The Book of Zohar. Chapter “The Donkey Driver,” Part 2 (abridged)

91. He opened and began. It is written, “Benayahu (Benaiah) Ben (the son of) Yehoyada (Jehoiada).” This narrative is beautiful, but it serves to show us the exalted secrets of the Torah. And the name Benayahu Ben-Yehoyada indicates the secret of the Light of Wisdom, Ohr Hochma. Ben Ish Chai is the righteous who revives the worlds. Rav Paalim means that He is the Master of all that transpires, and that all the forces and Supernal Troops stem from Him. He is called the Creator of Force, the Master of all, and He is in everything.

92. Rav Paalim is also Mekabtziel – the Exalted Tree, gathering and performing many actions, Supreme Above all. Where did it come from? From which degree did it originate? Once more, the source indicates – from Mekabtziel, for it is an exalted and concealed degree that none has seen. It includes everything, for it gathers all of the Upper Light within it, and everything originates from it.

93. All of the degrees gather in this Supernal, Sacred, and Concealed Hall, where everything is concealed. All of the worlds are inside that hall. All the holy forces are sustained and revived by it, and all are dependant on it.

94. He slew two – Ariel and Moav (Moab). Two Holy Temples existed thanks to Atik and received from it: the First Temple and the Second Temple. Since Atik’s disappearance, the process that stemmed from Above had ceased. It is as though he struck and destroyed them.

95. And the Holy Throne (Malchut) is overthrown. Hence, the prophet Yechezkel (Ezekiel) wrote, “I am in exile,” signifying that the degree called “I,” which is Malchut, is in exile. Why? “By the river Kevar.” Kevar (already) is the river that had already existed, but has now disappeared. As it is written, “The river is destroyed and dried up.” It was “destroyed” in the first Temple and “dried up” in the second. Hence, it is written: “He struck and destroyed both, Ariel and Moav.” Moav (or Mi Av) means “from the Heavenly Father.” They were all destroyed for Him, and all the Light disappeared.

96. Further, He descended and struck the lion. Initially, when this river rolled its waters down, Israel was in a state of perfection, for they offered up gifts and sacrifices to atone for their sins and to save their souls. Then, the image of a lion would descend from Above, and they would see it on the altar as it trampled the bodies of the sacrifices, devouring them, and all the dogs (all those who slander Israel) would fall to silence.

97. Yet, when sins increased, he descended to the lower degrees and slew the lion. This was because the lion refused to give up its prey as before, and this is as though he killed it. Therefore, he struck the lion and threw it into a pit, to the Evil Side (according to his understanding). The Evil Side saw this and sent a dog to devour the sacrifices from the altar in the lion’s stead. What is the name of that lion? And what is the nickname of that dog? Baladan is its name; Baladan is formed by the words Bal-Adam, where the letter Mem is replaced by Nun, for he is not a human being at all, but a dog, and his face is like a muzzle of a dog.

98. On a day of snow, on the day misfortunes descend from the Supernal Court Above, it is written, “Her household shall not fear snow,” that is, the Supernal Court, called “snow.” For her household is clothed twofold, and can thereby endure a strong fire. So the book says.

99. What is written next? “And he struck an Egyptian.” This refers to a secret: every time Israel sinned, the Creator would conceal Himself and restrict them from receiving all the goodness and all the Light that He shone upon them. “He struck an Egyptian.” “He” refers to Moshe, the Light that shines upon Israel. For in Egypt he was born, grew up, and attained the Supernal Light.

100. A man of mirror. It is written, mirror and man, as it is written, a Godly man, the husband of that mirror, of the Creator’s glory, Malchut. For with this degree he merited ruling over the entire land in all of his desire – a feat unmatched by any other.

101. This is the Creator’s staff that was delivered to him, as it is written, “With the Creator’s staff in my hand.” This is the staff that was created on the evening of the sixth day of the creation, before Shabbat. And His Holy Name is contained in it. And with this staff Moshe sinned by striking it twice against the rock. The Creator said to him: “Moshe, it is not for this purpose that I have given you My staff; thus, it will no longer be in your possession henceforth.”

102. At once He descended to him in strictness and wrenched the staff from the Egyptian’s hand, for the moment the staff was taken from him, it was taken for good. And he was killed by it: because of the sin of striking the rock with the staff, he died and did not enter the Holy Land. And that Light was concealed from Israel.

