Two questions I received about the soul

Question: You say that there are only 600,000 souls, or in other words, 600,000 fragments of the soul of Adam. But today there are 6.7 billion people in the world. Does this mean that over six billion people don’t have a soul? I hope you can clear this up for me.

My Answer: 600,000 is the number of initial fragments, but after that they are fragmented again into whatever number is necessary for the optimal correction in each generation – so that each fragment will have as much egoism as it’s able to correct. Therefore, to the degree that egoism grows, the world’s population grows as well.

Question: As I understand it, the higher a soul was in the spiritual world, the lower it fell after the breaking. So whatever seems to us as being the lowest will become the highest after correction. If this assumption is correct, does it mean that the people who hate Kabbalah now will become the highest souls after correction?

My Answer: No, since this doesn’t indicate that their souls fell to a very low level, but it only indicates people’s opinions, which they were taught from childhood (Girsa de Yankuta). These people don’t have souls at all yet. The soul emerges from the point in the heart (the desire for spirituality) and develops from it only under the influence of the Upper Light, which shines upon a person only during Kabbalah studies, and in our generation only while studying the works of Baal HaSulam and Rabash. You can’t tell anything about one’s soul by looking at external expressions of one’s thoughts, desires and actions. Those people do not have a soul yet. It is concealed from you, since you – the observer – aren’t able to “see” the spiritual structures. You should therefore relate to everyone equally, seeing them as people who are being controlled and who need help in becoming spiritually independent.

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Two questions I received on approaching college studies

Question: I am a postgraduate student and I think that writing my thesis and mastering scientific skills could help me in the future with regard to disseminating Kabbalah, i.e. by helping include it in the scientific realm. However, I cannot actively get involved in such a job. The thought of worthlessness and incorrectness of all scientific research and fruitless theories is bugging me, and writing a thesis necessitates me to learn and know a bundle of stupidities. How can I motivate myself? Is it really needed for dissemination?

My Answer: If one has spiritual aspirations, and is confident that they are serious, long term and supported by his spouse, then this person needs to master a profession which will allow him to support his family, and then pursue spirituality, the soul’s correction. However, since you are already at postgraduate level, I would advise you to complete it, and then find a quiet job according your specialization, and dive into Kabbalah.

Question: I would like to know how long the feelings of emptiness and loneliness will last. How can I explain to my parents that I don’t want to go to college, that I don’t want anything except to study Kabbalah?

My Answer: Actually, Kabbalah obligates a person to get a job, get married and only then study Kabbalah. This world was created in complete harmony with the Upper World. If you use it contrary to the way the Creator provided it, you will not be able to attain equivalence with Him.

The order of resolving life’s problems is as follows:
* Specialization
* Job
* Wedding
* Kabbalah!!!

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Questions I received on life in the Upper Worlds

Question: What is “heaven” from Kabbalah’s point of view?

My Answer: Heaven is the Light of Hochma. The “Garden” is Malchut. Malchut filled with the Light of Hochma is called the Garden of Eden. In this state Malchut is the Malchut of the World of Atzilut for the souls.

In other words, the Garden of Eden refers to a place (or a state) where the souls are filled with the Light of Hochma. Stated simply, the Garden of Eden is Malchut of the World of Atzilut. The Upper Garden of Eden is Bina of the World of Beria, and the Lower Garden of Eden is Yesod de Malchut of the World of Assiya. Of course, this bears no relation to people’s regular notions about heaven and its inhabitants. In spirituality there is no space, images, sounds and etc., but only forces unclothed by matter. The soul is a desire. To the degree that it’s equivalent to the Creator, to the quality of bestowal and love, it becomes filled with the sensation of the Creator, the sensation of this quality within itself. This sensation is called “heaven,” and there’s no heaven besides it.

Question: Does a person use the system of ABYA de Kedusha even before the Machsom?

My Answer: This system only starts after the Machsom. See the “Introduction to the Book of Zohar” where it speaks about the attainment of Malchut de Assiya.

Question: After the breaking of the vessels (Shevirat ha Kelim) in the World of Nekudim, how did the Parsa reinforce itself to avoid breaking again?

My Answer: In order to receive the Light, it’s necessary to ascend from BYA to Atzilut – this is one of the Parsa’s reinforcements.

Question: Why is Ein Sof (Infinity) surrounded by Igulim (circles)?

My Answer: Because everyone is equal and there are no limitations.

Question: In Kabbalah, are there things like the devil and other evil forces, or are these just metaphors for egoism?

My Answer: The only thing that was created is desire. Its different, particular forms have different names. My sensations of myself and of my surroundings are also desires or forces, but we perceive them as vectors on a TV screen, as pictures. In reality, the only things that exist are the force of reception (creation) and the force of bestowal (the Creator). They depict the entire picture we see. When we attain these forces, we are immediately freed from the illusion of the visible picture of the world, and therefore, Kabbalah describes our world as being imaginary and dreamlike.

