Question: How was Rabash able to describe the states that a person goes through?

Answer: This is the path of every soul. It’s just that the soul of Rabash was granted the ability to write about this.

In the past, souls went through the same states and attained even higher levels. In the Torah, Moses described the entire path with all of its details, you just don’t see them.

Then Rabash came and brought the explanations to a lower level, expressing them in a language we understand – the language of feelings. Baal HaSulam also describes the same states, but using the language of Light and desire, two forces.

The human body reacts to different substances. One of them makes me excited, another calms me down, and yet another makes me feel happy. Here, too, we are talking about spiritual components that awaken you. First and foremost, it is feelings, which are then ordered, measured, and systematized according to the laws of interaction between the Lights and vessels.

Rabash writes about the things present in spiritual life, similar to how you would describe your breakfast: half a tomato, a quarter of a cucumber, bread, cheese, butter, coffee with sugar, and so on. When people hear about this, they feel the same thing you felt.

The difference is that the spiritual description is experienced much more deeply and in more detail: exactly what kind of cheese, what kind of milk was it produced from, what kind of cow did it come from, who made it, who sold it, what kind of knife was used to cut it, what kind of knife was used to spread it onto the bread, and so on. You understand all of this.

But most importantly, inside all of this, you reveal the importance of the Giver. All of these components help you to attain Him. This is the revelation of the Creator to creation.
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From the 1^st part of the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 9/20/10, “The Greatness of a Person Depends on His Faith in the Future”

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Baal HaSulam was rewarded with very high spiritual attainment. However, he was pleading with the Creator to lower him from his spiritual level in order to pass the wisdom of Kabbalah down to the people. The most profound factor that helped him to accomplish this was the inclusion of the ARI’s soul (Ibur Neshama) in him. The entire method of the wisdom of Kabbalah regarding the last stage of correction descends to us from the ARI. It explains how to exit the fourth and last exile to the complete spiritual redemption.

Therefore, as soon as the ARI’s method was revealed, no true Kabbalist studied any other books written before the ARI. In response to his request, Baal HaSulam was granted by the Creator the revelation of the soul of the ARI within him. This is what allowed him to write the Sulam Commentary on The Book of Zohar and The Study of Ten Sefirot, the commentary on all of the ARI’s works that describe the structure of the spiritual world.

No Kabbalist that came before him was able to describe the method of the “three lines” of the soul’s correction. As it stands, the entire Torah is the middle line; mutual guarantee is the middle line. Our major work and the revelation of the Creator to us lie in the middle line. Hence, exposing the method of working in the middle line is spiritual salvation for us.

There is no Kabbalist to match the ARI who discovered this method, and there is no Kabbalist to match Baal HaSulam who passed it down and explained to us how to work with it. This is why his books are the source of Light for us.
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From the 4^th part of the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 9/16/10, Yahrtzeit Baal HaSulam

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Those who are called “Isra-El” (striving to the Creator) advance by their own individual work and separately from the rest of humanity. This is on account of the Reshimot that have awakened within them and the Creator wishing to bring them closer to Himself.

They enter a special process called the revelation of the soul (the Creator or spirituality which is one and the same). Step by step, they have to gradually uncover the continuous process that every person needs to go through in accordance with the speed with which their Reshimot are realized.

We can only accelerate this process, not change it. We can hasten our development if, by using all the means possible, we process our states faster and more correctly. We do not change the states themselves or the order in which they come. Our only freedom is to make use of the study and the connection between us in order to enhance our awareness and sensitivity so as to understand these states faster and justify them.

By being prepared for these states, we make them pass at a faster rate and thereby build a different attitude toward them. Then, we perceive every state positively and with understanding. Other than our attitude to what’s happening to us, we are absolutely powerless to change or influence anything.

Our attitude to all the states that we perceive and undergo (which, obviously, come from the Creator) constitutes our intention. The intention is my attitude to my sensations and to their Source for “there is none else beside Him.”

