Questions I received on how to communicate with children and spouses:

Question: I think that people shouldn’t satisfy all of their children’s needs and desires. For example, I sent my children to expensive schools far away from home, but recently found out that they are using the opportunity to take drugs. Should I set an ultimatum for them – that I won’t support them financially unless they stop taking drugs? In the past I threatened one of my children this way, and I even stopped supporting him. But it didn’t help and only had the opposite effect, making us alienated from each other for a long time.

My Answer: You’ve reached you own understanding of the fact that you can’t teach anyone through force. This will only push them away. What should you do? Put them in the correct environment! There is no other solution.

Question: I’m in a situation where I can do something for my child, but I think that this action will harm him or prevent him from learning on his own, and in the long run it will only create greater difficulties for my child because one way or another he will have to learn on his own. However, my wife still insists on doing it. Is there anything I can do other than propose my point of view?

My Answer: Express your point of view calmly and objectively. Explain that there are laws of nature, and we all carry them out whether we like it or not. Don’t be frantic or angry when you explain this. Perhaps this will help, and if it doesn’t, then they will learn from the blows of fate, but already on a conscious level.

Actually, nothing enters a person’s consciousness without blows of fate. However, the blows can come in the form of our realization, without having to reach practical manifestation.

Everything depends on your wife – both the outer one and the inner one (your desires). I think that dealing with the inner wife is even more difficult than with the outer one.

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Questions I received on souls and the connections between them:

Question: Can one soul connect to another soul if it has never seen its corporeal body? What I mean is: is it possible for a soul to unite with another soul, without the latter making that connection as well?

My Answer: Yes. It can be done by means of a common screen, or by the second soul’s submission, like the Upper One with regard to the lower one.

Question: Can a person who still hasn’t crossed the Machsom talk to souls residing in bodies, and with souls residing outside of bodies?

My Answer: Souls are always “outside of bodies,” and the presence of a body is insignificant for a soul. A connection with the soul is made through a common screen.

Question: In one of the kab.tv broadcasts you said that animals don’t have a soul. Can you please explain: what specifically is your basis for saying this?

My Answer: Perhaps there was a misunderstanding. Of course every creature (including humans) contains a force that enlivens it. However, the soul is defined as “A part of the Creator from Above,” and hence it is only present in a person who has developed it by studying Kabbalah. That is to say, he rose above the Machsom and attained the quality of bestowal and love, at least at the first level.

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The Book of Zohar. Chapter “He Who Rejoices on Holidays” (abridged)

174. Rabbi Shimon opened (the Light) and said: “He who rejoices on holidays and does not give a part to the Creator (receives not for the sake of bestowal), the evil eye (the Light of Hochma in the desire to receive) hates and slanders him, removes him from this world, and brings him many miseries.”

175. The Creator’s role is to cheer the poor (those who reveal the desire for Him), according to His ability. For the Creator appears (reveals Himself) on the holidays (when the desire appears in man from Above) so as to look at all of His broken souls. He comes to them, and He sees that there is nothing to rejoice in, and He weeps for them (conceals Himself), and ascends Above (progressively conceals the Light) to destroy the world.

176. The members of the assembly then appear before the Creator (ascend to Him) and say (raise MAN): “Master of the world, You are called merciful and forgiving, send Your mercy upon Your sons (those who wish to become like You).” He answers them: “Have I not done so, when I created the world based on mercy? As it is written, ‘The world is built by mercy’ and the world is established upon it. However, if they do not show mercy (correction, bestowal) to the poor (empty desires), the world will be destroyed.” The Heavenly angels (nature’s forces) then say to Him: “Master of the world, here is a man who had eaten and drunk to his heart’s content (fulfilled himself for his own sake), and could have been merciful to the poor (corrected his desires), but did not do anything.” The prosecutor appears, receives permission, and persecutes that man (the poor man – one who lacks a Screen to receive the Light inside).

