavens were created, who resides there? He returned and said, “There is a shelter for the sun in them. This is the holy sun, called Zeir Anpin, and it dwells and resides there, and adorns itself with them.”

143. Since Zeir Anpin resides in those firmaments and clothes in them, he emerges like a bridegroom out of his wedding canopy, and rejoices and races along these firmaments, and exits them and enters, and races toward a tower in a different place. He emerges from one end of Heaven, from the Upper World, from the Highest place, from Bina. And his season – where is it? It is the opposite place below, i.e., Malchut, which is the year’s season that forms all the ends and binds everything – from Heaven to this firmament.

144. There is nothing hidden on account of the year’s season and the phase of the sun that revolves in all directions. And there is no concealment, i.e., not a single Supernal Degree is hidden from him, for all were bound together and everyone appeared before him, and none could be concealed from him. Thanks to him and thanks to them he returned to them, to the friends, in the phase of complete return and correction. All this year and all this time is for the Torah (to study it), as it is written: “The Creator’s Torah is perfect.”

145. The word HaVaYaH is written six times, and there are six verses from “the Heavens declare” and until “The Creator’s Torah is perfect.” And this is the secret of the word BERESHEET, which consists of six letters: “THE CREATOR CREATED ET (THE) HEAVENS AND THE EARTH,” six words in all. The other sources of the verse from “The Creator’s Torah is perfect” and until “they are better than gold” correspond to the six utterances of the name HaVaYaH in them. The sources from “the Heavens declare” through “The Creator’s Torah is perfect” are for the six letters in the word BERESHEET, whereas the six names are for the six words from “the Creator created” through “the Heavens and the earth.”

146. As they were sitting and talking, Rabbi Elazar, the son of Rabbi Shimon, entered. He said to them: “Certainly, the face of the Shechina has come, hence I called you Pniel (Pnei–face + El–Creator = the Creator’s face),” for you have seen the Shechina face to face. And now that you have attained Benayahu Ben-Yehoyada, it certainly refers to Atik, the Sefira of Keter, just as everything else that occurred afterwards, as it is written in the Torah: “And he slew the Egyptian.” And he who is concealed from all – is Atik.

147. The words, “He slew the Egyptian” are explained in another place, i.e., at a different degree, in a different way. He opened and said, “He slew the Egyptian, a man of good stature, five cubits high.” All of this refers to the same secret. This Egyptian is the one who is well-known and is described as “very great in the land of Egypt in the eyes of the Jew,” for he is great and honored, as that old man had already explained.

148. This case was examined at the Divine Assembly. “A prominent man” and “a man of good stature” are the same, as they constitute Shabbat and the bounds of Shabbat. As it is written: “You shall measure it from outside the city.” It is also written, “You shall not impede limitations in measure.” Hence, he was a man of good stature. Precisely such, from one end of the world to the other. Such is he, Adam, the first man. And should you disagree, referring to the written “five cubits,” know that these five cubits extend from one end of the world to the other.

149. It is, as is written, “like a weaver’s beam,” as the Divine staff that was in his hand, which reveals by the secret name, confirmed in it by the light of the letter combinations that Betzalel and his disciples engraved, called “weaving,” as is written, “He filled them and others, and BOUND them.” And that staff – within it shone a secret name, inscribed on all its sides by the Light of the sages, who confirmed the secret name in forty-two properties. And the rest of what is written from here onward is similar to what the old man had already explained. Happy is his lot!

150. Be seated, dear friends. Be seated and let us renew the correction of the Bride on this night, for whomever joins her on this night shall be guarded Above and below in the coming year. And this year shall pass over him in peace. Such people are described in the verse: “The angel of the Lord stands round those that fear Him, and delivers them. O taste and see that the Creator is good.”

“The Night of the Bride” – full commentary

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Three questions I received on suffering:

Question: It is said that there is no punishment in spirituality. Yet there is the curse of egoism which we fell into from spirituality. Does that mean that women only suffer in this corporeality as a result of our egoism?

My Answer: Yes, just like men!

Question: Will suffering disappear after we become fully corrected?

My Answer: Of course, because suffering is the sensation of empty desires.

