A question I received: You say that Kabbalah has nothing in common with religion. Then why don’t Christians, Muslims, and followers of other belief systems have books on Kabbalah? Didn’t they all come from the Jewish religion?

My Answer: Baal HaSulam writes that all people may keep their respective religions even after reaching the final spiritual correction – adhesion with the Creator. This is a sign that the external actions bear absolutely no relation to spirituality, even though many people want to attribute this to them.

Kabbalah was developed by Abraham in Babylon 4000 years ago. The Jewish religion as we know it today appeared after the downfall of the Jewish people from the spiritual level 2000 years ago. Kabbalah then became concealed (when The Book of Zohar was written), and all that remained is a corporeal, egoistic “imprint” of the previous, spiritual way of life. This is how Judaism was formed in the way it exists today. Later Christianity and Islam also originated from it.

The Jewish religion divides into the Orthodox, Conservative and Reform branches. However, they differ only by having greater or smaller limits of observing the physical commandments. Hence they understand each other, are on the same side of egoism, and work to preserve it. In other words, the aim of one’s actions is inside a person, in the intention “for oneself.”

Kabbalah, on the other hand, summons people to observe the intention “for bestowal” (for one’s neighbor or for the Creator – that is, “outside oneself”), rather than to observe physical actions. It deals with the internality rather than the externality (see item 61 of the “Introduction to The Book of Zohar”). Hence Kabbalah is opposite to all religions.

This is why all the religions understand each other, but they consider Kabbalah absolutely unacceptable. Humanity will receive many more blows of fate before it will uncover the Creator’s Plan – to come close to Him through one’s intention.

Today Kabbalah is coming back into use, in order to correct man. We have to add it to our lives by beginning to correct ourselves. There is also a place for religion: to remain as a form of culture. This is because Kabbalah reveals the Creator and the Upper World to a person, leaving no room for suppositions about them. In this case, all that remains of religion are customs or traditions.

The reason why the religions are hostile toward Kabbalah is that Kabbalah gives every person an explanation of how to reveal the Creator, and in doing so it negates the need for religion. By giving people a personal connection with the Creator, Kabbalah strips the religious leaders of their power over the people.

Nevertheless, Kabbalists are in favor of preserving religion as a tradition or culture, as a nation’s framework and way of life. At the same time Kabbalah says that we should complement this way of life with the attainment of the Creator – which is the purpose of man’s creation and his perfect state.

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Spirituality is called that which will never be lost. Hence, the will to receive, with the intention “for one’s own sake,” is called “corporeality,” and it will be canceled from this form and will adopt the form of “for the sake of the Creator.”
Baal HaSulam. Shamati article, “Spirituality Is Called That Which Will Never Be Lost”

We have to work for bestowal, because it is opposite to our nature, which is “the will to enjoy.” We have to do the opposite – aspire only to bestow, and not to receive for ourselves.
Baal HaSulam, article “The Essence and Correction of the Creation”

“One who is angry is like an idolater,” because when one is angry one enjoys the anger and moreover, one is proud because he knows he is right. There are two sins here: enjoyment and pride. It is written about pride, “I cannot be together with a proud man” – and one’s soul leaves such a person.
Baal HaSulam, article “One Who Is Angry”

One must know in one’s heart that the Creator chases him just as much as he chases the Creator. One must never forget that, even through the greatest longing for the Creator. When remembering that the Creator misses and chases him, he should aspire for the Creator even more, until reaching adhesion through love.”
Baal HaSulam, Letters, p.70

We can draw the great souls into our world, and they will bring about the redemption of the world by virtue of their great desires. Everything depends on our desire to become similar to the Creator.
Rav Abraham Isaac Kook, “Arpilei Tohar,” 41

Here is the knowledge that a person is obligated to have: to know his Creator and to know himself – who am I? How was I created? Where did I come from and why? Where am I going? How can I correct my desire? How should I appear before the Creator?
The Book of Zohar, “Shir HaShirim”

The law of Kabbalah is that there is no connection between spirituality and corporeality, not in any word, notion, or letter, because the letters are figures drawn on white paper, while man is a body and a soul.
Rav M. Faivosh, “Esher Divrei Emet,” p.27

“Impudence will increase in the end of days” (Talmud. Sota, 49). That’s because this generation is extremely removed from the Creator, for people are proud of their igonorance. And he who is more removed from the Creator, is more deceitful and impudent.
Rav M. Faivosh, “Esher Divrei Emet,” p.28.