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Lesson: The General Structure of the Worlds [03-10-2004] – Transcript

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Two questions I received on bestowing upon one’s neighbor

Question: I’ ve been studying with you, and I just don’t have the words to express my gratitude. It’s as if you take each of us by the hand and lead us to realize where we are. With your help, I’ve merited attaining a small but unmistakable glow, and working together with you.

I’d like to ask you the following: Suppose that I receive for the sake of bestowal, and the more I enjoy, the more I bestow. Or in other words, the more Light I reveal with the intention, the more I bestow. If I want to pass the Light on to my neighbor, and the Light has to go through me, through the Guf of my Partzuf, to my neighbor, so that more Light will be revealed in him than in me, then in order for this to happen, do I have to reveal more Light in the Guf of my Partzuf, or can it also happen without me revealing it, since I don’t want anything for myself except correction?

My Answer: Everything will happen automatically if you will think (and accordingly act) about everyone’s connection together into one Partzuf, and you desire and act for it to be filled, like the Creator. In this case, this Partzuf becomes filled with Light. And then you’ll perceive not only the Light of fulfillment, but also the pleasure of those whom you have fulfilled. The latter is a different kind of Light. It’s like a mother who perceives her children’s fulfillment, rather than what she fulfills them with. However, the Light that you pass to them also fulfills you, as it is written: “Every person who asks for his neighbor, receives first.”

Question: Suppose that a person has started perceiving the influence of the Upper Light and how to bring his neighbor to the same perception using the simplest words and notions – is this possible? If yes, then wouldn’t he be stealing his neighbor’s individual attainment? After all, he’s making the task easier for him, since the main thing is to start perceiving?

My Answer: It is written in the Torah: “Go and earn from one another” – all of us together need to adapt the harmony of the common mechanism of Adam, the common soul. By oneself, a person can never attain even a single spiritual state. It’s because, in essence, all of them are an even greater connection between the souls, the restoration of our breaking of the single soul of Adam into billions of pieces or souls. And everything has been prepared for you by the Kabbalists and by your friends. You’ve arrived when everything has already been prepared for you. Maybe you don’t feel it, but the entire world has been prepared for you by all the previous generations, and then you appeared in it as a baby. It is written: “Love thy neighbor as thyself,” and this is how you should act, in order to help others in the same way that you want to be helped. However, you shouldn’t do this coercively, but the way you would treat a child – show them the sources, introduce them to the foundations, and then leave it to them to understand themselves, their path, and Kabbalah.

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Two questions I received on Kabbalistic texts

Question: I understand that Kabbalah is focused on changing life. But I can’t find instructions on how to integrate all the other fundamental texts, such as Humash, Mishnah, Talmud, Halachot, and others. How do you use them? Do we even need them? And how do we put it all into perspective?

My Answer: Once you learn Kabbalah, then when you will read other sources you will begin to understand that they all speak about spirituality or the Creator alone. That is to say, they are also Kabbalah, only written in a different style! For example, right now I posted an abbreviated translation of the Torah weekly chapter. Why? Because in this book, the greatest Kabbalist of all times, Moses, describes the ascent of man’s soul along the 125 steps of the ladder of similarity to the Creator. We must now realize this ascent – all of us together and each one of us individually – uniting more and more on every level, so that at the end of the ascent, we will become the single soul of Adam. No other source explains about this path so precisely and in so much detail!

The Zohar is a commentary on the Torah. Our next step is to gradually start studying The Book of Zohar through this blog, and then we will begin to see what was really passed down to us in the Torah. Then, after the Torah (Humash), we will also be able to learn Mishnah, Talmud, and Halachot in this manner. All of these books only speak about the correction of man, his soul, or the egoistic desire – Yetzer Ra – that was created by the Creator. And after that, the Torah (Tavlin) was given, only for its correction. Those who don’t feel egoism within themselves don’t study the Torah. They read an “empty” text instead of the text that Moshe gave them. You will be able to correctly “integrate” all of these books only after you properly attune yourself to using holy books (holiness is something that brings you to the property of holiness – love and bestowal).

Question: When I studied Kabbalah in college, a book titled Sefer HaBahir was mentioned many times, but you don’t mention this book on your website or at your lessons. Did this book ever exist?

My Answer: Yes, the book Sefer HaBahir exists. However, we mainly study the works of Baal HaSulam, who was the last Kabbalist and therefore is the most suitable for the correction of our souls. In addition to his works, we also study the works of Rabash, Ramchal, and Tanach.

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The Torah. The Book Bamidbar. Chapter Baalotkha (abridged)

And G-d said to Moses: “Tell Aaron: when you light the lamps, seven lamps shall turn their light to the front of the Menorah.” And the structure of the Menorah is as follows: it is forged from a single ingot of pure gold, to its very foundation. According to the image that G-d showed to Moses.”