103. “The most respected of the thirty” refers to the Upper One that receives from Above and passes downward, one that receives and brings closer. However, he does not go to the first three, but they come to him and give to him wholeheartedly, but he does not come to them.

104. Despite not being considered one of them, David heard the meaning that is never detached from the heart, for they can never be separated. David paid attention with all his heart, but he did not pay attention to David. For by the praises, hymns, and mercy that the moon offers the sun, the moon draws the sun closer so as to be with it.

105. Rabbi Elazar and Rabbi Aba fell down on their faces before him and could not see him anymore, then rose and went in every direction, but could not see him. They sat and wept, and could not even speak to one another. Then, Rabbi Aba said, “It is true what we have learned, that the Torah accompanies the righteous on all their paths. The righteous of the other world come to them to reveal to them the secrets of the Torah. And this must have been Rabbi Hamnuna-Saba, who came to us from the other world to reveal these secrets to us. But before we could recognize him, he vanished.” They rose and wanted to lead their donkeys on, but could not. They repeatedly tried to goad the donkeys, but still they could not move. They grew frightened and left their donkeys behind. And to this day this place is called “the place of donkeys.”

106. Rabbi Elazar opened and said: “Oh, how great is Your goodness, which You have hidden away for those who fear You! How infinite is the goodness that the Creator shall bestow on humankind in the future, on those sin-fearing, exalted righteous, who study the Torah as they arrive at that Upper World.”

107. The name “great goodness” can be further described as containing all the secrets of the Supernal wisdom, which descend from ZA to Malchut. There is a great tree, called ZA or Rav (great, strong), and there is a small tree, Malchut, which grows from it. And it is elevated to the Highest Firmament.

108. The “great goodness” is the Light that was created on the first day of creation and concealed so as to be revealed in the future for the righteous in the other world. Your Deeds are the Supernal Garden of Eden, which the Creator has created by His DEED.

109. All the righteous stand in the lower Garden of Eden, clothed in precious adornments, similar in quality and form to those which they wore in this world, meaning in the same form as people in this world and according to man’s actions in this world. They stand there and fly away through the air, ascend to the Assembly in the Supernal Garden of Eden, fly there and bathe in the dew of the pure river of Apharsemon, then come down and fly below in the lower Garden of Eden.

110. And sometimes these righteous appear as people in order to perform miracles, like celestial angels, just as we have seen the luminescence of the Upper Light, but did not merit to see and discover the wisdom’s great secrets.

111. Rabbi Aba opened and said: “And he who is doomed said to his wife, ‘We shall die, for I have seen the Creator.’ Even though he was not aware of his actions, as it is written, ‘He did not know that it was an angel’; however, since it is written, ‘Man shall not see Me and live,’ we know that he has died. And we have merited this great Light to accompany us, and the world exists because the Creator Himself sent him to us, to reveal the secrets of His Supernal wisdom to us. How joyous is our share!”

112. They walked and came to a mountain. The sun had set. The branches of the tree on that mountain started rattling and singing. As they were still walking, they heard a resounding voice proclaim, “Sons of the Holy Creator, dispersed among the living in this world, illuminated by the sons of the Assembly, gather in your places and rejoice with your Creator in the Torah. They grew frightened and stopped, then sat down.

113. Meanwhile, a voice called out again, “O, mighty rocks, great hammers of thunder, Bina stands upon a pillar, so enter and assemble.” At that moment, they heard the mighty voice of thousands of trees, which was saying, “The Creator’s voice breaks the cedars.” Both Rabbi Elazar and Rabbi Aba fell down on their faces. Great fear fell upon them. They rose hastily and left, not hearing anything else, then came down the mountain and kept on walking.

114. Upon reaching the house of Rabbi Yosi, the son of Rabbi Shimon Ben Yosi Ben Lakunya, they saw Rabbi Shimon Bar-Yochai. They rejoiced. Rabbi Shimon rejoiced, too. He said to them, “You have traveled this path of Heavenly signs and wonders correctly, for as I was sleeping, I saw you and Benayahu Ben Yehoyada, who was sending you two crowns with an old man, so as to adorn you. I am certain that the Creator was on this path too, because I see how your faces have changed.” Rabbi Yosi said, “Truly, it is said that a sage is preferred to a prophet.” Rabbi Elazar came and put his head on the knees of his father, Rabbi Shimon, and told him of what had happened.

