A person who consciously seeks spirituality is influenced by different developmental laws than a person who walks the natural path. It’s similar to the difference between classical physics, which deals with large material objects, and quantum physics, which studies elementary particles. The difference between them is like the difference between light and dark. Regular physics speaks of matter, while quantum physics speaks of light, because a quantum particle is a particle of light. In other words, it is a different level of nature, even though it is still within the boundaries of this world, and it differs greatly from what we are accustomed to.

With regard to spirituality, if the sparks of correction aren’t awakened within a person, he is corrected in a similar fashion as all of nature – by being incorporated inside those who do have the spiritual spark, those who aspire toward spirituality and ask the question, “What is the meaning of my life?” Some carry out the spiritual work, while others help them either by supporting or by hindering. Thus, all advance together.

That is why the science of Kabbalah must be disseminated among all people, for as long as it hasn’t in some way reached even one person, he will not participate in correction. It’s similar to how at first glance it seems that humankind bears no relation to what happens in some galaxy millions of light years away from earth. But in fact, we simply don’t yet understand just how dependent we are at the end of correction on every gram of matter, even at some distant star, because it too must be part of us in order to result in perfection, Malchut of Infinity.

This principle applies all the more so to every person in this world, even one who leads the simplest existence and doesn’t have a care about spirituality. This person, nonetheless, pertains to the process of correction to whatever extent he is able, and therefore, we must bring the knowledge of Kabbalah to him as well.

Filed under: Zohar - No Comments →

It is difficult to feel and understand what a soul is, yet Kabbalists tell us that a soul is a part of the Creator, who is the quality of bestowal. When the desire to receive pleasure assumes the form of bestowal, it begins to work as a bestowing desire. As a result, it feels similarity with the Creator, as though it is a part of Him.

Every time we feel a change within, we have a new and different soul. During each of our actions of merging with the Light, twenty-five new spiritual Partzufim, or souls, are born. So how is it possible to identify ourselves in the spiritual world? In this material world we identify ourselves by everything we currently perceive as our own, such as by our body parts (the arms, legs, head, and so on). As long as we’re alive, the same body will remain with us now and tomorrow, and the next day, and so forth.

However, what is “ours” in the spiritual world? What remains with us from the previous state if we constantly receive ten new Sefirot and a new depth (Aviut) of desire, with new qualities, a new screen, and new Light? Is there something that remains in order to feel that it’s “us” who advance instead of the birth of some other soul?

The truth is that in spirituality, every day and every instant, you are a new person. Nothing ever remains with you from the past. It is contrary to our material life. In spirituality, everything is constantly renewed, except the initial point in the heart.

Filed under: Daily Kabbalah Lesson - No Comments →

The Zohar, Chapter “BeHaalotcha (When You Mount the Candles),” Item 13: How pleasant are the words of Torah, for in each and every word are sublime secrets, and the whole Torah is called “superior.” We learned that the thirteen qualities in the Torah, meaning everything that was a part and then stopped being a part, did not stop so as to point to itself. Rather, it parted so as to teach about the whole….

In our world, we can utilize analysis and synthesis to divide the whole into separate parts and study each part separately. However, the spiritual world is like a holographic picture where each part contains the entire universe, acting as a single part only with respect to the individual. Therefore, we must always strive for the general.

Even when we attain a small part, we must understand that it contains everything. Spiritual attainment always alludes to the general, to the place of the quality studied in the general system. Without studying the general, it is impossible to study the particular.

In his article, “The Future Generation,” Baal HaSulam writes that we must create first a virtual state of Kabbalah and then a material one, which would contain all the parts of the future structure of the world – a miniature whole. Accordingly, even our internet site must be structured like a complete, whole state of Kabbalah, including everything necessary for the generation of the era of correction to communicate with one another.

This will be a small part of a new reality, but it will be absolutely whole, without a single detail forgotten. Indeed, it will only be a part of reality with respect to us while we remain uncorrected. But as we correct ourselves, this part will swallow up the entire world and all of reality, and the whole universe will come inside of it. We will have nothing left to add to it. After all, in the spiritual world every part includes the general, and only our incorrect view regards it as a part, for we are incapable of grasping the whole. But we must always understand that before us lies infinity.