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The Book of Zohar. Chapter “Raising a Prayer” – 2 (abridged)

The first Commandment finds its place in the blessings that King David sang during his offerings in the Torah, where man must fear his Master, for these songs stand in a place called “fear” or Malchut. And all of these written blessings constitute the essence of fear of the Creator, Malchut. And man must sing these songs with his desires in fear.

Man must achieve a level of spiritual development where his desires will coincide with what is said in the texts of these blessings. It is impossible to force someone to wish something; all our feelings are the product, the result of our spiritual level. The Light of that degree influences one’s egoism and corrects it with the power of that degree.  Therefore, man can only ask for correction, but it will come from Above, from the Light, from the Creator.

Here we have a list of degrees that man must gradually go through in his correction. These degrees are usually called Commandments, and in all there are 620 of them between us and the Creator: 613 Commandments of the Torah for Israel (altruism) and seven Commandments of the Torah for all the nations (egoism). Here they are expounded in a different way: since the most important thing is to ask for correction (and if the request is genuine, it immediately receives an answer in the form of Light that descends to it), all of man’s work on himself, all of his efforts in the study, all his work and actions are intended only for creating a true request, MAN.

Hence, the stages of man’s spiritual development are described as his path in prayer; as if he stands and prays, although this process continues within him throughout his life on earth.

The second Commandment is to love the Creator. (As it was repeatedly stated, this feeling is the result of correction; see the “Introduction to Talmud Eser Sefirot,” item 45, which describes the four stages of one’s sensation of the governance, from darkness to love). It is when through one’s prayer, one reaches Ahavat Olam (great love) and Le El (for the Creator). These two blessings precede the appeal, Shema Israel (Hear, O Israel) and Ve Ahavta Et (and love the Creator), the blessing of the Creator for one’s love for Him that follows the appeal Shema Israel. And this is the secret of love for the Creator.

The third Commandment takes place when one reaches a place in the prayer that is called Lehishtabe’ach (blessed is the Creator). He must then attain praises and blessings of the Creator in his desire, as in parts of the prayer Yotzer Ohr (He who creates Light) and Yotzer HaMeohrot (maker of the stars).

The fourth Commandment is to proclaim the Creator’s unity, i.e., Shema Israel (Hear, O Israel, our Creator is one!). From this point (degree) on, one must express the secret of the Creator’s unity (in all His manifestations to man) in his heart’s desire (one’s heart must be filled only with the sensation of the One, Upper Force). Afterward, the Commandment to remember and remind others of the exodus from Egypt (egoism) is observed, as it is written: “Remember how you were a slave in Egypt.”

The fifth Commandment is for a Cohen to bless the people (the Light’s descent to the Partzuf), so that Israel will be included when the prayer (the Cohanim’s blessing) ascends, for at this time (state), Knesset Israel (all those who correct themselves by aspiring to the Creator and constitute a part of Malchut de Atzilut), i.e., Malchut, receives a blessing (Light).

The sixth Commandment and the desired time (spiritual state or level when man wishes only to give all of his desires, i.e., his soul, to the Creator, meaning that he can act for the Creator’s sake in all of his desires) is to entrust one’s soul with the Creator with complete desire in one’s heart. When one falls (willingly accepts the small state) on his face (Hochma) and proclaims (raises MAN): “I entrust my soul with You, O Creator.” The intentions and desires of his heart are to give his soul completely to the Creator (this desire is the consequence of this spiritual degree and comes naturally to those who attain it).

These six Commandments of the prayer correspond to the 600 Commandments of the Torah. And the remaining thirteen Commandments are required in order to attract the thirteen properties of mercy (thirteen Midot HaRachamim), which include all the rest. The prayer is adorned with 600 Commandments, which corresponds to HGT NHY, to what the prayer, Malchut, receives from ZA.

Happy is he who heeded and focused his desire on this (who was able to raise a proper request for his correction), who completed all that was required each day (in the Creator’s daylight), and directed his heart’s intentions and desires to fulfill this Commandment, which depends on the word.

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We were visited by the President of the University of Haifa – Professor Aaron Ben-Ze’ev (left in the photograph below). Prof. Ben Ze’ev is considered one of the world’s leading experts in the study of emotions and perception. He has written many books and articles on these topics.

