Two questions I received on a woman’s desire for a faithful companion, and women’s singing:

Question: Is a woman’s desire for her man to be loyal, faithful and devoted only to her a part of the will to receive (the ego), or is this embedded in her nature? If it’s embedded in her nature, why did the Creator do this? What is the purpose of the woman’s suffering?

My Answer: The women’s suffering is part of the egoistic suffering that brings one to the realization that egoism is evil, the recognition that it’s necessary to break away from egoism, the desire to gain the property of bestowal, and then the reception of this property from above. You have to separate your earthly, animalistic, egoistic desire to have a loyal, devoted companion, from your aspiration to the property of bestowal. Spiritual ascent begins with the desire for one’s spiritual aspiration upward to be stronger than one’s natural aspiration downward.

Question: Why aren’t women allowed to sing out loud? What’s the connection between Kabbalah and a woman singing out loud?

My Answer: Women are allowed to sing, provided that men won’t hear them, because this “seduces” the men – distracts them from their spiritual work! A woman has a subconscious desire to attract a man’s attention. Women who want to use their natural properties correctly should restrain themselves in order to avoid becoming a disturbance in the spiritual growth of others.

We are all parts of one single soul of Adam, and we have to help each other overcome our nature. We shouldn’t suppress it, but use it correctly and separate the spiritual from the corporeal.

Related Material:
Laitman.com Post: Women in Kabbalah
Laitman.com Post: Why Are Women More Depressed?
Artcle: “A Woman’s Lack of Spiritual Fulfillment”
Article: Between Men and Women

Filed under: Women - 1 Comment →

A question I received: If every word in the Torah can be explained as “the will to receive” or “the will to bestow,” then why are there are so many different words in the Torah?

My Answer:
The Creator – The Creator is “the will to bestow” (Good, Doing Good, Loving, etc.). This is why He wanted to create the creation – in order to bestow upon it.

The Creation – The Creator made only one creation – “the will to enjoy” (the will to receive pleasure). “The will to receive” was created exactly opposite to “the will to bestow.” It is an imprint of the Creator, in order to be able to receive everything that the Creator wants to give to it.

The Plan of Creation – Pleasure comes directly (clearly) from the Creator to the creation and fills it. But besides this, the Creator indirectly (unclearly) influences the creation by prompting in it a “desire to become similar to Him” – to bestow. Hence, inside its fulfillment the creation discovers an additional desire – to “become similar to the Creator,” and it then decides to attain this state, setting in motion the process of correction. A part of the correction process occurs unconsciously for the creation (from above downwards), and a part of it happens consciously (through free will, from below upwards).

Instructions – All Kabbalistic sources constitute a description of both parts of the correction process, and they are written in four languages: the Torah, Halachah, Haggadah, and Kabbalah. They are recommendations for how to carry out the conscious part of this process in the best possible way. (The Torah comes from the word Oraa, instructions).

Correction – The initial conditions and the final goal together build a sequence of actions that’s intended to bring the initial “will to receive” to “the will to receive with the intention of bestowal.” The process of correction of the created “will to receive” breaks into pieces and a sequence of actions. This is what all Kabbalistic sources describe.

Related Material:
Laitman.com Post: How To Read the Torah
Baal HaSulam Article: “The Revelation of Godliness” (Matan Torah)

Filed under: Torah - No Comments →

A question I received: According to Kabbalah, everything in this world is perceived by our five senses. But what about the other things that are in our world and we can sense them, but without the five senses – like thoughts, ideas, information, and dreams? What are they and are they also under the rule of the ego?

My answer: Everything is sensed (perceived) only in our egoistic desire, regardless of how it gets there – through our five senses or from our conscious (or subconscious). The latter is also formed by the perceptions of the five senses. As Baal HaSulam writes – everything we imagine appears in our imagination only because we have sensed something similar to it in the past. Our imagination can only add and expand on this. Otherwise we would not be able to imagine those things.

