A question I received (from a student in Russia): Aren’t you happy about “the end of America?”

My Answer: Unlike you, I cannot revel in hearing news about the crisis in the USA nor rejoice at this being God’s punishment for their pride, because I respect the people who have built such a powerful country with their own hands, without outsourcing it. I don’t believe in a polar world; I know that the world is round and that’s the only way it can be.

In order to be a great country, it is necessary to have influence in the world: capital, technology, developed sciences, and a perfect system of government, instead of manipulating people through fear. I look at the world objectively, from above, and I feel sad about the suffering that’s to come. I don’t feel any animalistic pleasure from this.

However, you will soon be disappointed, because America will live through the crisis. It’s more flexible than other countries and will be able to re-adapt more easily. The collapse of the Western civilization and the end of the world as we know it will force all of us to change. Those who are smart won’t be too squeamish to study Kabbalah, and they will suffer less and recover faster. This is what I wish for everyone – including the Russian people.

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Two questions I received on the arts:

Question: I know that the arts are a manifestation of the ego. But being a person who dabbles in poetry and music, I can’t help but ask: What is the spiritual root of poetry? Can I (a person who hasn’t developed a spiritual Kli nor crossed the Machsom) write poetry and songs about Kabbalah and the Creator? After all, I don’t receive the Light into my soul yet. Should I try it anyway?

My Answer: Actually, the root of the arts is power and ambition. It doesn’t matter over whom – it may even be yourself. Follow the example of the great Kabbalist King David: the Psalms he wrote are still recited today by the entire world. Do as he did!

Question: Kabbalah fights egoism. But at the same time you reject philosophy, history, and the arts. Why?

My Answer: I do not reject anything. I only want to arrange everything according to its level of importance. Since Kabbalah speaks about man’s correction, connection and union with the Creator, eternal existence, and how to replace suffering with pleasure, hence it is incomparably more important than anything else in our lives. After all, what else can compare to Kabbalah when its purpose – and its capability – is to deliver man to a happy existence in this world, and to add an eternal and perfect existence on top of that?

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Two questions I received from students around the world:

Question: Here in Africa people don’t really want to know what lies beyond our world, but ever since I was young I have always been fascinated by the world and I have always wanted to find out the whole truth. Lately I have been thinking about how to help people change their ways and give meaning to their lives. I started telling others about goodness and coming closer to the Almighty, and I find much pleasure in what I am doing for others. I used to wait for a reward for my actions, but I do not want it any more. My greatest wish is for all of us to get closer to God. I found myself praying and saying to God that instead of being in heaven with Abraham I’d rather be here on earth until the last one of us is there with us.

Why do I feel responsible for the world? Why does my happiness depend on others’ well being? Is it a sign from God or is it just wishful thinking? Please tell me something about this state of mind. Thanks in advance for your help. Alhain Kadima

My Answer: You have simply revealed a new desire inside you: a desire for bestowal, for the Creator – a desire that others don’t have. You should actualize it, and then you will give a great gift to yourself and to the world!

Question: I am a new student and I’d like to ask you the following question. Can we say that we only acquire the knowledge and the true vision of reality (Hochma) as we are able, in some measure, in order to forward this truth to others (Bina)? Meaning that we can only discern the structure of the law of love as we experience it in all aspects of life? Thank you. Tiago.

My Answer: Yes, by bestowing to others we build a collective desire, in which we then perceive the one and only force in the world – the Creator.

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Preface to the Science of Kabbalah (“Pticha”). Items 3-5, summary:

3. The order of distancing, of the weakening of the desire to bestow, resulting from the development and growth of the desire to receive, from above (from bestowal, similarity to the Creator) downwards (moving away from Him) – happens along five degrees or five worlds: Adam Kadmon, Atzilut, Beria, Yetzira, and Assiya. The World of Assiya includes our world (HaOlam Hazeh). “World” – Olam comes from the word Olama – concealment, because to the degree one grows distant from similarity to the Creator, the Creator becomes concealed.

All creatures originate and have their root in the World of Infinity, in the Thought of Creation to “delight the creatures,” in their initial state.