There were no contradictions between us. The only difference is that Kabbalah clearly defines every desire and the sensation inside it, and it graduates the sensations according to their levels and qualities. However, the earthy sciences cannot do this, because we can only research something while being on a level above the object being researched. Hence we can research the still and vegetative levels of nature, and a part of the animate level, but we cannot accurately research man since we are at the same level as the object being researched.

This is why psychology isn’t an accurate science. Kabbalah, on the other hand, lifts man above his animate and psychological levels, allowing him to measure and reproduce any sensation, and to examine its cause, process, and consequences.

One of Professor Ben-Ze’ev’s specialties is the research of the feeling of love. He has an enormous amount of empirical data on this, yet this earthly science does not enable him to systematize them. In the future scientists will discover that it’s vitally necessary to systematize knowledge and to have a clear understanding of the nature of feelings and sensations. Then this “crisis” will lead psychologists to Kabbalah.

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Lesson on Baal HaSulam’s article “The Wisdom of Kabbalah and Philosophy”

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Baal HaSulam writes in the article “The Peace,” the section “The Necessity to Practice Caution With the Laws of Nature”:

It is vitally important for us to study the commandments of nature and know what it demands of us, lest it would mercilessly punish us. Nature obligates man to lead a social life, and we need to examine the commandments that nature necessitates us to observe in society. There are in fact only two social precepts to observe: “reception” and “bestowal.”

Meaning, nature obligates each member of society to:

1) Receive his needs from society, and
2) To benefit society through his work for its wellbeing.

And he is obligated to observe both commandments correctly, for if he breaks one of them, he will be mercilessly punished.

When one violates the commandment of reception, the punishment is carried out immediately, which prevents any neglect and forces us to observe it. But in the other commandment, that of bestowal upon society, not only does the punishment not occur immediately, but it is given indirectly. Therefore, this commandment is not properly observed.

Nature, like a competent judge, punishes us according to our development, for we can see that to the extent that mankind develops, so increase the pains and torments of providing for our existence. And the suffering will continue to increase, until the global crisis will show us that the Creator’s providence has commanded us to observe with all our might the commandment of bestowal upon others with utter precision.

And as long as we are idle in performing this law to the fullest, nature will not stop punishing us. And of course, nature will defeat us and we will all be compelled to join hands – as one man – in the following of the commandments with all the required measure.

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A question I received: I read an interesting work by researcher A. D. Panov entitled, “The Crisis of the Universal History’s Planetary Cycle.” In it he uses the method of interpolating the times of civilizations’ revolutions and reaches the conclusion that the next and most significant crisis in the development of nature and man is scheduled to happen in the year 2027 (the Snooks–Panov vertical). After this crisis the entire development of human civilization will change fundamentally. What do you think about this, and that this will happen in 2027?

My Answer: There are many hypotheses about the crisis, and people’s premonitions are justified. However, do they understand the causes of the crisis, its process and its purpose? It is pointless to predict dates, because we cannot take into account our participation in becoming aware of the process and of our conscious self-correction, which will immediately introduce positive changes and accelerate the whole process.

This is because the “crisis” is the process of restoring our balance (similarity) with Nature – with the quality of love and bestowal. As soon as we reached the level of global egoism, we started being influenced by the general force of nature (the global interdependency between all of nature’s parts), which forces us to become similar to it (like parts of one body, to be in harmony all together).

If we recognize that this is what Nature demands from us and aspire to correspond to it, then to the extent we strive to become a harmonious part of the general system of nature, we will not need its negative correcting influence, which we feel as suffering (war, hunger, destruction).

Because it is impossible to calculate the degree to which we will participate in our correction, we cannot predict the flow of the entire process. The prophets – the Kabbalists of antiquity, described this process without incorporating the human constituent into it. This is why their descriptions are full of terrible suffering on the global scale. However, it is within our power to alter its flow, and this is why we’ve been given Kabbalah. This is also why it has been concealed until our time, and why it is now being revealed to everyone.

