Spiritual roots also have an influence on their material branches. Everything is determined by the order of dissemination of the forces of Light, which affect our material, the desire to receive pleasure. There is a special periodicity and causality in the affect of these Lights.

They have a mechanism, which puts into gear and controls everything from the head of the World of Atzilut. From there, from Arich Anpin, Aba ve Ima, YESHSUT, and ZON, which exist in special relationships to each other, we receive changes, which are called: year, month, week, days, minutes, nights, as well as many different more internal states.We are talking about qualities and the combination of qualities, which have a great influence on this world.

If a person wishes to connect himself to the spiritual root and to place himself under a greater influence of the Upper Light, in order to become closer to it, then one must use these periods of a special influence on us from above. If one wishes to ascend spiritually, then during such periods in our world, which are called holidays, he needs to unite with the intentions that pertain to such influences.

In ARI’s book, The Gates of Intentions, he explains how a person should act during such special periods of influence on our world, as Rosh HaShana, Sukkot, Pesach (Passover), Shavuot, and so on. If we are talking about Pesach, then its most significant characteristic is the Light of Hassadim. When a person receives the Light of Hassadim for the first time in his life, he acquires the quality of bestowal and rises above his ego.

Therefore, it pays for us to think more about the Upper Light, which, at this time, has a greater power to raise us above our egoism and to keep us above it, in the quality of bestowal. Subsequently, we will already be able to advance further and to feel the spiritual world with all its details.

Thus we should spend all the days of Pesach thinking about the unification between us and the Upper Light, which raises every one of us above his personal egoism. This needs to be our main intention over the course of the whole holiday.

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In the book Beit Shaar HaKavanot (The Gatehouse of Intentions), Baal HaSulam explains that the intention depends on the desires that lack the screen (Kelim de Igulim). In other words, the intention depends on the extent of our understanding that we are under the power of these desires, as well as our wanting to turn them into desires with a screen (Kelim de Yosher).

A screen, which is the anti-egoistic force, will only appear if I myself want to build it. This means I must figure out the “head” and “feet” in my desires, which are things that are more and less important to me. When I want to work with the screen in a “straight line,” I begin to clash with the desires De Igulim. Tension arises between us because I want to set a new scale of values according to Yosher, the anti-egoistic screen, and not according to Igulim. And then Igulim begin to influence and push me in such a way that they ultimately help me arrive at the place where I need to be.

If we want to advance, then a screen is needed. And on the contrary, if we want to acquire a screen, then advancement is through the desires De Igulim that operate without a screen. Subsequently, this is like adding one’s “line” to the field of Kelim de Igulim. It is like a straight piece of a wire moving into a magnetic field, where electricity (Light), begins to flow down this line according to the laws of “spiritual induction.”

By wanting all of our desires oriented in one direction (towards the Creator), we build a “line” (desire with a screen) within the Igulim. This is called an intention or a prayer. Baal HaSulam wrote Beit Shaar HaKavanot as the introduction to a Kabbalistic prayer book that he wanted to write.

A page from the Rashash’s (Rabbi Shalom Sharabi) Prayer Book:

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A question I received: By studying The Book of Zohar, will I learn how to obtain a connection with global nature?

My Answer: No, you will not learn anything. However, you will rouse a certain force onto yourself, and this force will influence you, change you, and connect all the different qualities in you to equivalence to nature. To the extent that you become an integral part of nature, make yourself similar to it, and unite with it, you will also understand everything.

Understanding comes after everything, as a result of all the changes and unifications that you achieve. However, by merely reading The Book of Zohar, you will not understand anything. You need to read The Zohar with the intention for it to make you an integral part of nature, to make you in oneness with all of reality.

To the extent that you unite with it, you will begin to feel that you are part of one whole, and from this sensation you will already begin to understand. This is called attainment, the last stage, which you achieve as a result of the unification. This unification with nature is called “adhesion with the Creator.”

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A question I received: Naturally, every book influences people even if it’s a health-food book. When we read Rabash’s articles about the group or Baal HaSulam’s articles like “Matan Torah” (The Giving of the Torah)” and “The Arvut” (The Mutual Guarantee), it’s clear to us that these articles speak about unity. When we read The Zohar, we believe that Kabbalists wrote about unification, but this isn’t obvious to us from the text. How does this text influence people?

My Answer: There are books that affect understanding. For example, when we read an organic cookbook, we understand what this book is about and this affects our mind. However, The Zohar is written in a way that doesn’t speak to our physical mind, which is why we’re unable to understand this book. The Zohar speaks to our spiritual mind; yet, at present, we don’t have a spiritual mind. We weren’t created with it; rather, we must attain it. We can’t yet understand what the authors of The Zohar wrote about; to do so, we must rise to the level of their mind and sensations.