From the 1st part of the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 9/16/10, “What is the Matter of Sufferings in the Work”

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Rabash writes, “My father Baal HaSulam promised us that by following his path and carrying out his advice, we will merit eternal life from the Creator, adhesion to Him.” Rabash himself reached a high level of spiritual attainment by using only the works and the advice of his father. Evidently, there is no other practical means for our generation to reveal the Upper world except for the writings of Baal HaSulam. His soul is especially close to us since we value a person according to how he benefits us.

We don’t compare the levels of the Kabbalists: Moses, Rashbi, the ARI, Baal HaSulam, and Rabash. To receive an eternal, spiritual life we depend on the souls that preceded us: Rabash and Baal HaSulam. It’s similar to how a mother is of the most importance to her child. Of course there are many elevated souls, but we can only unite with the spiritual system through Rabash and Baal HaSulam.

From the 4th part of the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 9/16/10, Lesson for Commemoration of Baal HaSulam’s Passing Day

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When we read The Book of Zohar, we try to create a common space where we aspire to connect our points in the heart. This is the meaning of “studying the Torah.” It’s impossible to "study the Torah" without such an intention.

The point in the heart is “Israel.” "Isra-El" translates as “aspiring to the Creator.” Through the study, we want to attain the Torah: the Light that corrects us. Then, we reveal the Creator in the connection between us. In that connection and, accordingly, in revealing the Creator, there are 125 degrees, or 5 worlds, 5 Lights of NaRaNHaY.

Our world is the total lack of connection from which we commence our efforts to unify. The end point of unification between us is called the “World of Infinity.”

This is how the entire system of the common Soul, called Adam Ha Rishon, Shechina, or Malchut of Infinity is revealed. The form of this spiritual vessel (Kli) is called “the Creator” (Kadosh Baruch Hu): the quality of love and bestowal.

Everything exists within this system. The entire science of Kabbalah speaks only of how to reveal the Creator in accordance with the law of equivalence of form, as it is written, “From love of the created beings to love of the Creator.” By uniting together, we create a system between us which matches the Upper Force of bestowal.

This is the picture we must always have in our heads when we read The Book of Zohar. I must always check where I am on this ladder of connection between us, what The Zohar speaks of right now, whether I want to unite with others or I resist, and what is it that’s stopping me. The whole time I think of one thing only: how I (Israel) am connected with the others through a force which unites us (the Torah). Within our correct connection, I reveal the true quality of bestowal: the Creator.

From the 2nd part of the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 9/14/10, The Zohar

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Question: What is the difference between the Light that we try to attract from The Zohar and the Light which nullifies us and turns us into the animate level?

Answer: There is only one Light, but the way it is expressed depends on us. It’s like electricity, which either cools or heats something depending on what you connect to it.

How the Light becomes expressed depends on a person’s preparation, but the Light itself does not change; neither its intensity changes, nor its nature. It is written that the Creator remains at rest, He is “Good, who does good,” the World of Infinity.

The system of the souls’ connection, which was created by the Creator in the World of Infinity becomes revealed to me gradually, step by step. The nature of its revelation depends on my preparation, my attitude toward this process, whether I desire it or not.

When I see the process as desirable since it brings me closer to the Creator and this is the most important thing to me, then I feel that “I am my beloved’s and He is mine.” This means that I am always in a state of ascent; I am righteous because I justify all of the Creator’s actions. I am in the World of Infinity, at peace.

However, if I desire to be closer to Him only when it benefits me, then my love depends on what I receive. This means that I go from ascents to descents depending on the way I feel, and for this reason I am a sinner. I depend on the conditions, not on love. Everything changes, sometimes for better and sometimes for worse. Thus, what changes is not the Light, but myself: my attitude towards my Beloved.

We can see this through a famous example: a young lady (the soul, Shechina, Malchut) strives to be with her destitute beloved (Zeir Anpin, the Creator) for the sake of love above any calculations, while her family (egoistic relatives, Klipot) are against this union, and they offer her another suitor, one who is wealthy and cares only about fulfillment where everything is calculated.

