A question I received: I have been taking part in the lessons offered by Bnei Baruch. It seems to me that I’m a worse person than when I started studying. What am I doing wrong? I believe that I understand the importance of the group, but I don’t feel love for the group per say. Instead I feel this deep and ever widening divide. I’m judgmental and cynical, in my personal life I’m depressed, angry and irritable, and there is no logical rationale for it, but nonetheless I feel all of these emotions strongly. It’s like my mind or one part of me is on one track yet the feeling part of me (which drives me) is on another track headed in the opposite direction, coupled with a love/hate relationship with Kabbalah and the studies. Add to this the fact that I’m confused…

In the lessons we are made to understand that the material we study refers solely to spiritual states, but what is the goal ‘practically’ speaking? What kind of person am I supposed to be?

My Answer: All of us experience states like this, when we assess whether the spiritual growth offered by Kabbalah is correct or even necessary. Right now all of humanity is entering a period of reassessing its values, and this is why it is experiencing a crisis in all areas of life – education, politics, society, family, science, ecology, nature, and so on.

In addition, we are assessing our corporeal existence and the need to add spirituality to it (the revelation of the Upper World and the Creator) in our uncorrected egoistic desires (heart) and thoughts (mind). Your egoism will still go through many “disappointments” on the path of spiritual development, because egoism does not feel any fulfillment on this path, but just the opposite. To develop spiritually, one must eradicate one’s egoism. That is to say, one should not eradicate one’s desires and thoughts, but only their use “for one’s own sake,” changing it to “for the sake of others.”

So how can one advance away from egoism without having egoism’s support on the spiritual path? Egoism is against spirituality, and this is why egoism, our nature, is described as “Help against you,” because eventually it annuls itself. This happens because when you egoistically study Kabbalah in a group, attempting to create a connection with each other, then you attract the Upper Light, which corrects egoism. So the disappointments and descents are just egoism’s perception of the lack of egoistic fulfillment. Your future fulfillment will not come from reception, but from bestowal, from fulfilling others. It will come from the feeling of love and the realization that everyone is connected into one whole.

Hence, the only thing that will bring you to the goal – the eternal goal of creation, is persistent study, participation in the group, and dissemination, in spite of your egoism – “As an ox to the burden and as a donkey to the load.” All the Shamati articles speak about this, so always keep reading them. And remember – this path can only be surmounted by those who walk it!

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A question I received: Can you say more about the meaning of man being created in the image of his Creator? Kabbalah says that image means imprint, as in an impression taken by a mold to make a mask or as in a signet ring, where the Upper Force is the ring design and mankind is the wax imprint which is opposite in form (or essence) to the Creator. It is much more common in my society to be taught that we are made in the image of God, like that is a good thing, as in the saying “he is the spitting image of his father.” The whole of Kabbalah seems to me to stand on this definition of the word “image,” so I believe it is very necessary to explain the definition of the Hebrew word for “image” in terms that come from the source texts, including Genesis.

My Answer: The Light (pleasure) imprinted itself in the desire, thereby creating a matching desire that wants to be filled by It. Then the Light revealed its “bestowing” essence to this “desire to be filled,” thus showing the desire Its opposite nature. This compelled the desire to become equivalent to the Light – to become “bestowing.”

We are the ones going through this process, whether involuntarily or voluntarily. We go through it involuntary until a desire to do it voluntarily awakens in us. We then involuntarily come to Kabbalah – the method of becoming similar to the Creator voluntarily.

When one begins to implement the equivalence to the Creator voluntarily, one then takes control of himself and his world. Everyone will attain this, whether by suffering or by understanding that it’s necessary, and then by realization and love.

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A question I received: The first revelation of evil (egoism) and the perception of the property of the Creator which follows it are very powerful. When you experience this for the first time you start running after your Beloved nonstop. But as time goes by and you put the needed amount of efforts into it (and maybe even more), this quality gradually disappears. You start to relax and to doubt that it ever happened.

How do you reveal the evil of the following degree? How do you avoid becoming relaxed? How do you follow the Creator’s desire and keep advancing? If one was brought into this world and “awakened,” then this couldn’t have happened in vain. One can’t continue living like before. So how do you “climb” out of this world again? I would really like to receive an answer to my question, even though you have said many times that one attains the real answer in his soul.