Question: Kabbalah says that a person could choose either the path of Kabbalah or the path of suffering. But people who study Kabbalah still suffer, don’t they?

My Answer: An egoist feels one kind of suffering – bitter suffering, because he doesn’t get what he wants. But those who study Kabbalah feel the suffering of love – sweet suffering, because they yearn for their beloved.

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A question I received: I read that Rabbi Nachman said the following about a Mikveh (ritual immersion): “When a man immerses in a Mikveh (a basin filled with rain or spring water, or in an ocean or river), his enemies are destroyed, and all his troubles and disturbances disappear, which prevented him from serving the Creator.” Is this talking about a combination of a Kabbalist’s inner work with the corresponding mechanical actions of his biological body?

My Answer: It means the following: “When a man immerses all his desires into the property of bestowal, then all his egoistic intentions disappear and nothing prevents him from being similar to the Creator.” There is no need for any physical actions of the body, because when a Kabbalist’s body dies, his soul still continues to feel its existence through similarity to the Creator.

The soul exists outside of the body, independently of it. It does not incarnate into the body, and it cannot be affected by any physical actions performed with the body. The soul is a part of the Creator from above, whereas the body is a form of existence of protein matter.

Everything that Judaism advises one to do with the body is a tradition, a framework that helps one remain externally similar to the Upper World. But unfortunately, today – when it’s necessary to come out of the spiritual exile, the same framework that helped the Jewish people survive through the exile is holding them back from the correction they must perform today.

It is written, “As the Mikveh purifies the impure, the Creator purifies Israel.” Immerse into the Creator, the property of Bina, the waters of bestowal and mercy – and you will become pure!

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Shamati #79: “Atzilut and Bya”

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Two questions I received on reaching Gmar Tikkun (the full correction):

Question: I have been studying Kabbalah for five months. I came across it by accidentally seeing your video on You Tube, and I haven’t been able to live without your lessons and Kabbalah books ever since. One day a very clear thought came to me, that I don’t have enough time to ascend to Gmar Tikkun, and this thought just won’t let me be. What does this mean?

My Answer: The Creator is helping you more than usual by awakening a desire for Him through fear of not being able to reach Him. Be grateful, because all thoughts come from Him – and keep trying.

Question: Can it be said that those who now study authentic kabbalah were on an unfulfilled spiritual path in a previous incarnation, and they are back in this world to “finish” the deal? If so, is there guarantee that they will reach a personal Gmar Tikkun this time around?

My Answer: This depends only on one’s efforts.

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The Introduction to the Book “From the Mouth of a Wise Man” – Lesson of June 16, 2004

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A news report (translated from cursorinfo.co.il): On Wednesday, September 10th, on the border of Switzerland and France, scientists will hold the largest physics experiment in history. They will circulate a proton beam with an energy of 450 Gigavolts through the entire length of the Large Hadron Collider (LHC – the world’s largest and highest-energy particle accelerator), which has a 27 Kilometer long acceleration tunnel.

The objective of the experiment is to recreate the conditions of less than a millionth of a second after the Big Bang. But what are the possible outcomes of colliding protons at such high energy? It’s possible that a steady black hole will emerge, and the world will be annihilated inside it.

So, ladies and gentlemen, the end of the world is scheduled to take place on September 10th!

My Comment: Could it be that even scientists are now joining the ranks of everyone else who is predicting the end of the world? The end of the world (of this world) will happen only after the full correction of all the souls. The date depends on us, our correction:

1. We can accelerate it by attracting the Light of Correction (Ohr Makif), and then it will happen prior to 6,000 years (today we are in the year 5,768).
2. Or we can do it through the path of suffering, but no later than September 2,240 – 6,000 years after the first time that a man, Adam, revealed the Creator.

Our world (the universe) is under the full and absolute governance of a higher world, the World of Atzilut, which is programmed to bring about the general correction of all the souls of all the people who exist in our world. Our world is but a result of the Upper Governance.

We can influence the World of Atzilut only with our desire (MAN) to ascend to it with our corrected souls (desires of bestowal and love). Each and every one of us has access to the means of controlling our destiny – Kabbalah.

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