115. Rabbi Shimon was frightened and wept. He said, “I have heard the Creator and I am awed.” This verse was spoken by the prophet Havakuk (Habakkuk), when he saw his death and his resurrection by Elisha. Why was he named Havakuk? Because it is written that at around this time there would be a HOVVEK-ET – a son will be embraced. For Havakuk was the son of the Shunamit. And there were two embraces: one from the mother and one from Elisha, as it is written, “He put his mouth to his.”

116. I have discovered in the book of King Solomon that the name Havakuk consists of seventy-two names. Each word consists of three letters, for the letters of the alphabet that the Father confirmed to him initially flew away when he died. But Elisha embraced him and confirmed in him all these letters in his seventy-two names. In all, there are 216 letters in his seventy-two names, three letters in each.

117. Elisha confirmed all of these letters in the soul of Havakuk so as to revive him by the letters of the seventy-two names. And he called him Havakuk, for that is his complete name, which describes all of his properties, as it alludes to two Havakuks and to the 216 letters of the Holy Name, as the Gematria (numerical value) of the name Havakuk is 216, from which the seventy-two names were formed. By AB names he revived him and brought his spirit back, and by RYU letters he revived his body and let it live. This is why he is called Havakuk.

118. He said, “I have heard the Creator and I am awed by His name.” I have heard of what I had and have had a taste of the other world at the moment of death, before Elisha resurrected him, and I am awed. He began asking for mercy for his soul. He said, “O, Creator, the deeds that You have performed for me throughout the years were my life.” And whoever connects to the past years (the name of the Sefirot of Atik), connects to life. Throughout the years, bestow life upon the degree that has no life of its own, upon Malchut de Malchut.

119. Rabbi Shimon wept and said: “And I have seen from the Creator what I have heard.” He raised his hands above his head, and said: “But you have merited seeing Rabbi Hamnuna-Saba, the Light of the Torah, face to face, while I have not.” He fell on his face and saw him who uproots mountains and lights candles in the Temple of the King (Mashiach). He said to him, “Rabbi, in the other world we shall be neighbors with the heads of the assemblies before the Creator.” From here on, he called his son Rabbi Elazar and Rabbi Aba by the name Pnei’el (the face of God), as it is written: “For I have seen the Creator face to face.”

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Two questions I received on the Olympics:

Question: Do the Chinese participants of the Olympics have an advantage because millions of people are thinking about them and hoping that they will win?

My Answer: Yes. People’s thoughts influence each other because we are a single system of souls. We are only disconnected from each other in our imagination! Hence there is more than just psychological influence when you have millions of fans present as well as the feeling of being at home – in addition you are also influenced by any number of people who are merely thinking about you.

Question: How does the wisdom of Kabbalah relate to sports and body culture, with regard to how it’s expressed in the Olympics?

My Answer: Sports should exist for the sake of interaction between people, rather than competition between them. Since people do the latter, sports has become political, economical, and physically harmful. The intentions of the players should be similar to a game of “giveaway checkers” (where the objective is to give in) – every person should feel like he’s the host who welcomes the guests and wants to please them. One way to express this on the outside is through athletic games. Right now we find it difficult even to imagine such a scenario – a contest for the sake of bestowal, friendship, and union with the “opponent.”

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The Book of Zohar. Chapter “The Donkey Driver,” Part 1 (abridged)

74. Rabbi Elazar, the son of Rabbi Shimon, was on his way to visit his father-in-law, Rabbi Yosi, the son of Lakunya, and Rabbi Aba accompanied him. A man followed behind them, driving their donkeys. Rabbi Aba said, “Let us open the gates of the Torah, as it is time to correct our path.” In Aramaic, the language in which The Zohar was written, “driver” means “one who pricks.” This is because the donkey driver’s function amounts to forcing the donkeys to move by pricking them with the edge of his stick (Hamor – donkey, comes from the word Homer – matter, egoism).

75. Rabbi Elazar spoke, “The Creator created the world in six days. And each day would reveal His deeds, and gave strength to that day. When did He reveal His deeds and give them strength? On the fourth day of creation, for the first three days were concealed completely, and would not be revealed. The fourth day arrived, and He revealed the deeds and forces of all the days.