177. There are none greater in our world than Avraham, who acted with mercy toward all creatures. It is written of the day that he prepared a feast: “The child grew and was weaned, and Avraham made a great feast on the day that Yitzhak was weaned.” So Avraham prepared a feast (when his son, the next degree, passed from Katnut into Gadlut) and invited all the leaders of that generation (the governing forces of the Upper degree). It is well known that at every feast (reception of the Light of Hochma), the supreme prosecutor (the condition of mastering the Upper degree) is about, watching. And if there are any poor people in the house, he leaves that house and does not return there. However, if the prosecutor enters a house and sees rejoicing without the poor –without having first shown mercy to the poor – he ascends Above and brings accusations against the host of that feast.

178. Because Avraham was the leader of his generation (the force of ascent onto the next degree), the prosecutor descended from the Heavens and stood at the door of his house, disguised as a poor man (in order to give him an option: either to remain at this degree or to accept the poor, the uncorrected desire, and ascend even higher). And nobody so much as looked at him.

Avraham (the male part of the degree) was attending to kings and ministers (mastering the forces of the degrees), and Sarah (the female part of the degree) was feeding all of their children (filling the newly corrected desires of the degree with the Light of Hassadim), for they did not believe that she had born a child (that the property of Hassadim can beget the next degree), but rather claimed that Yitzhak was a foundling (underwent correction through properties other than theirs), whom they had bought at the marketplace (did not correct themselves). This is why they brought their children with them, and Sarah nursed them in front of all (all properties exist within one man).

179. The Creator said to him: “Who in the world is like Avraham?” And the prosecutor did not leave from there until he had consumed the entire fare (received the Light in his desires, corrected by Avraham – mercy). So the Creator decreed that Yitzhak (the left force, the desire to receive) is to be sacrificed (cut off from receiving Light). And He said that Sarah shall die from grief for her son (as she has no connection to the left line). The cause of this grief is that he did not give anything to the poor.

Related Material:
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A question I received (my answers appear in bold font): In this blog entry you wrote: “You shouldn’t fight against anything, except your own laziness in carrying out the instructions of Kabbalists.” If a group of men has agreed to carry out the instructions of Kabbalists – we have composed a charter and created a group – but then began to experience group laziness, then what should we do?

• Admit that we’re not ready, that we can’t carry out the part of the instructions that deal with friendship and the group, and then get together to discuss what to do next? Try to fight this state by elevating the importance of the goal.
• Pretend that nothing is happening? Definitely not! Otherwise this will go on forever.
• Focus on dissemination? This is the only way to work together and perform actions of bestowal. Hence, the best thing to do is to get together only for dissemination and weekly gatherings of friends. Later, once you mature, you will be able to expand your relationships.

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A question I received: What is the connection between Reshimot and the history of humanity? You have said that the first Reshimo that developed in this world was the point in the heart. Does this mean that the history of humanity is the sequential expression of Reshimot?

Answer: All matter descended from above downwards, from the World of Infinity to our world, and each level of descent left behind Reshimot (reminiscences, informational data). In our world everything unravels from this spiral of Reshimot in the reverse order, from below upwards.

First comes the development of Reshimot on the still level of nature, then the vegetative level, followed by the animate level and finally matter on the speaking or human level. Man also develops gradually through the chain of Reshimot, and this constitutes the historical development.

However, the first spiritual Reshimo of our movement back (from below upwards) surfaced only 5768 years ago in a man named Adam, and then in more and more people. This is why Kabbalists use Adam as the starting point of the calendar. The nation of Israel was born from the group of Kabbalists, and hence it too considers Adam to be the starting point of its history. Adam was the first man to attain the Creator, and he told us about Him in the book The Angel Raziel.

Today the Reshimot are surfacing and developing on their final stage, and they are demanding their spiritual realization by all people – the ascent of all people to the World of Infinity.

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Questions I received on Jesus, the Pyramids, organ donations, and lucky pendants:

Question: Does Kabbalah say anything about Jesus?

My Answer: No. Kabbalah speaks only about the correction of the soul and the revelation of the Creator. It bears no relation to any religion.

Question: What do the ancient pyramids represent in our world?

My Answer: Man’s belief in a bodily, material afterlife.