From the 2nd part of the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 9/15/10, The Zohar

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In a few days we will observe a special day called Yom Kippur (Day of Atonement). However, no one knows what inner state a Kabbalist will feel on that day and when the state called “Day of Atonement” will happen for him. One’s inner states do not occur according to the calendar.

The states that any person goes through can be personal or general. On the general level, people follow the common traditions of each holiday. When a group of Kabbalists reaches unity and through it achieves a certain internal state called a “holiday,” that state will not be related to the general holiday observed by all people. The inner holiday happens in accordance with one’s personal, internal state, whereas a general holiday takes place according to the calendar. Traditions and customs, as well as every single “specific” day, have a higher spiritual root. Therefore, a Kabbalist also wishes to follow the tradition together with others, as it is written: “The Creator stays with His people.” However, at the same time, a Kabbalist also remains in his own personal internal state.

Religious people follow customs and traditions, whereas Kabbalists perform inner actions in their souls by connecting to other souls into one common soul of Adam. By doing so, they please the Creator and correct themselves. Correction is possible only by way of uniting with others, as it is written: “Love thy neighbor as thyself, this is the great law of the Torah.”

People all over the world pray to the Creator (each of them addressing their Lord) and request “forgiveness.” But maybe it is worth explaining to them that repentance works only in respect to “love thy neighbor” and depends on whether you are “for it” or “against it.” We can figure out whether we sinned or not only by comparing ourselves to this rule. This is the only law we have to follow, as it is written: “Love thy neighbor as thyself is the main rule of the Torah.”

If the whole of humankind would virtually get together in order to clarify what is “love thy neighbor,” how powerfully the Creator demands it from us, and how far we still are from this state, that would be a real Day of Atonement (Yom Kippur) and it would lead us to Purim (in Hebrew “Kippur” means “as Purim”), the complete correction.

When people pray for forgiveness, it is very important for them to know what to ask for. We weep and beg for so many years, but it doesn’t help. The Creator cannot hear our prayers in this form. That’s because this kind of appeal is opposite to the correct cry: We are not begging to feel love for our neighbors, and the Creator doesn’t listen to any other requests. Thus, we turn our back to the One who can redeem us and scream in the opposite direction. This is what most people’s Day of Atonement is like.

From the 4^th part of the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 9/14/10, “Preparation for Slichot“

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Question: If we are advancing in the darkness, then how can we orient ourselves in order to go through all the phases of spiritual work and reach the understanding that we have exhausted all our efforts so we can then ask the Creator to help us?

Answer: We do not see the Creator and cannot play with Him the way a child plays with an adult. Instead of showing Himself to us, the Creator made a playing field for us: the group of friends. For this reason, He deliberately broke the soul he created into parts. This wasn’t done so we would relate to each separate part, but so we would relate to the unity of the parts as to Him. In this way, we make the Kli similar to the Light and go from love for the creatures to love for the Creator.

Therefore, in relation to the group (but not to separate friends), I have to separate myself from all the material calculations and see "myself, the group and the Creator as one whole." I should check my state and attitude to the Creator by my attitude and state in the group. I don’t see the Creator, but I do see the friends! By concealing Himself, the Creator gives me the opportunity to build myself and become independent and equal to Him.

I desire to hit the target that hides behind the horizon, and this is possible if I have a visible reference point. If I correctly aim at it, then I will definitely hit the unseen target. This reference point for attaining the goal, the Creator, is the group which the Creator artificially created for us (and out of us) by giving us the illusion that we hate each other.

To the degree we unite, we "hit" Him more and more precisely. If we unite precisely in order to find Him, then this is the right kind of work.

From the 1st part of the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 9/15/10, “What is the Advantage that There is in Work Which is More than the  Reward”

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The key is to reveal the first point of the soul: the property of mutual guarantee. This is similar to the state of  a body awakening from unconsciousness. That is the state the broken soul exists in. Such awakening of the soul may occur only when it is impacted by the Upper Light (Ohr Makif, the Surrounding Light) and is filled with the Upper Light (Ohr Pnimi, the Inner Light).