76. There is fire, water and air, the three first days of creation. Although they are the initial Supernal foundations of all that will follow, their actions are not revealed until the earth, meaning Malchut, reveals them. Only then does the work of each of the Supernal foundations reveal itself. Hence, the power of the first three days is revealed only on the fourth day.

77. However, the third day may be better described as one that reveals the creation of the first three days, as it is written of it: LET THE EARTH BRING FORTH GRASS. That is to say, the revelation of the earth’s (Malchut’s) deeds already took place on the third day. Yet, although it was written on the third day, Tifferet, it was actually the fourth day, Malchut. But Malchut joined the third day, for Tifferet and Malchut are inseparable. And then the fourth day revealed its deeds – to elucidate the work of each and every one, for the fourth day is the “fourth leg” of the Supernal Throne (the Sefira Bina), whose four legs are Hesed, Gevura, Tifferet, and Malchut. Malchut reveals the spiritual power of the three days.

78. All of the actions of all the Sefirot, both on the first three days of creation, HGT, and on the last three, NHY, are dependent on the day of Shabbat, Malchut, GAR of the entire degree of ZA and its perfection. Hence, it is written, “AND THE CREATOR RESTED ON THE SEVENTH DAY, SHABBAT.” This refers to the fourth leg of the throne, as the seventh and the fourth days are both Malchut. Only the fourth day is Malchut that includes the Sefira Tifferet of ZA, from his chest upwards, whereas the seventh day is Malchut of the entire ZA, and they merge together face to face in a Zivug.

79. Yet, if Shabbat is Malchut, then why does the Torah say, “My Sabbaths you are to observe,” implying two? It is written of the two parts of Shabbat: the night (Malchut) and the day (ZA) that shines in Malchut. Thus, there is no division between them, for they merge face to face in a Zivug, and are therefore called two Sabbaths.

80. Following behind them with the donkeys, the donkey driver asked: “Why is it said, ‘You shall fear sanctity?’” They replied: “This refers to the sanctity of Shabbat.” The donkey driver asked: “And what is the sanctity of Shabbat?” They replied: “It is the sanctity that descends from Above, from AVI.” He said to them, “If that is so, then Shabbat is without sanctity, for sanctity descends on it from Above, from AVI.” Rabbi Aba answered him: “It is indeed so.” And it is said: “And call Shabbat a delight, a holy day dedicated to the Creator.” Shabbat and a holy day are mentioned separately. The donkey driver asked: “If that is so, then what does a holy day mean to the Creator?” He replied: “That is when sanctity descends from Above, from ZA, and fills Shabbat, Malchut.” The donkey driver objected, “But if sanctity descends from Above, then Shabbat itself is not a holy day. And yet, it is written, ‘You shall sanctify Shabbat,’ meaning Shabbat itself.” Rabbi Elazar said to Rabbi Aba, “Leave this man alone, for there is much wisdom in him, of which we do not know.” So he said to the donkey driver, “Speak, and we shall listen.”

81. The donkey driver opened (the Upper Light) and said, “It is written: Shabbatot, i.e., there are usually two. And this alludes to the border of Shabbat, which is 2,000 Amah (cubits) in each direction from the city. This is why the word ‘Et’ was added before the word Shabbatot, which designates the plural form – both the Upper Shabbat and the lower Shabbat joining into one.”

82. One Shabbat was left, unmentioned before, and felt ashamed. She said to Him, “Creator of the Universe, from the day I was created, I am called Shabbat, but there is no day without night.” The Creator replied to her: “My daughter, you are Shabbat, and I have given you this name. But now I am surrounding and adorning you with the most exalted adornment.” It is the merging together of I (Malchut, the nights of Shabbat) with the Creator Himself (ZA) into a single whole.

83. Since the circle and square are Shabbatot, they are both included in the instruction, “My Shabbatot you are to observe.” However, the Upper Shabbat is not included in the instruction “Observe,” but rather in “Remember.” For the Supernal King, Bina, is as perfect as memory. This is why Bina is called “King,” whose perfection lies in peace and in memory. Hence, there is no contradiction Above.

84. There are two types of peace below: one is Yaakov (Tifferet), and the other is Yosef (Yesod). Therefore, PEACE is written twice in the greeting: “PEACE, PEACE to the distant one and to the near one.” “The distant one” refers to Yaakov, and “the near one” refers to Yosef. Or, as it is written, “From afar I see the Creator.”

