My article, “The Butterfly Effect and Kabbalah” was printed in the Mexican newspaper Noticias. This newspaper will now be publishing my articles on a monthly basis.
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A question I received: I don’t know why, but the more I listen to you, the more I fall in love with you. I just can’t understand it. How do you do it? The more I listen to you, the more I want to keep listening. What’s your secret?
My Answer: This has got nothing to do with me – it’s the Light you receive from the source texts (the books) that we use for our studies. I recommend not focusing your attention on the teacher or instructor, but instead looking “through” him, and through the material and the idea, to see the Creator, the quality of bestowal, of love for your neighbor!
This is why when I publish letters and questions I receive on this blog, I usually omit the words of gratitude and other such statements. There are no idols in Kabbalah. In fact, we don’t even know where Moses’s grave is located. It’s because everything must point only to the Creator. In addition, one shouldn’t imagine Him as as an image (according to the prohibition of making a graven image), but as the quality of bestowal and love.
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A question I received: I began studying Bnei Baruch Kabbalah through the arionline.info website in April. It appeared I had a set schedule and steady life for a time. Then I heard that a man studying Kabbalah should have a family in order to be corrected even further.
As I tried to find a mate, it put distance between me and my studies, and it seems that I was “handed over to a cruel ruler.” I ended my relationship with that girl, and I’m trying to get back to the studies, but now I feel as if my hunger to satisfy my corporeal urges increased 50 fold and now there’s a battle in me, and I fail each time. It’s as if Pharaoh gets stronger and stronger and my own self-hatred for giving in is getting bigger. I’m trying to see the Creator in all of this. What should be done?
My Answer: You lack a connection with other people like you. Only the group can help you get out of the confusing states correctly. Don’t fight egoism alone – it will always win! Or it will deceive you, making you believe that you won. Let’s talk when we meet at the congress in Saint Louis!
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Questions I received on the goal, the Ten Commandments, humor, Aviut, the point in the heart, and Torah and Mitzvot:
Question: One of our salutatory expressions is: “One Goal!” What singular word best sums up that one goal?
My Answer: Dvekut (adhesion).
Question: What is the Kabbalistic meaning of the Ten Commandments?
My Answer: Correction of the ten fundamental qualities of the soul.
Question: Could you please elaborate on how Aviut changes its qualities during Zivug de-Haka’a in each of the five levels, and what happens with Kashiut alongside?
My Answer: I explain this in great detail in my book The Science of Kabbalah (Pticha).
Question: Does humor have any value in the spiritual world?
My Answer: Yes, because it’s created by a combination of opposites.
Question: Can a Kabbalist see whose point in the heart has truly awakened?
My Answer: Yes. But more importantly, the person must feel this on his own and realize his point in the heart. He can do this by developing it in a group (being in contact with other points) and through study.
Question: In the Introduction to Talmud Eser Sefirot, Baal HaSulam says that observing Torah and Mitzvot is the attainment of real life. What does it mean to observe Torah and Mizvot for someone who isn’t religious and has no Jewish cultural background?
My Answer: It means to correct one’s natural intentions in all of one’s actions, from “for the sake of oneself” to the intention “for the sake of others.” This is done by means of Ohr Makif (Surrounding Light) that descends onto a person during the study of Kabbalah.
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Question: I found some information on Kabbalistic Cosmology on The Alchemy Website. Would you please comment on this?
My Answer: Kabbalah was concealed for millennia so humanity wouldn’t become confused while it was developing egoistically, until it would grow disillusioned in egoistic development. During this period, many amateurs who dabbled in Kabbalah wrote an overabundance of books on it. And in our times it’s even more so – anyone who has the time of day for it (from “self-made experts” to philosophers) are writing anything they feel like about Kabbalah.
I study Kabbalah only from the primary source texts, written by authentic Kabbalists. If you want to know the truth, then all of the authentic Kabbalah, including the primary source texts, can be found on our website.
Question: Are there any innovative articles that explain Kabbalah in the light of mathematical and physical achievements? Perhaps these explanations will help people see Kabbalah in a new way, for example, by seeing how it relates to nuclear forces and particles, the theory of relativity, the numbers theory, chaos theory, and others.
My Answer: No, and I don’t think that this is necessary. People come to Kabbalah through the need of the soul, not through the desire to penetrate into subatomic particles.
Question: In regard to your blog entry, Why Did I Write About Rav Berg and the Kabbalah Centre on This Blog?, how is it known that there is only one true source of Kabbalah?
My Answer: There can’t be several because the Creator is one.
Question: What’s going on with the World Wisdom Council? We have not heard much as of late.
My Answer: To tell you the truth, I also don’t know what’s going on with them. I was interested in this council as long as there were opportunities to disseminate Kabbalah through it by participating in international forums – such as the ones that took place in Germany, Switzerland, and Japan. Today I no longer need this, since the most important thing today is dissemination on the Internet. All the world’s “wise people” are in a crisis!
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A question I received: Does Kabbalah see the Jewish nation as the chosen people of G-d?
My Answer: The chosen people are a group of people who may have any earthly features or qualities. The important thing is that they have “points in the heart” – an aspiration for the goal of creation: adhesion with the Creator through equivalence of form. This group must also have a sense of its mission: to master the method of correction and to teach it to the whole world.
The group is called Israel (from the words Isra – straight and El – the Creator) because it is directed “straight to the Creator” – to bestowal and love for one’s neighbor. Anyone in this condition is named Israel, and is “chosen.”
We all came from the ancient civilization in Babylon – one nation. Some of the people in ancient Babylon accepted the method of correction that Abraham offered to everyone, and because of their intention, this group was named Israel.
Today, we – the whole of mankind, are recognizing that we’ve reached a dead end of the egoistic development, which has lasted for 4500 years, since the times of ancient Babylon. This recognition will compel us to rise above our egoism, and together to reach the Creator’s level. This is Nature’s plan.