Related Material:
Laitman.com Post: Are Dreams the Life of the Soul?
Laitman.com Post: Some Quotes by Albert Einstein
Laitman.com Post: We’re All Playing Tennis Against the Wall
Kabbalah Today Article: “Dreams”
Talk: Perception of Reality

Filed under: Perception - 1 Comment →

We have just published my first book in Arabic – a translation of the book From Chaos to Harmony.

There are many people among the Arabic population who are interested in spiritual ascent. This has ancient roots in the general Arabic culture. I have many students whose native language is Arabic, and therefore I am very glad that this book has been published. After all, Kabbalah was revealed to the world by our common forefather Abraham.

I hope that we will soon publish many more Kabbalistic books in Arabic with the help of my Arabic students. I look forward to working together!

Related Material:
Laitman.com Post: Kabbalah in a Cairo Daily Paper
Laitman.com Post: Kabbalah for Everybody
Laitman.com Post: We’re All Children of the Creator
Kabbalah website in Arabic

Filed under: Notices - No Comments →

Two questions I received on evolution and history:

Question: If we were monkeys in the past then who created the monkeys? I’m not sure what to believe in, evolution or religion?

My Answer: Kabbalah says that development in our world does not occur by natural selection, where forces and qualities of “the fittest” are chosen, but rather by the sequential emergence of Reshimot in us. Reshimot is information about the souls’ descent from above downwards – from the World of Infinity to our world. This informational data formed in us as a result of creation’s descent from the World of Infinity to our world, and hence it is built into us as a spiral of data about each degree of descent.

Today we (as well as everything that exists in general) feel the manifestation of this data (Reshimot) inside us about these degrees (from below upwards), and we have to realize them. We can realize the Reshimot in two ways – either through the path of Light or the path of suffering. The path of Light is when we study Kabbalah in order to learn about our future degrees, and we thereby draw the Correcting Light, Ohr Makif. The path of suffering is when we don’t study the structure of the system and don’t draw the Light from the next degree, but only feel the pressure of the following Reshimo that demands to be realized.

Hence, there is no evolution, but only a gradual expression of data that’s already known in advance. Everything is known ahead of time, other than the method of ascending the degrees – whether it will happen consciously (quickly and pleasantly) or forcefully (slowly and painfully). It’s like a film strip where all the future frames already exist, but they gradually appear before the viewer.

Therefore, both Darwin and religion are incorrect.

Question: Do you believe that history can repeat itself? And do you think that people have the right to call their methods using their own names, or should they explain them anonymously?

My Answer: History does not repeat itself. The history that unfolds before our eyes is Reshimot (informational data) that become expressed sequentially (step by step).

In reference to your second question – I don’t care whether people have the right to do something or not; I only care whether their method is a science. If it isn’t a science that’s based on facts, according to the principle “The judge knows no more than what his eyes see,” then I will not take it into consideration. In our times, all “sciences” and “methods” will be tested for authenticity, and to the degree they are authentic, they will become part of Kabbalah.

Today this revolution in our consciousness is not evident yet, because Kabbalah is still concealed. But when Kabbalah will become revealed, then scientists will be amazed at the possibility of “pure” experiment – one that’s not obscured by the egoistic mind. They will then discard everything that is not related to clear attainment of the world, according to a principle that’s explained in The Book of Zohar: One can only attain the material and its form, but not the abstract form and the essence (see the article “Preface to the Book of Zohar”).

As for how a method should be named, this doesn’t matter at all. We either name it according to our egoistic demands, or according to the necessity of scientific notation and definition.
[1727]
Related Material:
Laitman.com Post: Freedom of Will Lies in Acceleration
Laitman.com Post: Creation and Evolution
Introductory Course to Kabbalah – Lesson 3 – The System of Reshimot (Records) – the development software

Filed under: History - No Comments →

Three questions I received on dissemination:

Question: Maybe we should open a Kabbalah group on Facebook? It could be a good way to answer people’s questions.

My Answer: We encourage all of your ideas. Get in touch with us in order to coordinate your dissemination work with us. This will help you advance faster. We look forward to hearing from you and good luck!

Question: I live in a non-religious neighborhood that publishes a monthly digest where I can publish articles. I would like to publish your articles and articles by Baal HaSulam. What materials are best to publish in my environment?