Filed under: Daily Kabbalah Lesson, Zohar - No Comments →

A question I received: At the upcoming Zohar Convention 2010, if we succeed in canceling our egoistic desires with respect to the common desire, will we be able to reach the first degree and be born into the spiritual world?

My Answer: Yes, this is possible for all the participants of the Convention, even those who come there almost by chance and who have not studied with us for a few months or years. They too can merit the revelation of spirituality along with everyone else. People who wish to come out of their egoism and unite as one man with one heart around Mount Sinai (the mountain of hatred) realize that they are controlled by their egoistic nature – hatred toward others and love for themselves.

Reaching love for one another is a task as difficult as rising to the top of this high mountain of hatred. However, if they desire this, they will attain it. What do you think was so special about the people who came out of Egypt: men, women, the elderly, children, and the whole countless multitude of different tribes that joined them? The 600,000 men who received the Torah are just a fifth of the total number of people who stood around the mountain; they represent just one of five degrees: Shoresh, Alef, Bet, Gimel, Dalet. If we achieve unity in this one degree, the smallest desire of the zero level, and 600,000 people out of three million unite, this is sufficient.

When we receive the means called the Torah, we begin to move ahead with its help. We are able to work on our egoism and ascend through it. This is called “work in the desert,” where we will be able to raise MAN and carry out all the necessary actions. The most important thing is to go through the spiritual birth. also referred to as the “exodus from Egypt.” I believe that we are quite capable of achieving this if we so desire. We have all the conditions and opportunities that are necessary for this.

Everything is open for us from Above. I am completely serious when I say this. Those who join this action and who desire to be with us in heart and soul can merit spiritual revelation, correction, and an exit from exile.

Filed under: Daily Kabbalah Lesson, Zohar - No Comments →

If we want to make spiritual progress, we need the help of an egoistic force called “evil.” In fact, if not for this evil force revealing itself, we would remain in one place having nothing to do. Since the right and left lines oppose each other, they alone cannot help us progress in this way. Thus, we need an external trigger, which is the interference of evil. Its purpose is to push us toward the birth of a new life.

This is what is referred to as “help against you.” It acts by the evil force working devotedly, evoking a chain of states within us. Therefore, a leap to a new state and transition to the Upper Level is impossible without it.

That is to say, everything is ready for Malchut to give birth to new souls, except that she’s unable to do so. In order to achieve birth, the evil must evoke itself in Malchut, giving her an additional egoistic desire. Only then is she able to deliver and connect with the Light on a new level.

Filed under: Daily Kabbalah Lesson - No Comments →

The Zohar, Chapter “Tazria (When A Woman Delivers),” Item 158: When affliction enters the house, the spirit of impurity that was in the house appears, and they fight one another.

This whole war occurs inside a person.

At first it seems that the spirit of impurity that was covered has reappeared, and the affliction that was revealed has been covered. Afterwards, it appears that an affliction was revealed in the house and that the spirit of impurity has been covered. It is written about that, “Shall come and tell the priest,” for it is a word of wisdom.

In spirituality, we always advance toward a greater sensation. What seemed good to me yesterday seems bad to me today. This does not mean that I descend. Rather, going around in circles like this leads to my next state.

Yesterday I thought that I reached correction. However, a few minutes went by and the next stage arose with a new Light shining (called a “new day”). This makes me see that my previous state was not good, but bad. I no longer feel that it was the same good state that I had previously. In my eyes it has turned into a bad state since I begin to evaluate it from the point of view of greater bestowal.

A person might think that he is getting nowhere or even going backwards, but in actuality he is always moving forward. Yesterday he thought that he had risen, whereas today he feels that he descended. In reality, he did not descend. He is situated on the same ascent as yesterday, however, this is how he defines his state today and it becomes a springboard for the next ascent.

Filed under: Daily Kabbalah Lesson, Zohar - No Comments →

“I heard from my teacher that The Book of Zohar has a new interpretation every day” (Degel Machane Efraim). This means that while a person changes every day, the book remains the same.

The Book of Zohar is the system of the spiritual worlds. It is a global system of governance encompassing all 125 degrees of the soul’s ascent from our world to the World of Infinity. Not only does The Zohar provide an explanation of this system, it brings us the Light capable of raising us along the entire spiritual ladder from beginning to end. We only need to strive to come to the demands of this system while reading this book.