Sometimes we can feel these changes inside ourselves such as when we suddenly perceive things that previously we were unable to grasp. All at once, we can see that there’s an absolutely different perspective from which we can view things. This is an inner perspective that doesn’t exist in this world. In this world, so far, our vantage point is with the intention of Lo Lishma (for the sake of receiving). Consequently, once we understand the meaning of Lishma (for the sake of bestowal) and acquire the spiritual mind and senses, we will feel as if we are from another planet, not from this world.

The Zohar is written in two layers in order to bring us to this. The first layer is tales that are seemingly about this world, but are written in a very strange form such as about the Tabernacle, animals, the Sinai desert, and so on. The second layer is a more inner level written with Kabbalistic terminology such as Zeir Anpin, Malchut, the three lines, ascents and descents, Aba ve Ima, and so forth.

We have no connection with either of these planes. Essentially, however, these are not two planes, but two languages that speak about the same phenomena. I can still visualize the plane that is closer to me, the one that seemingly speaks about this world such as a tent, the Tabernacle, and people that do things. I can also visualize the second plane, somehow, of the right and the left lines, up and down, the passing of the Light, and ascents and descents of Partzufim.

A lot of effort is needed to visualize both planes as one whole and see that all of this is within me. This is about my connection with the forces of bestowal; all of this is only about the forces of bestowal. Where are the Tabernacle, the tent of gathering, Zeir Anpin, and Malchut? Everything is within me. I must treat both of these planes like they are my inner spiritual qualities. I want to bring them out from within me and feel them, which is called “Opening The Book of Zohar” or revealing it. This is why Segula (Remedy) operates here.

Cookbooks or weight-loss books brainwash us. We acquire the author’s mind, he influences us, and his opinion begins to interest us. The Zohar doesn’t “brainwash” or coerce; it doesn’t contain anything like that. The remedy in it only operates according to our desire. We need to have a very strong desire so The Zohar will really influence us so that spirituality will become revealed to us.

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Regardless of whether we understand The Zohar or not, we have to desire the Light of Correction to shine upon us during the study and expect a miracle to occur as a result of it. A miracle means there is no connection between the result of the reading and what I am now reading, understanding, and feeling. There is no logical connection between my action and the result because this connection is concealed.

We can speak to no end about the fact that The Zohar is an Upper System that conducts Light to us, and that we activate this system by tuning into it with our desire, similar to how a baby in this world makes efforts and grows without understanding how he grows. Nevertheless, he gradually matures and becomes a person. Yet, no matter how much we talk about this, it still doesn’t explain the essence of the miracle that is happening.

I might be imagining that I am in the spiritual world already and just don’t feel it. I can imagine that reality is unified and I cause it to influence me like a baby who doesn’t understand what he is doing. Yet, there are connections and influences upon me that are impossible to convey in words. All that remains is for us to take this like medicine.

It is written that the Creator created an egoistic desire in a person and created the Torah as a “spice” (Tavlin) for it. The Torah is the means to correct the egoistic desire because the Light contained inside it. Spices such as salt, pepper, and mustard are unpleasant to the taste on their own, but when combined with our egoistic desire, our nature, they create pleasant fulfillment.

Similarly, it’s impossible to use our egoistic nature because instead of pleasant fulfillment it brings us bitterness. This is why we have to connect the desire with the intention; then our life will become eternal and perfect in the Light of the Torah.

As long as we cannot use these two ingredients together correctly, we will suffer from our egoism and the “spice” to it. This state is called Lo Lishma; it is the time of preparation, before the food and the spices connect inside us correctly, pleasantly, and sufficiently. We constantly add more spice to the food and then taste it to see how pleasant it is; thus, in the middle line we can eat and enjoy.

However, as long as we haven’t attained this wonderful result yet, we have to patiently wait for the “food” to cook and be mixed with the “spice.” Then we will feel a pleasant taste from the study. Thus, The Book of Zohar is all about truly delicious and healthy “food.”

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A question I received: How can I be sure that my request is correct and that it is directed at correction?

My Answer: If a person studies together with us, his intentions are constantly corrected, one after another, and they unite. It’s as if a “viral” correction occurs between friends. We give each other the opportunity to be corrected since we are connected into one system of souls. This is the greatest correction of all possible corrections.