My Answer: You should get in touch with us and we will explain everything to you. In addition, we can provide you with materials that are ready for publishing and are best suited for your environment, or we can help you present your own thoughts correctly.

Question: Can a person study and teach others with the aim of making Kabbalah be a source of income? Can he harm his students by doing this?

My Answer: It’s written that one may never take money or any other benefits in return for teaching the Torah, and especially for Kabbalah! This should not be done under any circumstances. One also cannot sell anything related to Kabbalah, with the exception of books (educational aids). In addition, one cannot engage in fortune telling or promise luck, health recovery and other miracles – and taking money for this is double fraud.

This law comes to us from Moses, who set up a decree based on the system of the Upper Forces, that Kabbalah has to be taught to the people by the Levites for free. The tithe that the students pay should be used only for Kabbalah dissemination, that is to say, for the correction of the world – this was also decreed by Moses.

Related Material:
Laitman.com Post: Whose Money Supports the Existence of the Kabbalah Academy?
Laitman.com Post: Disseminate Kabbalah on the Internet, But First Find Out How
Laitman.com Post: Authentic Kabbalah or Authentic Business?
About Bnei Baruch
Help Share Kabbalah
Media Kit

Filed under: Education - 4 Comments →

A question I received: Whenever I tell religious people that we are opposite to the Creator, they always quote the Biblical verse that we were created in the image of G-d. How can I respond to this? What is “image” in Kabbalah? Is the “image” really a “shadow,” which would mean that we’re exactly the opposite of the Creator?

My Answer: By telling a religious person that we are opposite to the Creator, that we are egoistic and He is Good, you deny their closeness to the Creator. So how could they agree with this, if they consider themselves corrected!? This is where they get their conviction that they are righteous and everyone else is obliged to them; that just by observing the religious prescriptions (which are allegedly G-d’s desires), they are freed from their corporeal responsibilities.

The conclusion to be made from this is: Don’t talk to them until they discover their egoism, their opposition to the Creator, on their own. You shouldn’t make people upset if they are not ready for correction yet. After all, this is exactly why religion was invented – to last until the time when humanity will be ready to attain the Creator.

Then the exile from spirituality, from the concealment of the Creator, will end. Baal HaSulam explains “What is Kabbalah” in the article “The Essence of the Wisdom of Kabbalah.” He writes:

“Kabbalah is the method of revealing the Creator to man in this world” – and by saying this, he immediately erases all of religion! It’s because this doesn’t leave any room for faith in something you were told. Instead of the unfounded tales, one suddenly receives the opportunity and responsibility of clear revelation and attainment of the Creator.

When one reveals this, then he does not just reveal something slightly bigger than our world, the way regular science widens the world for us. Rather, one reveals the Upper World, the Creator Himself! Moreover, Baal HaSulam adds that every person and all of humanity will have to reach this revelation, until all people will clearly feel the Creator just like a person feels his friend, and even closer!

So where is there any room left for belief, if you attain everything yourself and make your own conclusions!? In addition, this allows you to attain immortality, omniscience, and perfection, because revelation is only possible to the degree that you are equal to the Creator. In other words, revelation means that a person acquires the same state as the Creator Himself!

Related Material:
Laitman.com Post: Eventually, Everything Will Come Together In Peace and Correction
Laitman.com Post: Religion and Kabbalah are Opposite
Baal HaSulam Article: “The Essence of Religion and Its Purpose”
Kabbalah Today Article: “All’s Well That Ends Well”

Filed under: Religion - 1 Comment →

Two questions I received on women’s spiritual advancement:

Question: Dear Rav, when you talk about distinguishing between Factory and Group, then as a woman working in dissemination, does my intention change? Should I think of the two as different entities?

My Answer: For you as a woman, it doesn’t matter at all what is happening inside the group. You advance to the extent that you contribute to the common advancement, regardless of how correctly the men in the group realize the opportunities for unification given to them. You advance independently of the men’s state.