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The Upper Light shines upon one who is engaged in the study of the wisdom of Kabbalah, even though he doesn’t feel it, because he is not yet corrected in order to receive this Light. Nevertheless this illumination from afar gradually corrects him, making him fit to receive the Light within.
Baal HaSulam, “Introduction to Talmud Eser Sefirot,” item 155

All the obstacles that come to a person are from the Creator, in order to push him toward spiritual development, so he will not stay satisfied with his current condition. Only for those whom the Creator wishes to bring closer does He send help by showing them that they don’t advance in spirituality, sending them hindering thoughts against the Creator.
Baal HaSulam, Shamati article, There is None Else Besides Him

The goal of creation is to please the creatures, and as long as a person doesn’t receive all the abundance that the Creator prepared for him, this means that he still hasn’t reached the goal of creation.
Rabash, article, “The Essence and Correction of the Creation”

It is man’s duty to reach the goal of creation by correcting himself. The correction lies in acquiring the intention of bestowal. To the extent one has this intention, one receives that which the Creator has prepared for him.
Rabash, article, “The Essence and Correction of the Creation”

A person should not correct anything about his externality but only his internality – his “I,” his egoism. It cannot be corrected through any actions, such as fasting and other restrictions. On the contrary, egoism loves such actions because it can be proud of them. Correction lies in feeling one’s insignificance relative one’s friends – those with whom one studies Kabbalah, but under no circumstances relative others.
Baal HaSulam, “Pri Chacham – Letters,” p.75

A small hole in the heart is enough for a person to return to the Creator, but under the condition that it will be as a needle stuck into living flesh, and not dead.
The Kotzker Rebbe (Rabbi Menachem Mendel), “There is No More Whole Broken Heart,” p.30

The holy war is not a war between people but against yourself. It’s when you strike blows against the evil inside you and tell the good in you, “Grow.”
Rav Kook, “Maamarei Reiya,” 508

Numerous false doctrines will arise before the coming of the Mashiach. You can save yourself from them only by studying The Book of Zohar every day. Even if you don’t understand anything in this book, this is already enough for cleansing the heart.
“Ohr Yasharim.” Mira Dah’ya

Studying of The Book of Zohar for one hour brings more than studying the simple commentary for a year.
“Kisseh Melech,” Tikkun 43, ch. 60

The Creator can’t have more pleasure than when people study Kabbalah. Moreover, a person was created only for the study of Kabbalah.”
Rabbi Chaim Vital, “Introduction to Shaar HaHakdamot”

While the Creator conceals Himself, He allows evil, but not to the point of the complete destruction of the world. Through this, one later reveals the oneness of the Creator and the correction of all evil by His Mighty Power.
Ramchal (Moshe Chaim Luzzato), “Da`at Tevunoth” p.185

There is no action in the world that does not come from the Upper Light.
Ramchal, Adir BaMarom, p.227

All the commandments, though they seem to talk about physical actions or verses to be pronounced, are intended only for correcting the heart, because the Creator only demands the correction of the intentions that are in the heart.
Abraham ben Meir ibn Ezra, “Yesod Mora” p.8

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Mutual Guarantee (Arvut) is the condition for life, for the existence of any living organism. When all of an organism’s forces and actions are coordinated and aimed at a common goal, then the negative correcting forces (crises and illnesses) do not emerge in the organism, and the system exists in permanent balance (homeostasis).

The current events (the financial crisis, general depression, drugs, breakdown of the family unit, emptiness, aimlessness, the global crisis, the ecological crisis) are revealing to us the single and general reason for everything taking place – that we are all an integral part of Nature, that all of Nature’s parts are interconnected, and hence they must behave accordingly. However, we – humanity – do not behave this way. We are akin to a cancerous tumor in Nature’s single, harmonious organism.

Mankind must realize that it constitutes one whole organism, and the law of the common mutual guarantee – of care for every person and for everyone at once – is the essential condition of our collective survival. The Biblical principles, “Do not do unto others what you don’t wish done unto you” and “Love your neighbor as thyself” are laws that determine the general balance of nature and our society. If we don’t abide by them, we will perish.

Baal HaSulam’s article, “Arvut” (Mutual Guarantee), describes how we can attain balance with Nature using the Kabbalistic source texts. The book, Kabbalah, Science, and the Meaning of Life talks about my meetings with American scientists who research the scientific fields bordering the Upper World.

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Two questions I received on the virtual group:

Question: How does mutual guarantee work in a virtual group and what does it mean there?