Question: According to Kabbalah, is it permissible to donate human organs?

My Answer: Yes.

Question: Someone gave me a pendant called “the key to financial success.” It is a silver key with some Aramaic words inscribed on it. The problem is that I accidentally broke it! I don’t know if there is a connection, but ever since it broke, I started having financial problems. Is there a connection between these two events? And what should I do with the broken pendant?

My Answer: Fix it! Faith in the “lucky pendant” works. (Although I also heard that what works best is to catch a banker and eat his liver raw at midnight on a full moon. Then his bank account will immediately and secretly be transferred to yours.)

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The Book of Zohar. Chapter “Who Is This?” (abridged)

169. Rabbi Elazar opened (the way for the Light into his Kli) and said (revealed what was discovered), “Who is this coming up from the wasteland?” WHO IS THIS (MI ZOT) is the common ground of the two worlds, Bina and Malchut, which are bound together. COMING UP – coming up to become the “Holy of Holies.” For MI is Bina, called the “Holy of Holies.” And she joins with ZOT (Malchut), so that Malchut could come up and inherit THIS, to become a bride (of the Creator) and enter (together with Him) the bridal canopy (the common Screen).

170. She comes up from the wasteland (exile, the darkness of this world) of the soft utterance of lips, as it is written in Song of Songs, “And your mouth is comely.” This is because the Hebrew word MIDBAR (desert/wasteland) is derived from DIBUR (speech). It is written that the mighty forces strike Egypt (man’s egoism) with all the plagues of the wasteland (lack of fulfillment), for the Creator did not create souls in the wasteland (emptiness and darkness), but in settlements (opportunities to fulfill themselves).

171. He asks: “How does Malchut ascend in speech?” And he replies: “When man first awakens in the morning (when the Upper Light begins to shine from the darkness), and opens his eyes (becomes aware of the world, the goal, and the path), he must bless his Creator (for the property of bestowal that he has received, for acquiring a soul). How is he to bless Him? The way it was done by the first (those who have acquired souls) Hassidim (those who have acquired the Light of Hassadim – the property of bestowal): they would prepare a vessel of water (the property of bestowal, Bina) beside them (with their uncorrected desires) from evening (in spiritual darkness), so that when they woke at night (due to the Upper Light that came to them), they would wash their hands at once (correct their desires “to receive” to desires of bestowal), and would rise (in all the thirty Sefirot of the soul’s height) to study the Torah (to correct their desires), having blessed it (for this property of correction).

When the rooster (the desire for the Light, for the property of bestowal) crowed, precisely heralding midnight (the initial point of correcting one’s desires), the Creator was with the righteous (those who desire to correct themselves) in the Garden of Eden (Malchut that rose to Bina). And in the morning (the Light shines, and hence) it is forbidden to perform a blessing with unclean hands (with the desires to receive).”

172. For when man is asleep (when spirituality is concealed), his soul leaves him (he cannot feel it). And as soon as his soul (the property of bestowal) departs from him, the impure spirit (the property of reception) replaces it at once, and it fills his hands (desires) and defiles them (with egoism), and hence it is forbidden to utter a blessing without washing one’s hands (correcting one’s desires).

173. But woe unto those who do not beware and do not guard the Creator’s glory, for they do not know the foundation of the world.

Related Material:
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A question I received: When I started studying Kabbalah, I was fascinated and dedicated, and everything was all right. I had downs and ups, but after a down there was always an up. The problem is that some time ago I started feeling depressed all the time. I can`t stand my reality, I feel sick, I am moaning all the time, and I can’t reach balance. I’m still trying to study with my virtual group, but because of my work, I can’t watch morning lessons. I also feel that my intention is worth nothing now. I don’t even know where it is. I feel confused and weak. Also the people around me keep telling me that I have changed, that I’m aggressive and nervous, and that I am thinking only about myself. And I feel that this is true, but I can’t change my behavior.

Is all of this natural for a person studying Kabbalah or I am doing something wrong? What can I do to pass this and be better for everybody around me and for myself, because I feel that I hate myself as well?