85. “From afar” is the Supernal Point, standing in His palace, of which it is said, “You are to guard.” “You shall fear My sanctity” refers to the point standing in the center, which must be feared more than anything, for its punishment is death, as it is written, “All who transgress in it shall perish.” Who are these transgressors? They are those who have entered the space of the circle and the square, and committed a sin. Hence, it is written, “You shall fear!” This point is called “I,” and there is a prohibition on its revelation, called HaVaYaH. “I” and HaVaYaH are a single whole. Rabbi Elazar and Rabbi Aba dismounted from their donkeys and kissed him. They said, “So great is your wisdom, and yet you drive donkeys behind us! Who are you, then?” He replied to them: “Do not ask me who I am, but let us go on and study the Torah. Each of us will speak his wisdom so as to illuminate our path.”

86. He said to him: “Who appointed you to walk here and be a donkey driver?” He replied: “The letter Yod Chaf waged war with two letters, and Samech, for me to come and join. The letter Chaf did not want to leave its place because it has to support those who fall, for without a screen, they cannot survive.”

87. The letter Yod came to me alone, kissed me and wept with me. It said to me, “My son, what can I do for you? I disappear from many good deeds and from secret, supernal, basic letters. But I shall return to you and will be of help to you. And I shall give you two letters that are more exalted than those that have disappeared – the letters Yod and Shin. They shall become for you a treasury that is forever full. So, my son, go and drive the donkeys.” And that is why I am here in this role.

88. Rabbi Elazar and Rabbi Aba rejoiced, wept, and said, “You sit on the donkey, and we shall drive it.” He replied to them, “Have I not told you that it is the command of the King that I act as I do, until the other donkey driver appears” (this hints at the Mashiach, who, as it is said, will appear poor and riding a donkey). They said to him, “You have not even told us your name! Where do you dwell?” He told them, “My dwelling place is wonderful and very precious to me. It is a tower that soars in the air, grand and unique. Only two live in this tower: the Creator and I. That is the place, in which I dwell. And I am exiled from there in order to drive the donkeys.” Rabbi Elazar and Rabbi Aba looked at him, and his words were unclear to them, for they tasted sweeter than manna and honey. They said to him, “Perhaps you will tell us the name of your father, so that we could kiss the earth at his feet?” He responded, “What for? It is not my habit to boast of the Torah.”

89. But the place of my father’s dwelling was in the Great Sea. And he was a big fish that continually circled the Great Sea, from one end to the other. And he was mighty and he grew old, until he swallowed up all the other fish in that sea. And then he released them, and they were thriving and filled with all of the very best of the world. And it was in his power to swim across the entire sea in one instant. And He pulled him out and hauled him in with an arrow, like a warrior, and brought him to the place that I told you about, to the tower that soars in the air, but he returned to his place and disappeared in that sea.

90. Rabbi Elazar contemplated his words and replied: “You are the son of the Holy Source, you are the son of Rabbi Hamnuna-Saba, you are the son of the Source of the Torah, and you drive donkeys behind us!” They wept and kissed him, and continued their journey. Then he said: “If it pleases our master, let him reveal his name to us.”

(See the continuation of this chapter in Part 2 – coming soon)

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Questions I received on religion and Kabbalah:

Question: Maybe things should be made easier for people who are interested in studying the wisdom of Kabbalah (both Jews and gentiles) by telling them that at the end of the correction process, there is a connection between one’s actions and spirituality. This is the wholeness of Pardes – Judaism (the actions) and Kabbalah (spirituality), and sooner or later this will become the only way of life for the entire corrected society. With all due respect, it’s a fact that you behave as an observant Jew, just like your Rav, Rabash and his Rav before him, Baal HaSulam, and everyone else since the very beginning of the holy generations.

My Answer: I will say it again: the observance of rituals with our body in this world is no more than a tradition, whereas Kabbalah speaks about the correction of the soul’s desires. No one will have to observe the mechanical commandments on purpose. Rather, people will only have to do the spiritual observance of the commandments – in their desire. This is how we will become similar to the Creator. It won’t be done mechanically, because the Creator does not have arms or legs! We have to correct the soul. Study Baal HaSulam’s articles on the body and soul. There he explains that we cannot correct the soul using the body.

Nevertheless, it is good to follow traditions, including the religious ones, in order to keep a framework for our cultural and social existence on earth. I can’t lie to people who are interested in Kabbalah just like I can’t lie to Kabbalah’s opponents.