My Answer: It’s the same as in a physical group, because you are not uniting through the bodies, but through your “points in the heart” – you must feel that they are together. I think that it’s easier to feel this virtually than during physical contact, when the externality overshadows the internality.

Question: On one of the virtual group websites, I proposed to create a Kabbalah Constitution, and to start working on creating it. However, this did not evoke any interest. Should I continue with it?

My Answer: Yes. Get in touch with those who are working on the development of a virtual community at [email protected]

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The Book of Zohar. Chapter “Raising a Prayer” – 1

The Zohar speaks about the prayer which every person offers his Creator. This inner action of man constitutes his greatest and most valuable work in making efforts for the Creator’s sake.

We can change only under the influence of the Creator’s Light, by receiving His properties from Him. Hence our only task is to cultivate a desire to change. As soon as this true desire appears within man, the Creator will immediately give him the strength needed for its realization. So the problem is not how to realize a prayer; it is, rather, how to attain it, how to formulate one’s request for the strength to become like the Creator!

A prayer is a sensation, a desire in one’s heart. A person is not completely aware of it and cannot describe it, for the sensation in one’s heart is not subject to any control and conscious correction – it cannot be “created” by one’s own will.

One who observes the Commandments because he has faith in reward and punishment believes in the Creator, His Torah, and His governance, but simply uses it for his own benefit. By observing the Commandments with such an intention and remaining in it all of his life, he does not grow spiritually. And one who does not grow in our world is called “still” (inanimate), since we divide all of nature into the following levels: still, vegetative, animate, and speaking (human). Therefore, such people are regarded as spiritually still (Domem de Kedusha), but they are already “spiritually” still, as opposed to those who observe mechanically, by force of habit.

In Kabbalah, the word “body” implies desire. A desire or a body can be egoistic or spiritual (altruistic). The gradual passing of the egoistic body and its replacement with the altruistic one is called one’s “spiritual birth.”

Man’s spiritual growth is designated by an increasingly growing intention to observe the Commandments only because such is the Creator’s desire. Man observes it only for His sake, completely selflessly, as if no reward of any kind will ever be given to him in return, not even in the form of his own self-content. It is as though the Creator does not know who fulfills His desire, as though man himself is uncertain of whether or not he observes the Commandments. Yet, he does it anyway, for such is the Creator’s will.

An essential part of our spiritual ascent is a special process that requires that, on discovering a greater evil within us, we ask the Creator to grant us the strength to overcome that evil. We then receive strength in the form of a greater spiritual Light. This continues until we actually reach the original level and size of our souls. At that point, our egoism is completely corrected and filled with Light.

When we are distracted by outside thoughts, we feel that thoughts obstruct us from ascertaining the spiritual, because our strength and minds are wasted on extraneous concerns, while our hearts become filled with petty desires. At times like this, we lose faith in the fact that only Kabbalah contains the true life.

Once we overcome this condition, we come out of our state and move into the Light, receiving a Higher Light that helps us ascend further. In this manner, our extraneous thoughts work to help us in our spiritual advancement. We can overcome obstacles only with the help of the Creator, since man can only work on something if he perceives some personal benefit in the task.

However, our bodies, hearts and intellects do not understand what benefits can result from altruism. Therefore, as soon as we try to make even the slightest altruistic move, we lose all strength of the mind, heart and body. We are left with nothing else but to turn to the Creator and ask Him for help. In this way, unwillingly and without any free choice, we advance toward the Creator until we merge with Him completely.

The lower half of the Higher spiritual object is found within the Upper half of the lower spiritual object (GE de Elyion are within AHP de Tachton). In the lower object, the screen is found in the eye area (Masach ve Nikvey Eynayim). This is known as “spiritual blindness,” (Stimat Eynayim) because in such a state even the Higher object has only one half – GE. Hence, it turns out that the screen of the lower spiritual object conceals part of the Higher spiritual object.

The Higher spiritual object drops its screen to the lower one, and it then reveals itself to the lower object, which in turn begins to view the Higher object as the Higher one views itself. As a result, the lower object receives the state of fullness (Gadlut). The lower object then sees that the Higher one is in a “great” state, and realizes that the Higher object’s prior concealment and apparent manifestation as the “small” state (Katnut) was done exclusively for the benefit of the lower one. In this way, the lower object could become aware of the importance of the Higher one.

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