My Answer: We all go through states like this. Kabbalah compresses all of your future states for many years ahead, leading you through them over a shorter period of time. Hence, it isn’t easy to live through this period. Everything inside you changes suddenly and drastically. You get thrown from Light into darkness, from joy into depression, and so on.

The only thing that will help is to lower your head. In other words, regardless of your thoughts and desires (your mind and heart, and the sensations in them), cling to the group as the only source of salvation in this world given to you by the Creator. Organize systematic, daily studies for yourself, and spend all your free time participating in dissemination. Accept the fact that this life was given to you in order to come out of it and enter the Upper Life.

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A few days ago I had a meeting with the Israeli students of the virtual group. They study with us through the Internet and from time to time they also get together in person for different events. Some of them take a few days off from work to be at our center and work together with us. Sometimes they also come to the morning lessons.

I think that the next generation will perceive everything through the Internet. Then people will discover that the virtual connection enables us to get rid of the false external impression and to understand others on a deeper level.

Moreover, people will then understand that the virtual connection is also incomplete, and that a greater, spiritual connection is necessary. In addition, rising prices for travel and the time lost in traffic jams also push people toward the Internet. Hence, the development of the learning system through the Internet is the most important thing in the dissemination of Kabbalah in the world.

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A question I received: Lately you’ve been talking about going from regular newspaper dissemination like in Sochi and other places to dissemination through the Internet. Does this mean that we are going to stop publishing newspapers and magazines, producing TV shows, and so on?

My Answer: We are not going to make any hasty changes. We are continuing all of our present means of dissemination, including publication of books and newspapers, productions of films, and so on. However, gradually the priority is shifting to dissemination through the Internet. Here’s why:

Necessary for existence. Nature on the still, vegetative, and animate levels is programmed to consume only what is necessary for existence. The rest of the time, it rests.

Excess or luxury needs. Unlike animals, man strives to satisfy more than the natural (animalistic) needs of the body, such as food, shelter, sex, and family. He starts feeling additional desires for excess or luxury things by absorbing them from society. Hence, he begins wanting things like wealth, respect, fame, and knowledge. This is why man is forced to work more than is really necessary, in order to satisfy these excess demands. However, these desires aren’t actually his own, but society’s, and they were imposed on him by society. He devotes most of his life to satisfying these demands, and along the way, burdens many other people with extra work.

Needless luxuries are the cause of self-destruction. Nature’s harmony becomes disrupted when man, as a species, takes more from nature than what he needs for existence. This is why we are witnessing the exhaustion of the planet’s natural resources as well as the general crisis.

A society of necessary consumption. The solution to the problem lies in establishing a merciful attitude to one another. When we achieve an attitude of love, then society will no longer impose extra desires and work on man, but only those necessary for existence.

The time and efforts that will be freed up by this will be used for man’s spiritual development – a connection with the Creator, the highest reward. This will be realized by means of a greater connection between people (souls), until they are all drawn together into a single system of total inner interconnection – the single soul of Adam.

Establishing new relationships. New relationships between people – bestowal, mutual guarantee, and love for one’s neighbor, will mainly be realized through the virtual World Wide Web, which will incorporate all people. The diversity of the Internet will enable every user to satisfy all his needs, including study, communication, work, rest, and even some of the physiological needs, and so on. Even the necessary work will mostly be done through the Internet. Only a small number of people who work to produce goods and services necessary for human existence, will retain work outside of the World Wide Web.

Changing man. If we could transfer all the lessons, teaching, dissemination work, and the realization of the program of union with the Creator (gatherings of friends, communication, and congresses) to the virtual World Wide Web environment, and attract all of humanity into our environment, then we will be able to revive the world, making it ecologically healthy, and reeducate man.

The realization. People’s entire connection through the Internet is based on their desire to communicate with each other. Therefore, we have to show that we are willing to have any kind of contact with all the users. The development of Kabbalah on the Internet is a top priority. It will allow us to bring man not only to the perception of our world or the virtual world – but the true Upper World and the Creator.

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