Question: I have been divorced for over 10 years now and raising two wonderful boys (ages 22 and 24). I am now steering them to study Kabbalah. I do not feel and have not felt the need to be with a man in years, and I am quite content. I am not willing to settle just because I have to be with a man. What I enjoy is being a mother, and my greatest joy is to see my sons actively participating in their own spiritual development through Kabbalah. Am I doing it right?

My Answer: A woman does not have to get married in order to become corrected. By participating in the common work of dissemination and studying with us at the lessons, you have everything you need for spiritual growth. Good luck!

Related Material:
Laitman.com Post: Women’s Spiritual Progress
Laitman.com Post: By Disseminating the Wisdom of Kabbalah, You Correct Your “Self”
Articles on “Kabbalah & Women”

Filed under: Women - 2 Comments →

Questions I received on how to get through the difficult times on the path:

Question: You live and work, raise your children, and study Kabbalah for a hobby. Everything is good. You even think that you’re successfully managing your life in both worlds – this world and the spiritual world. But suddenly you lose your job, your house, and your savings, and in addition someone in your family gets very sick. And for some reason, along with this world, your “spiritual world” falls apart too. Does this mean that everything you attained in spirituality was only a higher form of egoism, a desire for knowledge?

My Answer: This only means one thing: your conditions for advancement have changed, and now you are being offered new conditions for advancement. Why? Because this is how the common desire (the common soul) develops, and you are one of its parts (a particular soul). If you don’t want to advance under the new conditions, then you will leave the path of individual development, and from then on you will be led down the general path of suffering, “forced to happiness.”

Question: “Woe unto you that desire the day of the Lord! Wherefore would ye have the day of the Lord? It is darkness, and not light!” (Amos, 5:18) Initially the Light blinds all of our senses and seems like total darkness. However, this darkness is useful for one who aspires toward spirituality, since it shuts off all egoistic aspirations, and one’s egoism loses all interest in spirituality. And only one who keeps on stubbornly moving toward the Goal, “harnessed” together with Rav and the Creator, receives support, assistance and instruction. He then surmounts this part of the path, “the darkness of the night.”

I must admit that I am still a denizen of this world – the world of darkness, and I need the Light in order to acquire “sight,” the ability to see in the world of Light. My question is: What else can a student of yours add to all that he is already doing to attain this?

My Answer: Only more efforts to unite all aspirations toward one goal. It’s because the Creator, the quality of love and bestowal, is revealed only in the unified desire to be together in one desire, to reveal the property of love and bestowal between the souls.

Related Material:
Laitman.com Post: Questions from Pharoah – Our Egoism (Advanced)
Laitman.com Post: What Is Pain, and How Can We Stop Feeling It All the Time?
Kabbalah Today Article: “A New Direction”

Filed under: Spirituality - 1 Comment →

Questions I received on various discernments one makes along the spiritual path:

Question: Baal HaSulsam says, “Make yourself a Rav and buy yourself a friend.” What is the difference between “making” and “buying?” And how do you make and buy someone?

My Answer: “To make” means to exalt someone (to see them as great), and “to buy” means to invest in someone. For more on this, see Baal HaSulam’s article “A Speech in Celebration of the Conclusion of The Zohar.”

Question: What should I do with all the different feelings of sadness and depression that I experience? Most of these feelings are related to thoughts that it will still take me a very long time to correct myself, and to correct the world in general.

My Answer: Become more incorporated into the world Kli, and read quotes of Kabbalists about the importance of what we are doing. Let other readers give you advice about what to read from their experience.

You’re worried that it will take a long time? But you have your entire life, which was given to you just for this!

Question: I have been studying Kabbalah for a long time, but I still don’t quite understand – what is a Reshimo?

My Answer: It is information about the future spiritual degree, which demands to be realized.

Question: Why does every person receive a unique situation in life in order to advance?

My Answer: It’s because every person has unique initial properties and a unique final state. Nevertheless, the method of correction is the same for everyone.

Related Material:
Laitman.com Post: Strive for the Goal, and Leave the Rest Up to the Creator
Laitman.com Post: The Formula of the Soul
Baal HaSulam: Introduction to the Book of Zohar
Quotes of Kabbalists

Filed under: Spirituality - No Comments →