Entries in the 'kabbalist' Category

Why We Need To Understand The Greatness And Uniqueness Of Baal HaSulam

Baal HaSulamToday is a special day, the Yahrzeit, the day commemorating the death of Kabbalist Yehuda Ashlag, Baal HaSulam.  

Who is Baal HaSulam? He is the soul that connects us to the Creator. He was a person who opened all the gates of the wisdom of Kabbalah to the last generation we’re now in.

Without Baal HaSulam’s teaching, we would be unable to be awarded with what we have already received. Moreover, without Baal HaSulam’s teaching, we would be unable to progress to what is ahead of us, both in terms of the knowledge and the method of Kabbalah, and also its stages of attainment.

No matter what will happen as we head forth, we will reach a need for the Creator. However, such a need will have to pass through this great soul.

“A person has the choice of going to a place where there are righteous. One can accept their authority, and then he will receive all the powers that he lacks by the nature of his own qualities. He will receive it from the righteous. This is the benefit in ‘planted them in each generation,’ so that each generation would have someone to turn to, adhere to, and from whom to receive the strength required to rise to the degree of a righteous.”

Baal Hasulam. Shamati article 99. “He Did Not Say Wicked or Righteous.”

One of the reasons why the wisdom of Kabbalah is called “the wisdom of Kabbalah (reception)” is because it passes through each generation, and every generation needs a teacher, a Kabbalist, one with spiritual attainment, in the world. That is a necessity in the wisdom of Kabbalah. Only extremely rare and unique individuals can reach attainment of the Creator by receiving special treatment from above. As such, we need to always be connected to great sages who are in spiritual attainment, so that in each generation, we can make spiritual progress.

Since the wisdom of Kabbalah discusses phenomena that a person can only attain through the teacher, then he learns sources, through the teacher, which pass through all generations. The key to the student’s attainment of what passes through his teacher is subjugation, through which the small can receive from the great. Accordingly, there are degrees of the student’s subjugation to the teacher.

Therefore, we need to understand how great and unique Baal HaSulam was, and how much we need to subjugate to what he left us, his writings, with the hope that to the extent of such subjugation, we will be able to connect to his spirit, through which we can receive the upper force from the Creator.
Kabbalah Lesson on the Topic “Baal HaSulam Memorial Day” on October 10, 2019.

The Second Force

Dr. Michael LaitmanIn order to explore bestowal, we must obtain a second force. The still, vegetative, and animate degrees are egoistic matter; hence, we are able to use our own egoistic nature to explore them. Our instruments are tuned into its “range.”

But the human (speaking) level is a degree similar to the Creator’s, which is why I need a spiritual force in order to explore it. Then, I will be able to study my matter by comparing it to the Creator’s, one against the other.

Therefore, before I gain the force of bestowal, I am not a true Kabbalist. A Kabbalist is a person who works with two forces while exploring the Creator. He doesn’t explore himself; he studies the Creator Who has revealed everything to him. He continues to submerge deeper into Him with the help of the force of bestowal. The greater the force, the more he gains and comprehends by making his will to enjoy equivalent to this force.
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From the 4th part of the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 12/15/10, “A Handmaid that is Heir to Her Mistress”

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Advice Of The Kabbalist Is A Strict Law

Dr. Michael LaitmanQuestion: How can I pass the Light of life to all parts of the system?

Answer: Do as Rabash instructs in his writings. Give everybody a feeling of joy, the greatness of the goal, connection between us, and be a model in work, that is, do all that we read about in the articles.

We should understand that the instructions that the Kabbalists put in the form of advice or recommendation are the strict laws of nature of which these great sages tell us as they would to little children, in a nice form. A child grows, turns into a teenager, matures, and enters adulthood where there aren’t any more compromises since the law is the law.
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From the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 10/15/10, "The Arvut"

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Test Yourself

Dr. Michael LaitmanBefore us, there lies an enormous creation. We neither feel nor understand it, and cannot comprehend its magnitude. This is why Kabbalists were instructed by the Creator (Nature) to keep communication with us in a specific manner. These special souls have already performed correction through various methods, almost without the assistance of the environment, and now, before the term expires, they are turning to us and offering the method of correction.

They explain how to arrange a correct environment, and we certainly should use their advice since if we choose the path of natural development, every stage will be lengthy and require enormous strength. Similar to the teachers of a kindergarten group, Kabbalists inform us about rules and conditions and teach us games and exercises. Their advice should be taken as a vital necessity. I must obey them since otherwise, I won’t advance. One shouldn’t deceive oneself, hoping to find some side roads.

Check and see whether you are truly participating if you open the book, but don’t realize it. Let’s see if you will still have complaints after that.

“It’s in your power to build an environment,” Kabbalists say. Yes, you can, but you are lazy in arranging such an environment that will give you confidence, raise the importance of the goal (adhesion with the Creator) and the means for its attainment (unity with the friends). In fact, only working in this environment that you have created will you find everything you need to feel the spiritual world.