There are questions concerning our world: What is the secret of life of the material body, and where does life come from? We could collect and connect all the necessary body tissues in a laboratory, but how do we light the spark of life in it so it may live? The source of life is not in our hands; we only manipulate the body while it is alive.

But where in the bodily tissues does life reside, the force that makes the body alive? We cannot create vegetative matter from still matter, nor can we make animals from plants, and humans from animals. That is because the life force expands from its concealed plane.

This life force can be revealed in mutual guarantee as the inner force of our oneness, if we desire to annul alienation between us and attract the force of the Creator. This life force is regarded as “the Creator.” When it becomes revealed to us, we start to understand to what extent all our previous existence has been just an outermost wrapper on this force.

From the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 9/12/10, “The Arvut (Mutual Guarantee)”

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We "descended" from the World of Infinity to this world, from the property of bestowal to the property of reception. As we descend, the property of bestowal within us is decreasing, and, accordingly, the fulfillment (the Light, the sensation of the Creator) within us is diminishing as well. This continues until we reach the state of "our world," where all traces of the Light and the spiritual vessel (the desire to bestow) disappear totally, and we find ourselves completely cut off from spirituality.

Above our world, in the worlds of Beria, Yetzira, and Assiya, there exist the broken souls, that is, the souls that sense their egoism. We need to "enter" there from our world, meaning to reveal that our souls are broken and disconnected. Afterward, we have to pass the border that separates the Worlds of BYA from the World of Atzilut (Parsa), that is, to fulfill the requirement of joining the process of correction: to wish to attain love and complete unification.

By doing so we awaken our broken souls so that they include themselves into Malchut of the World of Atzilut which initially is merely a point that exists on Hazeh (chest) of Zeir Anpin. Above Zeir Anpin, there is GAR of the World of Azilut: Atik, Arich Anpin, Aba ve Ima, and Yeshsut. Above it, we find the next border: Tabur of Galgalta, the World of Adam Kadmon, and the World of Infinity.

In our world, our souls are points. This is how a person perceives his spiritual state called "this world." Later, by attracting upon himself the Light that develops him, a person attains the sensation of himself in the worlds of BYA, that is, the sensation of the broken, egoistic desires (the states of the Egyptian exile).

From there, we need to ascend toward the Light, meaning above Parsa because it’s impossible to perform the correction in the worlds of BYA, where there is no Light of correction but rather, the Light that exposes the evil. The Worlds of BYA (a place, a state, a sensation) are intended for the realization of evil, of the broken souls, so that we reveal how bad we are and how strong the grip of the evil inclination is. Then, to the measure of this revelation, we will be able to ascend upward and connect to Malchut of the World of Atzilut.

The inclusion into Malchut of the World of Atzilut is called raising MAN, our prayer. Malchut of the World of Atzilut passes our prayer to Zeir Anpin of the World of Atzilut, and, as a result, ZON raises the MAN to Bina of the World of Atzilut. Then the Light (the Reflected Light or the Light of AB-SAG) comes from Above, corrects the connection in ZON, and fills them (ZON).

That is, we only need to raise Malchut of the World of Atzilut, Shechina, that is now in exile. Everything that exists in the Worlds of BYA are parts of this Malchut, Shechina. We need to raise our desires there. Malchut of the World of Atzilut is the "Assembly of the souls of Israel" (Israel is those who aspire "straight to the Creator"), that is, the connection of the broken desires.

Inasmuch as we are able to connect, we include ourselves into Malchut of the World of Atzilut. Surely, we cannot accomplish it ourselves; we can only ask.

Malchut passes our request about uniting to Zeir Anpin, and to this very measure reveals that she wants to connect with Him. Meanwhile, ZA has to receive the desire to connect with Malchut from Bina. And then both, ZA and Malchut (ZON) rise, each with its own desire, to Ima (Bina), which unites them.

Afterward, ZA descends to its place, gives birth to Malchut, and connects her to itself. To the extent that ZON are connected, the souls that exist in them participate in this connection and get filled from it. That is because these souls comprise the body of Malchut.

From the 3rd part of the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 9/12/10, Talmud Eser Sefirot

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