Question: Where does Baal HaSulam say that one must become secular on the inside? Your arguments make perfect sense, yet you seem not to trust people to be able to fulfill the commandments externally and to work with the intention (Kavanah) internally in a Kabbalistic manner. Your teachers before you and all previous Kabbalists did just this, am I correct? Why then tell people to stop being religious?

My Answer: I never told anyone to stop being religious, just like I never told anyone the reverse! In “The Future Generation,” Baal HaSulam writes that in the corrected society of the future, every person can keep his religion. This shows what the true definition of religion is – it’s a culture, and no more than that. Everyone will recognize and accept it as such when the Creator will be revealed within them. People will remove from religion anything relating to the Creator, the world to come, and reward and punishment for corporeal life.

It’s because everything becomes immediately perceived in “this world,” in the present, right now, and there is no “other world,” or some world “on the other side.” There is nothing but the real, present states. “On the other side” means on the other side of egoism. Change egoism to its opposite, and you will perceive the world on the other side.

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Four questions I received on the breaking of the common soul, the Star of David, respect for sports stadiums, and self acceptance:

Question: Is it possible for the common soul of Adam to break again after the souls unite?

My Answer: No, which is why it’s called “the full correction” (Gmar Tikkun).

Question: Can you explain the Kabbalistic meaning of the Star of David?

My Answer: The two triangles represent the descent of the souls from above downward and their ascent from below upward. The fact that they overlap stands for the Creator’s particular and general governance of Malchut (David).

Question: While browsing through the Kabbalah website, I found a story about how you drove past a sports stadium with Rabash, and he commented that we have to respect this place because it gives a lot of pleasure to many people. How can a place like that be respected if the people there don’t have any desire for the Creator, and their entire desire and pleasure are just primitive egoism?

My Answer: A sports stadium is the Creator’s way of giving pleasure to the masses, and we have to respect everything that comes from the Creator, if it does not hurt one’s neighbor.

Question: Dear Rav, does the notion of self acceptance work with your teaching? It strikes me that it is necessary to renounce one’s self if one is ever to advance. Is that so?

My Answer: Accept yourself the way the Creator made you – deformed, in order to then justify the way He created you and the world. One does this by gradually revealing one’s oppositeness to the Creator, and then correcting it – transforming it to similarity to Him.

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

61. Rabbi Shimon said: “How much effort should man exert in the Torah day and night, for the Creator is stern to those who draw near Him. And with every word that man attains by his efforts in the Torah, he builds a firmament.”

62. When the Torah is renewed by one’s mouth (the Light of Hochma is revealed in the Masach of Peh de Rosh), that renewal (new correction) ascends and appears before the Creator (in the World of Infinity). And the Creator (the general Light of Hochma) accepts this wisdom (the newly revealed Light of Hochma), kisses it (joins with it), and adorns it with seventy adornments (Sefirot of the soul’s body). And the renewed wisdom (the Light of Hochma) ascends and settles on the head of the righteous that revive the worlds, and then flies, soaring through 70,000 worlds, until it ascends to Atik, the Sefira Keter. And all that exists in Atik is concealed, Supernal Wisdom.

63. And this hidden wisdom, which is renewed here in this world, ascends and joins with Partzuf Atik, enters 18 worlds, where “No eye has seen the Creator besides you.” The souls emerge from there and appear before Atik, complete and perfect. Meanwhile, Atik adorns them with 370,000 adornments – and the wisdom is transformed into a firmament.

64. And thus, man’s every correction in this world creates firmaments, the new Heavens, which appear before Partzuf Atik – they are “renewed firmaments,” concealed by Supernal Wisdom. And all the other parts of the Torah that are not renewed by means of Supernal Wisdom appear before the Creator, ascend and become “the lands of life” (Artzot HaChaim). They then descend and adorn the land – and out of all the renewed a new land comes into being.

65. It is written, “When the new land and the new Heavens, which I make.” It is written “I make,” in present tense, for they are made from revealing the secrets of the Torah. And it is written of this: “And I shall place it in your mouth, and in the shadow of your hands’ garments, that I may take the Heavens (renewed by the Torah), and lay the foundations of the land.”