It is okay if the environment looks external to you. In truth, these are all your inner Kelim (vessels) that came out due to the breaking. Do you want to correct the brokenness and enter spiritual reality? No problem: accept them and start loving them as you love yourself. When you do, all these external Kelim will unify with the inner ones, and you will return to the correct perception, you will see spirituality instead of corporeality. Everything has been written and explained, so realization of the method lies in our hands.
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From the 1st part of the Daily Kabbalah Llesson 10/5/10, “What to Look for in the Assembly of Friends”

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Commemorating Baal HaSulam

We are removed from the World of Infinity by 125 steps of concealment and are totally cut off from authentic reality. It is like we are comatose and don’t realize who and where we are. We have to awaken from this state, regain consciousness, and return to the same place from which we descended by climbing back up all 125 steps again. On this path from below upward, we overcome concealments and achieve similarity with the Creator. In other words, we become like Him.

As a matter of fact, no one in this world has a chance to wake up on their own, nor can we ascend from the bottom point that is buried under 125 degrees of concealment. As it is said, “A prisoner cannot release himself from the jail.” For that, he needs to use some external force.

We are unable to sense the upper world and, therefore, exist in a false reality. Because of our unconsciousness, we fantasize that we are alive and that there is a world full of people around us, the earth, and the universe. Such images emerge in our unconscious minds, and we perceive them as real life.

Through our dreams, we hear voices that say, “You are unconscious, deprived of actual life, of the spiritual world,” but we don’t trust them. Only those people who watch us from the side realize that we are in a coma.

We have to be grateful for the awakening of our “point in the heart.” It allows us to differentiate impulses that reach to us from another world and a different reality. Great Kabbalists try to introduce us to real sensation and, by doing so, wake us up to a genuine existence.

Beginning with Adam, the first human being who "regained consciousness," and up until now, there was a long chain of Kabbalists who attained authentic reality. However, today, we all have to come back to our senses. Our "doctor," Baal HaSulam, together with his "assistant," Rabash, applied all possible efforts to help us recover consciousness. It is they who attract the ray of Light that now finds its way from authentic reality into our unconscious mind that is, as of yet, switched off.

From the 4th part of the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 9/16/10, Lesson for Commemoration of Baal HaSulam’s Passing Day

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The Science Of Light For The World

Dr. Michael LaitmanBeginning with Adam, the earlier a Kabbalist lived, the closer he was connected with the root and the higher he stood. He was the source of Light for all who came after him. However, for those who desire to connect with the beam of Light expanding from Infinity, the main source is the latest or the nearest Kabbalist for it is he who “hooks up” and connects you with the Light, the Creator.

For us, such a Kabbalist was Baal HaSulam. He writes that he was given the privilege to hand the science of Kabbalah down to us. We are privileged that such a soul has been revealed to us who is passing the method of Kabbalah forth which allows us to uncover the Creator.

Baal HaSulam’s writings are the only works that can guide us to reaching our spiritual goal today. The books written by Baal HaSulam are the only texts that channel the Light that we need for our correction. And in order to prepare ourselves for them, we need the articles of Rabash.

The revelation of the Creator to the created beings, or our spiritual liberation, must be complete for everyone. This means that the teaching provided by these two masters is the teaching for the entire world.

From the 4th part of the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 9/16/10, Lesson for Commemoration of Baal HaSulam’s Passing Day

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There Is No One Closer To A Child Than His Mother

Dr. Michael LaitmanRabash writes, “My father Baal HaSulam promised us that by following his path and carrying out his advice, we will merit eternal life from the Creator, adhesion to Him.” Rabash himself reached a high level of spiritual attainment by using only the works and the advice of his father. Evidently, there is no other practical means for our generation to reveal the Upper world except for the writings of Baal HaSulam. His soul is especially close to us since we value a person according to how he benefits us.

We don’t compare the levels of the Kabbalists: Moses, Rashbi, the ARI, Baal HaSulam, and Rabash. To receive an eternal, spiritual life we depend on the souls that preceded us: Rabash and Baal HaSulam. It’s similar to how a mother is of the most importance to her child. Of course there are many elevated souls, but we can only unite with the spiritual system through Rabash and Baal HaSulam.

From the 4th part of the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 9/16/10, Lesson for Commemoration of Baal HaSulam’s Passing Day

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The Day Of Atonement

Dr. Michael LaitmanIn a few days we will observe a special day called Yom Kippur (Day of Atonement). However, no one knows what inner state a Kabbalist will feel on that day and when the state called “Day of Atonement” will happen for him. One’s inner states do not occur according to the calendar.

The states that any person goes through can be personal or general. On the general level, people follow the common traditions of each holiday. When a group of Kabbalists reaches unity and through it achieves a certain internal state called a “holiday,” that state will not be related to the general holiday observed by all people. The inner holiday happens in accordance with one’s personal, internal state, whereas a general holiday takes place according to the calendar. Traditions and customs, as well as every single “specific” day, have a higher spiritual root. Therefore, a Kabbalist also wishes to follow the tradition together with others, as it is written: “The Creator stays with His people.” However, at the same time, a Kabbalist also remains in his own personal internal state.