My Answer: You have described everything correctly and vividly. Previously you were not advancing by your own efforts, but by the desire that you received from above – the point in the heart. However, now in order to develop this point into the ten Sefirot and to perceive the Upper Light or the Upper World in the ten Sefirot, you have to make your own efforts. Now you will have to go through the exhausting period of accumulating efforts and perceptions, and of self analysis. The only things that can help are:

1. Patience
2. Exaltation of the goal
3. The realization of your inability to change on your own
4. Confidence in the Light of Correction.

All of these can only be received from the right environment (see Baal HaSulam’s article “The Freedom”).

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Two questions I received on the conflict in Georgia:

Question: What are we supposed to think about the aggression that’s happening in Georgia? “Way to go! Egoism is growing! Everything’s going according to plan, right?” I don’t agree with this.

Personally, it pains me to see innocent people bombed, and I see their pain as my own. And why is the entire world ganging up against Russia? I think that Russia is the true “Israel” (according to the Kabbalistic definition of Israel), and not Israel. What do you think about this?

My Answer: I put all of my efforts into enlightening all people. What about you? And by the way, aren’t the bombs that are falling on Georgia, Russian? What makes you think that Russia has the property of Israel more than other countries? Is it Russia’s suppression and extermination of its own people during the seventy years of the Soviet regime? Or is it because it has supplied the entire world with weapons? Or because it is encouraging the development of the military atomic industry in third world countries? Or is it Russia’s aspiration to bring the other nations into submission and impose its “truth” onto the entire world? What’s more, Russia has done all this by oppressing its own people!

To ascend above egoism means to make everyone equal, to love everyone, and to unite, instead of bringing everyone into submission like “the older brother.” I am not a politician, and I am not defending or condemning any side in this conflict. I am only pointing out a persistent tendency that Russia has. I think the period of Russian prosperity was when it was connected with Europe, when the Russian tsars were in power. And that’s because the tsars came from Europe, but they reformed and built Russia.

One can only judge an action after ascending above one’s personal and national egoism. I feel very sorry for the people of Russia, because once again, they will suffer from everything that is happening more than anyone else!

Question: The war in Georgia is helping us understand that egoism is evil. But how can one justify it from the Creator’s point of view, how can one ascend over one’s nature?

My Answer: No one is right in this conflict, because people are being forced to collide by egoism. Don’t condemn anyone, but instead disseminate the truth which will draw the Light to our world and correct everyone. This is our only thought, desire, and objective.

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A question I received: More and more people are waking up to the evil within us. Why don’t Kabbalists go out on the political arena? Won’t establishing a political party also be a way to distribute the knowledge of Kabbalah? Or will this hurt the distribution of this wisdom? Even if people don’t like what they hear, they will still have a relation to Kabbalistic knowledge. Wouldn’t the Light give people a push in the right direction then?

My Answer: Our goal is to educate people, to give them knowledge about the true structure of the world, its goal, and man’s role in the world. People will soon start to understand that in order to reach a better future, they have to change their lifestyle, the entire social system and government relations. They will then desire to change their world based on our explanations of the laws operating in society and the world, and will come to naturally realize that the world has to be governed by Kabbalists.

However, this will happen to the extent of people’s Kabbalistic education, the recognition of evil and correction. Until then, we have to disseminate Kabbalah from below upwards, because any attempts to enter politics (to “take over” the Ministry of Education and teach Kabbalah to the masses) will be misunderstood and met with hostility.

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A question I received: I have discovered that not only do red strings fail to help people, they are also absolutely forbidden by the Torah. It says in the book of Beresheet, the chapter Derech HaAretz: Rabbi Tzadok said: “הקושר על ידו חוט אדום הרי זה מרדכי האמורי” – “One who ties a red string around his hand is like an impure force against Mordechai (the property of Bina).”

Why is it that when you answer questions dealing with myths about Kabbalah, you always mention Tarot cards, red strings, yoga, and so on? Why do you never mention “channeling” which is so popular now? For example everyone knows about Lee Carroll’s numerous appearances at the UN, as well as his books. And there are many other people who practice other teachings that coincide with what you teach. I have no doubt that no one explains the structure of the universe in as much detail as Kabbalah, but still the other methods help “awaken” humanity, which is running late with its correction.