66. What is the meaning of “in the shadow of your hands’ garments”? – When the Torah was passed to Moshe, thousands of angels appeared so as to raze him with the flames of their mouths. But the Creator protected him. So now, when the renewal in the Torah ascends and appears before the Creator, He protects it and shelters the one who performed it, so as to prevent the angels from finding out and envying him, until new Heaven and earth are made out of this renewal in the Torah. Hence, it is said, “To take the Heavens and lay the foundations of the land from the shadow of your hands’ garments.”

67. The Creator said to these gates and to the words of the Torah, renewed by Him: “Who are you with? You are my partners. Just as I make the Heavens and the earth with My words, as it is written, ‘By the Creator’s word were the Heavens made,’ so you create new Heavens and earth by your (correction) labor in the Torah.”

68. However, if the renewal of the Torah by one who does not even know what he is saying, creates a firmament, then one who does not aspire to reveal the secrets of the Torah, all that he renews ascends, and the reverse side of man (the male part of the impure force), and the false tongue (from Nukva of the impure force, called Tehom Raba – great abyss), and the reversed man skips 500 Parsaot (measures of distance) to receive this renewal of the Torah, takes it and makes a false firmament out of it, called Tohu (abyss).

69. The reversed man then flies across the empty firmament, traversing 6,000 Parsaot, stops, an impure woman emerges, who supports this empty firmament, she leaves it and slays hundreds of thousands, for she receives the power to fly and traverse the whole world in an instant.

70. It is written of it: “Do not facilitate fruitless transgression.” Transgression is related to the male part. The impure Nukva (the female force) draws the male impure part to fruitlessness. And then, as a result, a transgression is committed, as the male part draws the souls towards this Nukva, who grows strong and slays people. And many does she slay thereby. And who is it that caused all this? It is those that study the Torah, but do not attain “Ohrah and Morah” – Light and bestowal!

71. Rabbi Shimon said to his friends, “I beg of you not to utter any discernments from the Torah, so that they don’t hear from the Great Tree of Truth. Do not assist the impure Nukva in slaying people. They all opened and mouthed: “Save us, O Merciful One!”

72. Come and see, the Creator created the whole world by the Torah. And He looked into the Torah four times before He created the world. This should show people how not to err.

73. Opposite these four times, the Creator saw, counted, prepared, and investigated what He had created. Even before He had created it. It is therefore written, “In the beginning the Creator Et (article)” – four words, corresponding to the four above. And then, it is written: “Heaven” – opposite all four words, for the Creator looked into the Torah before He began to manifest His thought into reality.

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A question I received: I have a question about the sages of the past. I have heard you mention that they used to sleep on the ground and restrict themselves in many ways. I was wondering why this was so, because we learn that only the Light can change us and also that Kabbalah forbids things such as starving ourselves, running away to a monastery, and so on. The way they behaved in the past seems just like Eastern teachings.

My Answer: It’s because the development of egoism (which determines all human development) is a process, and back then egoism was developed only on a small level. To attain correction, it was sufficient to limit oneself physically and study the Torah, as Baal HaSulam writes in the “Introduction to Talmud Eser Sefirot“: “Eat bread with salt, drink little water, sleep on the ground, and labor in the Torah. If so you do, happy you will be; happy in this world and happy in the world to come.” This shows that no one revoked the correction by the Upper Light, because initially it is written: “I created egoism and I created the Torah for its correction, because its Light returns one to Me.”

However, later, during the destruction of the Temple (about 2,000 years ago), there was a sudden jump in the development of egoism, and people fell into egoism (the Temple was destroyed). Kabbalists then performed a special correction in the system of the Upper Worlds that govern us, so that instead of using restrictions, we would also use the Upper Light (Ohr Makif).

Hence, when a person with great egoism fasts (limits himself), then he usually begins to take pride in his actions and moves away from the goal even more. He thinks that by increasing the limitations and the details of observance, he will become more righteous. This is why Kabbalists completely canceled the outer, physical conditions, actions and limitations, and by so doing they moved away from religion even more. This was done because a person can get confused and think that physical actions amount to correction.

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Questions I received on distracting thoughts, the desires of others, the right focus, and how to ask questions:

Question: What do Kabbalists do with distracting thoughts and the constant chatter that goes on in the brain?

My Answer: Get more involved in studying and writing articles. And it’s best to do this with others. It is written: “Regardless of how much the Serpent stings you, study the Torah.”