Those who feel and recognize this call have the task of leading all of humanity, all of Babylon. That’s what makes them chosen. Here is what Baal HaSulam writes in item 19 of his article “The Arvut (Mutual Guarantee)”:
Rabbi Elazar, the son of Rabbi Shimon, author of The Book of Zohar, clarifies this concept even further by saying that it is not enough that all of Israel be responsible for one another, but that the whole world must be included in that bond… The end of the world’s correction will come when all the nations of the world join together in their aspiration for the Creator. He will then reveal Himself to all, as the sages said: “And the Lord shall be king over all the earth. On that day the Lord shall be one and His name one. And the earth shall be full of the knowledge of the Lord, and all the nations shall flow unto Him.”
The role of Israel toward the world is that they are obliged to ascend spiritually and to prepare all of humanity to accept the exalted work of “love for one’s neighbor,” which is a means, a ladder leading to the goal of creation – adhesion with the Creator.
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Take part in a huge Kabbalah dissemination effort!
The Bnei Baruch internet department is happy to announce that we are participating in an international blog contest. The English, Spanish, German and Russian versions of this blog are all entering the contest.
Please go to this website and register this blog.
Click here to see an example of how to register.
Help make this blog a source of spirituality that will improve the world!
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Questions I received on vegetarianism, antidepressants, and lifting curses:
Question: Is it worthwhile taking antidepressants? What if a man is 36 years old, he doesn’t know what path he’s on, isn’t married or dating, doesn’t know what to do with his life, what kind of job to look for, and just feels totally confused – what should he do? What does Kabbalah say about this?
My Answer: The only question Kabbalah answers is, “What is the meaning of my life?” and not one’s mundane concerns!
Question: I recently discovered that a curse has been put on my close relatives. I don’t know whether to believe it or not, but either way, it’s pretty scary. How can I tell if this is really true and how can the the curse be lifted? I don’t know who to turn to, please help!
My Answer: We are all interconnected in one soul like cogwheels in a single mechanism. Hence, negative opinions and thoughts influence the person at whom they are directed. When the influence is stronger than usual, it is called “an evil eye,” “a curse,” and so on.
The only solution is to have the opposite influence – good thoughts and opinions. I am sure that the best protection from all the bad things is our lessons! By watching them you attract the Upper Light to yourself, and it leads you toward the goal. Its influence is of a higher order than any earthly influence! Desire a connection with the Creator, and take refuge in Him.
Question: What does Kabbalah say about vegetarianism? Is there any point in giving up on food and clothing made of animals?
My Answer: Everything in the world must be used sensibly.
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Three questions I received on childhood and teaching Kabbalah to children:
Question: Everyone thinks that it’s wonderful being a child. I’ve been observing my own and other children, the games they play and their relationships. What I see is an endless and extremely difficult power struggle. In addition, children work very hard every moment of their lives, even while playing. So where did people get this idea of a wonderful, easy and pleasant childhood? I don’t see that it is any of these, not even for a moment!
My Answer: Because man wants to justify his existence, he creates illusions of a happy life during childhood, when he used to play in a hut with his sweethearts and friends, imagining that they were in paradise. However, nothing of the sort ever takes place in our egoistic qualities, despite the wonderful fantasies, dreams and movies about it.
In our time we are starting to realize that all of these “wonderful” things are in fact absolutely monstrous and absurd. When we lose our illusions and reach a new, real perception of reality, we will perceive perfection through the qualities of love and bestowal, which will be above our egoism rather than inside it.
Question: At what age can we start teaching children Kabbalah, and how do we do it?
My Answer: To learn about this, visit our “Kabbalah on Education” and “Kabbalah for Children” sections.
Question: I love watching the Bnei Baruch children’s lessons, but I always fall asleep when watching any other lessons. I’m a mother and I pass my insight on to my children. However, it’s difficult for me to get through other lessons. How can I advance?
My Answer: Do it together with your children – and that’s sufficient!
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The Book of Zohar. Chapter “The Third Commandment” (abridged)
204. The third Commandment is to attain, investigate and know that there is an Almighty Lord who governs the world, and to unite this every day (the revelation of the Upper Light in the soul) in the six Supernal limbs: HGT NHY of Zeir Anpin (parts of the soul), and to unify them in the six words of the prayer “Hear O Israel” (“Hear” is the property of Bina, Israel is the aspiration toward the Creator) and through this prayer to direct our desires upwards (toward acquiring the property of bestowal). Therefore, we must prolong the word ONE in the six words: “Hear, O Israel, the Lord is our Creator, the Lord is O-O-O-NE” (a sign of the aspiration upward).
205. It is therefore written, “Let the waters under the Heavens be gathered together onto one place.” This means that all the degrees under the Heavens will gather onto one place, to become perfect in the six ends (properties of ZA). Therewith, fear must be attached to the unity of the words: “Hear, O Israel,” which is done by prolonging the pronunciation of the letter Dalet in the word ECHAD. This is why the letter Dalet in the word echaD is written larger than the other letters. It is written, “Let the dry land appear” – let the letter Dalet (designating dry land) be attached to that unity.
207. It is written, AND THE CREATOR CALLED THE DRY LAND EARTH. This refers to the same unity below, by the words, BLESSED BE HIS GREAT NAME FOR EVER AND EVER, when the earth, called “desire,” became what it should be. For the word “earth” (Eretz) means desire (Ratzon). Hence, the expression “IT WAS GOOD” appears twice on the third day of creation: once for the Upper unity and once for the lower. For Malchut merges with both sides of ZA – with VAK de ZA and with her own VAK. Henceforth, the earth brings forth grass, for it has been corrected to yield fruit.
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