On his own, a person is not capable of anything, but if he has a desire and tries to unite with others, this will work as much as his ego (also called Pharaoh and the heaviness of the heart) will allow. Therefore, a person doesn’t need to perform a calculation for himself alone as to whether his efforts were successful. On his own, a person will never correct himself and he cannot even correctly evaluate his intention.

We need to learn jointly, to feel our unification before the studies, and to aspire to learn like one man with one heart in order to draw the Surrounding Light onto us.

Every lesson presents the opportunity to unify and draw the Light that Reforms, and so each lesson is like the reception of the Torah under Mount Sinai. After all, we need to receive the Torah which is the Light that Reforms. As it is written, “I created the evil inclination, and I created the Torah as a means to correct it.” Therefore, we are standing under Mount Sinai at every given moment. Receiving the Torah, the Light that Reforms, is on the condition that we become like one man with one heart.

Individual calculations aren’t applicable; success depends on everyone together, each one according to his ability, uniting in the conditions that are assigned from Above. Success depends on the united effort that comes from us below. Therefore, we need to continuously, tirelessly press on. As a result, our efforts will accumulate into one large account and, finally, revelation will occur.

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It may seem that it’s more enjoyable to read The Zohar peacefully, without exerting any effort. But we must demand the intention for every word, and it’s not simple. We shouldn’t consent to simply read The Zohar and let the words “flow” through the ears. Rather, each word should be an opportunity to “break into” the text, an entrance into it.

As I’m reading, I have to see every word as a niche for filling myself with the intention, unification, and connection. I have to realize that every word can add to this connection.

This is the only way we should read The Zohar. Then the Light will come and unite the two opposite properties, Abraham and Isaac, as well as everything that is included between them, into the property of the middle line called Jacob or Israel.

The miraculous property of The Book of Zohar lies precisely in the middle line which unites good and evil together. And it is precisely in their correct connection that we reveal the Creator, the source of everything.

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A question I received: After the Zohar 2010 Convention, I received a desire to help people. How do I check whether I am doing the most that I can in this regard?

My Answer: The ultimate help is when a person spends all the hours of his existence trying to think about correcting himself and the world.

After all, a breaking first occurred in the worlds and then in the common soul, and now the broken souls exist in a broken world. Correction is possible only by the method of Kabbalah, which helps us draw the Upper Light, which alters our intention from an egoistic one to a giving one. The same force, the same Light, which created the whole universe, needs to affect us and correct everything.

Therefore, we can help others only by disseminating the science of Kabbalah until we reach complete redemption. However, while the world still needs correction, we need to try to bring the correction to the world. During the Convention we received a great force from our mutual unification because, together, we attained greater understanding and sensation.

And now we need to perform immense actions for the sake of the general correction of ourselves and the world. We received advancement precisely for this purpose and no other. None of us would have received what we received (an opportunity to participate in this gathering, an understanding of something, or feelings) if we were unable to affect the world through our correction.

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The Zohar is structured in a way that requires a great deal of reading. A person should read it for one or two hours, go through various inner states, concentrate on each state he encounters, realize how distracted and unable he is to listen, and then once again come back to The Zohar noting its influence.

Gradually a person begins to feel that something becomes clearer. This clarity comes through seemingly dry material, different states, and by making efforts. This is how it works.

The main thing is not to forget about the intention. A person should look within for all those desires and properties that The Zohar speaks of, yet at the same time, want to be together with everyone and feel that together they are him.

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We don’t feel that we exist in a special system. Once there was a story on the news about the security system at the diamond exchange. Invisible rays penetrate the whole place but the web of rays remains undetected by the eye.

We exist within the spiritual system in the same manner. We are already in it; we are its parts; we activate it, and it activates us. This system exists, it lives. The Light in it comes from the Partzuf of Arich Anpin of the World of Atzilut, meaning from a very high level called our End of Correction. This Light is called “The Zohar.”

Therefore, The Zohar is not a book; it is an instruction manual of how to put into gear the influence of the Light that is coming from the End of Correction, so that it influences and carries us with it to the final corrected state.

When authentic Kabbalistic sources reference The Zohar, they do not say “The Book of Zohar;“ they simply say “The Book” because it is obvious that there is nothing else. Everything else is not considered a book.

We have to realize that it is not just a book. A “book” means “revelation,” and this is precisely what occurs when we come into contact with The Book of Zohar. Even when a person simply reads, watches, or listens to how others read this book, without understanding or knowing much, something changes in him though he doesn’t realize exactly what that is.

So let’s continue to read it with the intention that we are all together, since correction is possible only in connection among people. In it, we will then reveal the Upper Force, the Creator. We aren’t just reading this book; we are putting a system into gear in order to reveal it.

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