Yesterday I had a conversation with the youth group. A young woman of about twenty years old stood up to ask a question, and you could see by looking at her that she is in a state of despair and feels heavy-hearted. She asked, “What do I do with all of this? Can it really be that every person who advances along this path feels this way?” I replied, “Yes, and even worse…”

A person has to go through the state of total despair in order to realize his inability to advance by means of his own egoism, as he had advanced through life until now. After all, to attain spirituality, a person has to reject his desire to enjoy using the past desires and pleasures. He must decide that the egoistic desire will never let him attain the spiritual fulfillment, contrary to what he thought before.

When his point in the heart first awakened, it was but a continuation of the previous material desires: it wanted to receive pleasure from spirituality in the same was as from corporeality. The person thought, “Wow, now I have a new desire! Who cares if I can’t fulfill it with the earthly things? I’ll soar up to the heavens and find my fulfillment there!” He continued to behave on the path of Kabbalah using the old means. He expected to attain everything on his own, using his own power and pride, using his own “I.”

But as time goes by, he sees that nothing is going right. And because of this, he sinks into despair, just like any person whose plans aren’t being accomplished. Every person has to go through this on the spiritual path. A person has to discern his objectives, intentions, sensations, and most important, his life values. It all depends on the efforts a person puts forth toward advancement: how quickly will he exhaust this list of discernments?

As he goes through all the sensations in the list of his new “I,” he begins to understand that he is not his own Boss, and he won’t win this war with his own strength. Only the Creator can do this, because the person is in the Creator’s hands, in the hands of the Upper Force. It is this Force that does everything, makes him move, places all the obstacles along his path and gives him the strength to overcome them. The Upper Force swings him up and down, over and over again, in order to bring him to a true prayer: to create a true desire within him, without which he can never feel the spiritual world.

I depend on the Creator and work together with Him. I ask, and the Creator does. As soon as we find the common movements among us, we will attain mutual happiness, where my plea and His desire will unite into one whole and we will attain unity.

The Creator throws the end of the rope to a person, and a person has to catch it in order to start advancing.
(From the Preparation to the Daily Kabbalah Lesson)

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Today the whole world is unwillingly starting to become part of one integral system, and people see that they are increasingly being governed by some sort of forces, yet they aren’t able to resist them. People are experiencing a crisis in all areas and are discovering that there is something concealed from them, yet they are unable to do anything.

We, humans, cannot control anything; we are subjugated to blind fate and we are unable to handle it. All this is making us reveal that the system of connections between us is flawed, and at the same time, that the forces governing us are concealed. We are discovering this out of our own inability to do anything ourselves.

But there’s an even greater crisis of government institutions still awaiting us. That’s because these institutions feel obliged to prove to us that they are supposedly in control of things and have power over something. People are yet to reveal that “the hearts of the kings and ministers are in the hands of the Creator,” and that none of the governments are actually able to do anything. This fact will become revealed to everyone.

If that weren’t enough, we are yet to face another powerful blow from nature, which will come in order to make us see that we are small and insignificant compared to its phenomena.

All of this will bring us to the realization that we really are part of one integral system and are unable to do anything. And then, out of this realization, we will reveal that even our thoughts and desires are not our own, but come to us from nature. Nature controls us from within and from without in every regard. We will then feel that we are bound in chains, and will start looking for a salvation.

This may happen under the influence of suffering, or through the wisdom of Kabbalah, which enables us to forestall the suffering. Either way, we will have to reveal the system of forces in which we exist, as well as what it is doing to us and what its purpose is.

So let’s already start by imagining that we are the experiment of the Upper Force, which is now revealing Its plan to us. Humanity will have to reveal this fact, either out of despair, because it is influenced by painful blows, or as a result of disseminating the wisdom of Kabbalah. Clearly, the latter is a much better path.

The revelation of the entire system of relationships, the entire matrix of connections between us and the Upper, Governing Force of Nature – the Creator, is what constitutes the wisdom of Kabbalah. The entire wisdom of Kabbalah talks only about this.

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In the News (from MSNBC News): “Antidepressant use doubles in U.S., study finds” Use of antidepressant drugs in the United States doubled between 1996 and 2005, probably because of a mix of factors, researchers reported on Monday. “Significant increases in antidepressant use were evident across all sociodemographic groups examined, except African Americans,” Dr. Mark Olfson of Columbia University in New York and Steven Marcus of the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia wrote in the Archives of General Psychiatry.