Religious people follow customs and traditions, whereas Kabbalists perform inner actions in their souls by connecting to other souls into one common soul of Adam. By doing so, they please the Creator and correct themselves. Correction is possible only by way of uniting with others, as it is written: “Love thy neighbor as thyself, this is the great law of the Torah.”

People all over the world pray to the Creator (each of them addressing their Lord) and request “forgiveness.” But maybe it is worth explaining to them that repentance works only in respect to “love thy neighbor” and depends on whether you are “for it” or “against it.” We can figure out whether we sinned or not only by comparing ourselves to this rule. This is the only law we have to follow, as it is written: “Love thy neighbor as thyself is the main rule of the Torah.”

If the whole of humankind would virtually get together in order to clarify what is “love thy neighbor,” how powerfully the Creator demands it from us, and how far we still are from this state, that would be a real Day of Atonement (Yom Kippur) and it would lead us to Purim (in Hebrew “Kippur means “as Purim”), the complete correction.

When people pray for forgiveness, it is very important for them to know what to ask for. We weep and beg for so many years, but it doesn’t help. The Creator cannot hear our prayers in this form. That’s because this kind of appeal is opposite to the correct cry: We are not begging to feel love for our neighbors, and the Creator doesn’t listen to any other requests. Thus, we turn our back to the One who can redeem us and scream in the opposite direction. This is what most people’s Day of Atonement is like.

From the 4th part of the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 9/14/10, “Preparation for Slichot

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The Path To The Creator’s Palace

Dr. Michael LaitmanQuestion: What does it mean to “appreciate the state of spiritual ascent?”

Answer: Ascent is a state where I can justify anything that is happening to me, to justify the friends and the group by seeing them as angels helping me to realize my free will and to reach the goal. From the elements of this condition, I can assemble myself and my relationship with the Creator who is revealed within such a state.

The group, home, work, studies, health, and so forth comprise the components of my state. I have to determine that all of them are secondary in relation to the group. I have to “collect” everything but the group and enter the group with it even though the group is just one element among the many others. In the group, I also have to discern the multiple components until I select only the one: the desire to attain the Creator.

I go deeper and deeper in this work and these discernments, into the center. I am as if coming to the King’s palace from afar until I finally reach it. I narrow down and contract my focus verifying the route until I come to the goal.

At first, I feel there is a whole world around me. Soon, I see that there is only the group and the various situations within it. It remains so until I come to the realization of a very simple scheme: Everything around me is merely angels, forces aiming me at the Creator and helping me to reach Him.

What is this group? Is it a local group closest to me or the world group? The group is all souls. We begin with the entire world and gradually contract the circle.

The group for me starts with the physical bodies, the people I know around the world to whom I feel are connected to me through the common goal. These are the people who understand and sense me despite the fact that I don’t know them in person. However, in the spiritual world, we reside in one collective system. In this world, we may not have ever met, but in the spiritual one, we are together.

It is, undoubtedly, an opportunity for salvation because we are connected, support, and depend on one another. It’s not only the people of my generation who exist today in a similar state in relation to the Creator, but all the Kabbalists of the past beginning with Adam who was the first to discover the Creator 5770 years ago and to realize free will.

From that moment, the created being, a point of desire, began its journey of attaining similarity with the Creator. Since then and until today, all Kabbalists connected by this goal belong in one system regardless of their rung on the spiritual ladder. In regard to those who are not yet working in this system, they also belong in it, but we have to awaken them.

From the 1st part of the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 9/6/10, “And Jacob Went Out”

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Through Deception Toward The Truth

Dr. Michael LaitmanQuestion: Why did Kabbalists intentionally confuse us by using “earthly” words in their books as if they were talking about our material world?

Answer: It is because only out of confusion do we realize the truth. Without confusion, you will never get to understand it. Kabbalists wrote so many books because we need to arrive at revelation from its oppositeness: from the desire to receive pleasure to the desire to bestow.

There is a huge gap between them. We think that it’s enough to modify “plus” into “minus,” but, in fact, it is not that easy. All our thoughts and desires are interconnected, and we have to go through this entire perplexity. Any “confusion” represents a question that we have to resolve. And to come up with a question means already being half way to revelation or even more.

Therefore, every state that we go through in darkness being weak and helpless is an absolute necessity for us. I have no idea how to reach the truth without going through mistakes and deceitful perceptions that are repulsive to my senses and unclear to my mind. However, I grow because of them. This is the only way that we can combine “plus and minus,” or the Creator’s desire to bestow with the creature’s desire to receive: to go through a system of exile, concealment, and complete bewilderment.

When I look back, I see that each moment of my path is irrevocable. If I get rid of even one instant, nothing will look clear to me any more, and there will be no perfection at the end. We won’t be able to recognize or reveal it.

That is why everything that happens to us is indispensable. It was impossible to write The Zohar any other way. A person cannot progress without making mistakes. We have to become conscious of something that is opposite to the truth.

How do we teach our children? We confuse them and allow them to make mistakes so that they learn from them and won’t make them in real life. This is the difference between advancement through affliction and through the science of Kabbalah.

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