Therefore, if we bring ourselves into correspondence with the system governing us, we will receive the Reforming Light that it is filled with. This constitutes our work. Thus, while reading The Zohar we should aspire to unite into one desire and await the Light that corrects us.

Filed under: Daily Kabbalah Lesson, Zohar - No Comments →

The Zohar, Chapter “Tazria (When A Woman Delivers),” Item 20: When the soul descends to the entrance to this world, she first descends to the Garden of Eden of the earth, and sees the glory of the spirits of righteous standing column by column. Afterwards, she goes to hell and sees the wicked crying “Alas! Alas!” and no one pities them. She is given testimony of everything: the wicked testify how they are punished for each sin, and the righteous testify to the good reward that they receive for each Mitzva [good deed, commandment]. And that holy image stands over her until she leaves toward this world.

The Zohar always speaks about one soul, one man. Whether it speaks of the Garden of Eden and hell, or the righteous and the wicked – all of them are included in one man.

When we enter the system of our soul, we become submerged in our inner reality and in examining all of the possibilities there. This is what is meant by travel between the Garden of Eden and hell, and to observe what is happening there. In other words we create a map containing the route of our spiritual advancement.

Filed under: Daily Kabbalah Lesson, Zohar - No Comments →

If we want to be born spiritually, we have to strive at making many good preparations. As a result, we begin to reveal our egoism (evil) because the darkness called the “serpent” emerges within us.

It is impossible to make an easy, peaceful transition to a new level. Similarly, birth in the material world is a critical and difficult process. It means that you “die” on the previous level, and only then are you born into a new world. Similarly, the serpent gives us new egoistic desires, thereby helping us break through into a new life. Thus, good and evil forces work together.

It is written, “I created the evil inclination and the Torah as its ‘spice’ (a remedy for its correction).”  In other words, the main component is our desire, which is the matter of creation, and the Torah acts only as the “spice” for our correction.

When we exit Egypt and approach the Red Sea, we must first throw ourselves into the water. Only when we act first and do so does the sea part. This is an act of birth, yet how are we able to do something like this? We are only capable of it if the evil (our egoism) pursuing us reveals itself, and through this act, forces us to be born.

We jump into the sea like a person who jumps from the 20^th floor of a burning building, for example. One jumps knowing just one thing – he must escape the fire; this is his salvation. Likewise, all we’re able to think about is how to get rid of the evil, and it doesn’t matter what will follow. This is precisely how we are born.

Therefore, we should value our egoism for its essential and indispensable work. Without it, we wouldn’t be able to reach the ultimate Goal. That’s why it is called “help against you.”

Filed under: Daily Kabbalah Lesson - No Comments →

In order to lead me into the spiritual world, the authors of the The Zohar and other Kabbalists had to build a multi-level system. It is an entrance that enables me to enter spirituality layer by layer while adapting to each level, freeing myself from certain stereotypes and habits, and gaining a new outlook. It’s as if I have to pass through a thin bottleneck and take on its form; otherwise I won’t be able to get in.

Suffering pushes me from behind, while the importance of the spiritual goal lures me from ahead. That is how I make my way in, continuously assuming a form that is more appropriate for the new world that I have to reveal.

Therefore, we are yet to reveal many more purifying filters inside the text of The Zohar. They will force us to become square, or round, or triangular, and to take on all sorts of forms and shapes until we go through all of them and enter inside. We will encounter them on all levels of our mind and feeling, as well as our outlook and understanding. We are always going through different kinds of matrixes and every new filter does something new to us until we are finally born into the spiritual world. This is how spiritual birth occurs.

This is why we encounter so many confusing and repulsive things in the text. It is impossible to go through this material using regular study methods and the usual mental efforts. We will be able to see why everything occurred only if the Upper Light influences us and changes us.

There will be obstacles standing before us that will simply vanish into thin air. It’s as if there is a boundary in front of you (a Machsom), and then suddenly, it is gone! There was some sort of image or opening, and you suddenly go through it, taking on its form.

This is how it works. Therefore, the problems cannot be solved using logic and reason, since we don’t understand a word of this text correctly.

Filed under: Daily Kabbalah Lesson, Zohar - No Comments →