4. The distancing of the creation from the Creator is necessary for the following reasons:

• To give creation (man) an opportunity to be independent. This is accomplished through the complete concealment of the Creator in our world.
• The gradual distancing occurs through the Light’s fulfillment and its subsequent expulsion. These contrasting states create sensations, realizations, and experience in the desire, giving it the opportunity to compare, and thus make it suitable to achieve its intended purpose.

The creation’s purpose is the following: after its forced descent into our world, it is to use its free will and awareness to compare and to choose bestowal over reception. Thus, by choosing that similarity to the Creator is the most important thing, creation must gradually ascend to Him, until reaching full equivalence and adhesion with Him.

5. The degrees, the structure of creation, and all the actions are determined by the nature of the Light and the desire.

Phase 0: Light (the Creator’s attitude to the creature) emanates from the Creator’s plan to create the creature in order to delight it by making it similar to Him (the small state is not considered complete). This phase is called zero or the root. It incorporates the future creature in the form of a point of the future desire, similar to a drop of semen or a seed.

Phase 1: The Light influences the point of desire, developing it to Its own size and then filling it. The desire feels the fulfillment, called the Light of Wisdom (Ohr Hochma). Because the desire is fully dependent on the Light, it doesn’t feel anything besides mere existence, like an embryo within a womb. This phase contains everything that the Creator had allocated for the creature.

Gradually the desire becomes aware of its distinction from the Light and wishes to become like the Light – bestowing. This new desire is defined as a new phase:

Phase 2: This is the desire to bestow to the Creator, to be like the Light. As a result of this, the desire feels a different kind of pleasure than in phase 1 – the pleasure of being similar to the Creator, the Light of Bestowal (Ohr Hassadim). However, gradually the desire realizes that it merely desires to bestow, but does not actually bestow. This realization results in the emergence of a new desire – “to receive for the sake of bestowal,” and this is already defined as phase 3.

Phase 3: The desire receives like in phase 1 (the Light of Hochma) with an intention like in phase 2, and feels that it bestows, like the Creator (the Light of Hassadim). Due to the sensation of being on the Creator’s level, a new desire develops – phase 4:

Phase 4: This is the desire to enjoy the Creator’s status or position by receiving the following from Him:

a) The pleasure of being filled with pleasure, and
b) The pleasure of being similar to Him.

Since the desire receives everything that can possibly emanate from the Creator, phase 4 constitutes a fully developed desire.

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Questions I received on the difference between religion and Kabbalah:

Question: Is studying Torah and keeping the Mitzvot the same thing as being religious?

My Answer: Yes.

Question: I don’t like the word religious if it means dogmatic, static, closed, etc.

My Answer: But the purpose of religion is to preserve, to statically observe. This is exactly the pleasure one feels from being religious!

Question: But the way that I have been studying Torah and practicing Mitzvot (commandments) with Chassidut and Kabbalah seems to be something powerful and important.

My Answer: There are no commandments in Kabbalah, other than equivalence with the Creator through “Love thy neighbor as thyself.”

Question: The Torah has a revealed component and a hidden component, and they operate together. Therefore doesn’t the continued studying Torah and practicing of Mitzvot (by Jewish people and those who feel drawn to it) operate as a platform or foundation for studying Kabbalah?

My Answer: No.

Question: Doesn’t the traditional practice safeguard the hidden Kabbalistic knowledge that has yet to be revealed?

My Answer: No.

Question: Or, are you saying that all of the old Torah ways need to be discarded like a shell and only the science of Kabbalah should be remain?

My Answer: Yes.

Question: I would like to clarify my question by saying that I have found the Kabbalah instruction on your websites to be wonderfully powerful, enriching and necessary. I see my feelings (conflicted, confused and invigorated) as part of my correction process and I ask these questions respectfully and in the spirit of growth and acceptance.

My Answer: Thank you!

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Two questions I received on spiritual partnerships:

Question: Why does a man who studies Kabbalah need a woman, and how can he “use” her the right way?

My Answer: Every person in our world has:

1) Bodily desires for food, family, and sex;
2) Social desires for wealth, power, fame, and knowledge.

The desires for family and sex are realized with a partner, either with the intention to receive pleasure egoistically, or with the intention to realize them as a commandment, or in other words, in order to attain the Creator.

The desire for spirituality is formed by the female and male parts of humanity as a whole. All men are like Adam and all women are like Eve. Therefore, one needs to see one’s partner in life as a partner on the spiritual path as well. It is possible – and good – if your partner cooperates with you in this regard.