Question: We’re supposed to attach others’ desires to us, but which desires? When we make actions of bestowal, we are actually fulfilling the egoistic desires of others, so we’re in fact developing their egoism.

My Answer: “Others” are your friends in the group who understand your actions and also behave this way toward you. In order to reveal the Creator, it is necessary to create a common desire for Him. That is to say, in order to reveal the property of love and bestowal, it’s necessary to combine the desires of every person together into a common desire.

The sensation of the common desire for bestowal and love is the Creator’s manifestation in us! It brings the feeling of perfection, eternity, and harmony. However, when you are with others who don’t have a point in the heart, you have to behave just like they do.

Question: If the Creator became distanced and concealed from us in order to correct us, then in the process of returning to Him, should we be thinking and aspiring for attainment and revelation, or for correction?

My Answer: These are the same, since one acquires the property of love and bestowal.

Question: At one of your lessons you said that you want to teach us to ask questions correctly. Sometimes you tell your students that they’re “smart alecs.” So what does it mean to ask a question during the lesson? What should the question be?

My Answer: A question has to be exactly on the lesson’s topic, in order to help all the friends understand the topic better. It shouldn’t be something that interests only the person asking it.

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A question I received: I have been studying Kabbalah for a long time and I really enjoy it. I am also writing a book that examines Kabbalah from different perspectives. I have a million questions for you, but will start with just one: would it be good to restore royal government in Russia?

My Answer: I have been receiving many letters from my students in the entire Caucasus region because of the recent events happening there. Even though I don’t usually get involved in politics or think in corporeal terms, as if something is actually happening here, nevertheless I will talk about this in regular language in order to show how the Upper Forces reflect in our actions.

The Russian people are smart, sensitive, and even special in heart and mind, but they aren’t able to govern themselves (as the Russian saying goes: “The master will come and decide what to do”). They weren’t able to do it over the course of their entire history. The only period when Russia prospered was when it was governed by the tsars – from Peter the Great until the last tsar.

Most of these tsars weren’t Russian, but came from the West, and they directed Russia toward the Western path of development. During that time almost all of Russia’s ministers, as well as Russian culture, were “Western.” And this didn’t impede Russia’s development, but rather facilitated the development of Russian culture, literature, and industry – the foundation of Russia, which was created in the nineteenth century. In essence, Russia was built by Europe, but instead of being suppressed by Western influence, Russian culture, Orthodoxy, and science developed beautifully!

Hence, Russia’s present separation from Europe is suicide for it! Russia should imitate the European parliament and government to the letter, with the help of experienced European specialists, the way it did during Tsarist Russia. It cannot manage on its own, since it lacks the experience of the West, whose history and development go back thousands of years. By showcasing its exclusivity, Russia goes against the Upper Force. Hence, this country will once again develop unsuccessfully.

Incidentally, the Jews in Israel have the opposite problem: they are striving to be like the West, but according to their Upper Goal they must strive to create a spiritual society and become an example for the entire world. This is why the Upper Force is against them.

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A question I received: In one of your lessons you said, “To be kind means to give people spiritual food.” What is spiritual food?

My Answer: Spiritual food is the Light, that which corrects one’s soul and fills it. It’s because the only things in existence are the Light and the soul. The Light influences the soul, correcting or filling it according to the soul’s desire. If the soul is healthy, then the body will be healthy as well, but not vise versa – see the “Introduction to the Book of Zohar,” item 19:

“But this agony is felt only by the shell of our body, created only to be perished and buried. And that teaches us that the will to receive for oneself is created only to be eradicated, abolished from the world and turned into a will to bestow. And the pains we suffer are but discoveries of its nothingness and the harm in it.

Indeed, when all human beings agree to abolish and eradicate their will to receive for themselves, and have no other desire but to bestow upon their friends, all worries and jeopardy in the world will cease to exist. And we will all be assured of a healthy and complete life, since for each and every one of us there will be a whole world ready to satisfy his every need.

Indeed, when everyone has only the will to receive for himself, from here originate the pains, the wars and slaughter which we cannot escape. They weaken our bodies with all sorts of sores and maladies and you find that all the agonies in our world are but manifestations that are offered to our eyes, so as to push us to annul the evil shell of the body and take on the complete form of the will to bestow. And it is as we’ve said, that the Path of Pain in itself can bring us to the desired form.”

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