My Answer: I am not familiar with all the “spiritual” teachings, and I don’t plan on getting to know them. They all appear and then disappear. I don’t have the time or the desire to pay attention to them. If we were to systemize everything that our egoistic mind can invent, then we would see how meager it is.

I prefer the teaching of Kabbalah, which deals with practical entrance into the Upper World (I have tested it for myself). It is based on coming out of the nature of our world, instead of all the different religions and teachings of this world (this can also be seen from above, from the Upper World). I advise you to do the same.

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The Book of Zohar, Chapter, “Who Has Created These?” (abridged)

7. Rabbi Elazar (the son of Rashbi, his next degree) opened (the Light of Wisdom) and said (revealed): “Raise your eyes (the corrected desire to receive) and see (receive the Light of Hochma) WHO HAS CREATED THESE. Raise your eyes to what place? To the place (degree) where the eyes (revelations) of all depend on Him (wherefrom the Light of Hochma comes). Who is He? He is one who opens eyes (corrects the desires of man), Malchut of Rosh (head) of Arich Anpin (the system of the source of the Light of Hochma, wisdom). And you will see that Atik (a higher Partzuf than Arich Anpin) is concealed, and therein lies the answer to the question, “WHO HAS CREATED THESE?”

WHO is ZAT of Bina of the World of Atzilut, the upper edge of heaven. Everything depends to Him. As there is a question (the desire to bestow) in Him, and He is concealed (because the lower ones are not stimulating Him to correct them), He is called WHO – questioningly. There is no question above Him (there’s perfection). Only at the upper edge of heaven is there a question (anticipation on behalf of the lower ones).

8. But there is another question below (in ZON of the World of Atzilut), called WHAT. What is the difference between them? WHO – is concealed, so that man would ask and investigate from degree to degree until the end of all the degrees, until Malchut. And that will be WHAT – what have you learned? What have you seen? What have you investigated? After all, everything is still concealed, just as it was before (and it depends on the lower ones’ stimulus to reveal the Upper Ones).

9. This secret is contained in the word WHAT: “WHAT do you testify? WHAT can be compared to you?” When the Temple was destroyed (when the souls lost the screen and the Inner Light), a voice sounded (the breaking of the bond between the souls was revealed): “WHAT can I point out to you, WHAT can I compare you to?” But in the type of WHAT: “WHAT is the covenant, WHAT can be compared to you?”

“WHAT is the covenant?” – Because the days of past (the descending degrees) are a testimony to you (to the Thought of Creation) each day, as it is written in the Torah (the method of correction): “I call to witness heaven (the force of bestowal) and earth (the force of reception).”

“WHAT can be compared to you (to your force of bestowal)?” – As it is written, “I adorned you with holy ornaments (of love) and made you ruler over the world (ruler of its correction). “Is this the city that was called the quintessence of beauty (when the Light of Wisdom clothes in the Light of Mercy)?” I have called you, “Jerusalem (Malchut, the egoistic desire made similar to Bina, bestowal), a city rebuilt by me.”

“WHAT could be compared to you?” – Just as you (Jerusalem = Ira Shlema = complete property of Bina) are below, so is He (the Creator, ELOKIM) above, in the Upper Jerusalem (the Upper Bina of the World of Atzilut). Just as now the holy nation (the corrected souls) does not enter into you, so I (the Upper Light) swear to you (have set forth the “Law of the souls’ similarity to the Light” as a law of nature) that I will not enter above until I enter into you down below (until the desire to become similar to the Upper Bina, to complete love and bestowal, is revealed below). And your consolation is that I shall equalize you with the Upper Jerusalem, with the Upper Malchut, which reigns in all things (Malchut means “kingdom”).

And while you are here: “Your misery is great, like the sea.” But if you claim that there is no existence or remedy for you, then “WHO shall heal you” (WHO is not a question, but the name of the force that will heal you). Meaning, that concealed supernal degree, called WHO, Bina, which animates all things; it shall heal and reanimate you.

10. WHO is the upper edge of heaven (Partzuf Ishsut), WHAT is the lower edge of heaven (Partzuf ZON = ZA and Malchut). This was inherited by Yaakov, for he is ZA, who shines from edge to edge. From the first edge, WHO, until the last edge, WHAT (from Ishsut to Malchut). It is therefore said: “WHO has created THESE”: Bina has created Malchut.

“Who Has Created These?” – full commentary

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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.

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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.

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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.

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