Question: What are the best articles to read to your wife if she wants you to?

My Answer: The parts of Baal HaSulam’s and Rabash’s articles that are interesting to both of you.

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A question I received: “In the beginning G-d created the heavens and the earth.” (Genesis 1:1) Why? What was the motive? What was the plan? How could the Creator make this world without thinking through all the consequences!? This is proven by the story of the flood where G-d said “I will blot out man whom I have created… for I am sorry that I have made them” (Gen 6:7) – as if He didn’t know this was going to happen.

My Answer: There are only two things in existence: the creation – the will to receive Light, and the Creator – the Light, the will to give pleasure. As long as the creation is equivalent to the Light and wishes to receive “for His sake,” in order to please Him – it receives the Light. And if the creation does not desire to act “for the sake of Creator,” then it is opposite to Him, because He desires to please the creation. Then the creation does not feel Him or His Light, but instead feels complete darkness, a black copy of the Light – our world.

“In the beginning G-d created the heavens and the earth” means that He created the qualities of bestowal and reception. What for? In order for man to intermix these qualities within and make a free choice about which of them to use: egoism or altruism. You can read the rest in my books (available for free download).

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Preface to the Science of Kabbalah (“Pticha”) – Item 1, summary:

1. The Creator’s plan is to create the creatures in order to delight them. This is why He created the will to receive pleasure – the pleasure that He wishes to bestow. This desire is the creation that was created.

The Creator’s desire to fulfill is infinite, and therefore the desire to enjoy He created is also infinite.

The pleasure (the Light) creates a matching desire (Kli or vessel) for itself. Hence they are completely interconnected from the very beginning. Nevertheless, the pleasure is primary, and the desire it created is secondary. The pleasure determines the desire, although both stem from the Creator.

The Light exists in the Creator from the very beginning, whereas the will to receive (pleasure) He created is something essentially new, which never existed before. That’s because the only desire the Creator has is to love and bestow.

Desire is the essence of the creation, its matter. All of the various creatures originate from it; they are different “portions” of the desire. All the events happening to them are changes in their desires.

Everything that the desires or creatures have, everything that fulfills their desires, is Light or pleasure which comes directly from the Creator.

Therefore, everything that exists is comprised of the Light and the Kli, and comes from the Creator. It either comes directly – as Light, or indirectly – as the desire, which is absent in the Creator, but was created by Him for delighting the creatures.

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Three questions I received on Kabbalah’s attitude to health and healing:

Question: During one of your classes you mentioned that when you weren’t feeling well, your teacher would ask you to study with him. I have a heart problem. Can I come to the Creator and ask for the Light that Reforms to heal my heart during the lesson or during my dissemination activities? And does this work for women?

My Answer: Yes, if it is done along with and in order to achieve the goal of creation.

Question: When I try to unite with other souls and add the intention, my blood pressure drastically raises. Why?

My Answer: Instead of getting tense, you should relax. After all, this action should bring you pleasure, shouldn’t it?

Question: I heard that Baal HaSulam once said to his students, “I don’t care where the sack with my bones will be buried.” I have never visited my parents’ graves since the day they died, about 50 years ago. However, I had a stomach pain that lasted for 10 months, and medicine did not help. I went to an alternative medicine practitioner and he advised me to visit my parents’ graves and ask them for forgiveness. How does this connect with Kabbalah, which says that the physical body is “ashes and dust?”

My Answer: There is no connection, but it may have a good psychological effect and may even heal you, since there is also a psychological aspect to your pain.

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A question I received: Why do I despair that I am so far from the Creator? And why do I feel deep down, that this feeling of isolation is false? I’m scared for my sanity, and it makes me cry.

My Answer: You lack the support of the environment. Or perhaps you have an environment but you are not ready to absorb the force of the society from them. Everything depends on you. Even a virtual connection can hold a person in the correct state.

Despair pushes you away from the Creator, whereas joy draws you closer. Read Shamati article #58, “Joy is a Reflection of Good Deeds.” If a person isn’t happy, then by feeling this way he blames the Creator for creating the world incorrectly and does not justify His actions. He is saying that Creator is bad, and hence he is called a sinner – not for his actions, but for his mood!

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