And G-d said to Moses: “Take the Levites out of the environment of the children of Israel and purify them: sprinkle them with purifying water, let them shave their bodies and cleanse their garments and purify themselves. And you shall lead the Levites to the Tent of Revelation, and you shall gather the entire community of the children of Israel. And the Levites shall come before G-d, and the children of Israel shall lay their hands on the Levites. And Aaron shall devote the Levites to G-d on behalf of the children of Israel, so they shall serve G-d. Thus you will separate the Levites from the environment of the children of Israel and the Levites shall become Mine.” [Read more →]

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A question I received: In one of the lessons you said that in the full correction, only souls, not bodies, are taken into account, and it could be that out of the seven billion people living in the world, only seven of them will attain the full correction! How is this supposed to mean that the Creator is good and does good, if He lets people reach total correction at the price of total annihilation! And I’m supposed to feel good and justify the death of those close to me!? Is this what you call “good and does good”!? And at the same time, you also express sadness that your teacher, Rabash, has passed away; I see how you talk about Rabash with your eyes closed, and I am in awe from how much you love him.

My Answer: There is a law by which the program of creation’s correction becomes realized (the Reshimot from the fall of the separated spiritual souls, from the descent of the worlds). When we willingly incorporate ourselves into this law, it feels absolutely comfortable, but to the degree we don’t conform to the realization of the plan of creation’s correction, we feel suffering, to the point of the destruction of bodies. It is impossible to destroy the souls, but by decreasing the number of bodies, the souls unite together (many small souls unite into a few large souls), not through our efforts, but through suffering (the destruction of bodies). The Creator desires goodness – to bring us to similarity to Him. Read Baal HaSulam’s article “The Essence of Religion and Its Purpose,” which explains that our development is purposeful, and the Creator does not consider intermediate states, but only the final state! And I don’t grieve for Rabash, I’m always with him! It’s not something that happened in the past, but now, and I am grateful to the Creator for such a teacher and intermediary between me and the Creator.

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The 15th issue of the Kabbalah Today publication is now available.

* View eVersion
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Editor’s Note
Shedding Spiritual Light on Modern Crises

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Mankind’s Growing Hunger
The current food crisis has been declared a ‘silent tsunami’ in recent headlines. Kabbalah explains the root of the problem, and shows us how to avert this growing threat.
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The Gatekeeper
Who is the guard standing at the entrance to the spiritual world who decides who shall enter and who shall not? A journey following Kafka, Baal Hasulam, two parables, and one gate.
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Education, Relationships, Angels and the 72 Names of God
Kabbalist Michael Laitman answers questions on his weekly live TV show, “Ask the Kabbalist” and on his personal blog – www.laitman.com
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Global Warming: So What?
With the abundant information available to the mass public today, everyone knows about global warming and climate change. But as it turns out, knowing and caring do not always go hand in hand.
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From Racial Rifts to Spiritual Harmony
Why were we all created different? So far, this seems to have brought us nothing but schisms. Kabbalah explains how to put the pieces together.
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The Story of Cogwheels
This is a story about all of us – about children and parents, about where we came from, how we got here, and how we will return Home – to a place called “The Single Soul.”
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Opening Our Eyes
All of reality is a single, unchanging thought of bestowal and giving. Kabbalists refer to this thought by the name, “The Thought of Creation.”
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A question I received: What is death and how can a person stop being afraid of it?

My Answer: When a person identifies himself with the animate level (the body), then he is afraid of its death, since he also sees this as the end of his “I’s” existence. But if he’s already begun identifying himself with the soul, that is to say, he generally begins perceiving himself in his inner life, he feels his “I” beyond the animate level (the body), he perceives himself through the point in the heart, unites with the points of others and starts living in others, then he attains the state of confidence (of course, under the influence of Ohr Makif), and knows that even if the physical body will die, he has already acquired a new, spiritual body! And at the moment of death he perceives his physical body as if he is being undressed and is parting with it. In general, it’s a psychological problem. It’s because one feels oneself as living in the body – in one’s desires. The main solution lies in interacting in the group. It’s because when you start perceiving the desires of others (your “neighbors”) instead of your own desires, then you acquire an eternal body or desire outside of you.

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A question I received: Dear Rav Laitman, could you please explain how does Kabbalah treat marriage and differences in perception between husband and wife? Kabbalah has already explained a great deal to me. Does Kabbalah treat a relationship between husband and wife as a sacred one or is it up to one`s desire to decide whether to follow the path? Thank you for helping us to understand what was considered “a secret.”

My Answer: “Sacred” is the quality of bestowal, which we acquire under the influence of the Light of Correction (Ohr Makif), when we correctly study Kabbalah (the books of Baal HaSulam). There is no other sacredness! It’s written: “There is no coercion in spirituality.” In corporeality, coercion originates from egoism. But it cannot exist in the spiritual world and in spiritual actions.

Every person has his own path and his own time to come to the Creator, and therefore you don’t have the right to force anyone to do this, including your husband and children. You can only tell them about it without pressuring them, “by the way,” gently, without threatening them, and evoking love for this topic in them. And no matter what the result, you should continue with your family life just like before.

Uniting with everyone who aspires toward the Creator will give you the strength and the desire to attain Him. You should view your relatives as bodies that are related to you, and as souls that are foreign to you.

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