My Comment: Because people are feeling a new, unearthly desire, which is impossible to fulfill in this world, they are experiencing an incurable state of depression and melancholy that they are trying to suppress with drugs or other addictive substances. However, this desire can instead be fulfilled with the desired pleasure by revealing the Upper World, using the method of fulfilling this new desire, the soul. This method is called the “Wisdom of Kabbalah.” Kabbalah is translated from Hebrew as “reception or fulfillment.”

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In truth, all development happens by means of the Light, which is concealed from us. And even though everything is done by the Light alone, when this takes place in our egoistic development, we don’t know anything about the Light and are not connected with It in any way. Therefore, when a person develops, he becomes more distant from the Creator, because he understands that he can do without Him. After all, where is the Creator in our world and how is He present in all that I do?

This is why the era of Enlightenment took place, when people left religion. But now, after all our development, we are revealing that we have reached emptiness. After studying and understanding this world, we now see that it is dirty and horrible. But the most important thing that we have come to understand is that the more we develop and the more efforts we make and despite becoming smarter and more skilled in some ways, things just keep deteriorating and the world becomes worse. So by developing the world, we have only made it worse, not better.

This is why people are reaching a point of despair. But this is not enough, and the Upper Force will not allow humanity to run away from it all through drugs. Together with all that is happening, the point in the heart is surfacing in people, and it is pulling them to further development. This is where we come up against a problem: on one hand, this point is egoistic, because it’s the reverse side of holiness. But even though this egoistic point is a result of the breaking, it can be turned into an altruistic point. We can turn it into a “drop of semen,” which will become a spiritual embryo.

As for the rest of the ego – this entire world – I cannot make it spiritual since all of it is inanimate matter. So, in order to develop spiritually, I then come to the group and the Kabbalah books, but still remain in the same place like a donkey, until I finally “get it”: I need an Upper Force, the Light that returns one to the Source and then I begin to demand It and plead with the Creator to become revealed to me and to correct me.

Therefore, our earthly development is over. All the cultural and scientific development has reached an end. People will now feel that it’s impossible to do anything new in these areas – it has exhausted itself.

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Why can’t I attain the sensation of spirituality directly? Well, say I am not very knowledgeable in some profession, for example, I don’t know anything about economics. If I start working at a bank, then I will understand the importance of economics. Then, when someone tells me that some stock rose 0.1 percent, this will be a really big deal to me. But right now, I don’t feel anything since I just don’t understand it, even though it may be something really important!

How do we grow? We teach our “will to enjoy” to be more sensitive and to discern the finest of details. We teach ourselves, just like people train dogs or raise a small child. In our world, in the material, egoistic system, this happens directly. The Light acts inside this system as well, but in a concealed manner, and we don’t have to ask the Light to create any special sensations inside us. If, however, besides the material system we want to reveal one more system – the spiritual one, then we cannot develop our sensitivity to it directly, because we don’t feel it at all. We simply cannot increase our own sensitivities in order to start feeling it. We need the Light to build the new sensations inside.

No matter how much I desire spirituality, I cannot attain it directly; I cannot make it “come out of the fog.” In the material system, I already have a desire, even if it is very coarse and undeveloped. All I have to do is develop it by influencing it with a “painful rod” or a “sweet candy.” That is how I develop and refine my sensation. But when it comes to spirituality, I don’t feel it in any way at all. Even my point in the heart is opposite to this system, since this point is the reverse side of holiness. This is why I need the Light so much, because it will carry out my correction from Above and reveal this system to me! This action requires an additional force.

In the material world, however, we don’t need the Creator. In fact, the more people develop and the more they perfect their culture (their feelings) and science (their mind), the less they believe in God and religion. It’s because people reveal that they don’t need an Upper Force. They can accomplish things, understand and feel everything on their own. This is why people delve deeper into the arts and sciences, leaving religion behind. This is natural, because people don’t need the Upper Force for egoistic development.

If, however, we want to develop spiritually, with the help of the science of Kabbalah, then everything happens in the opposite way: we need the Upper Force to create a new desire in us. Initially we don’t have this desire, so we can’t develop it and feel the spiritual system inside it. The point in the heart gives us the only the opportunity of a place to start. But it will have to go through an inverse transformation in order to turn into “a drop of semen.” In the meantime, it is not a drop of semen, but just a black point.

This is why you need the Upper Force through every step of your development, and the way to connect with It is by building yourself. This Force is what sustains your existence in the spiritual world, so if It doesn’t give you the quality you need to reveal this system, you won’t feel it. The Creator is all the spiritual qualities that you have within. He is the spiritual system, the Force that fulfills you. All of this is Him alone.

The more you develop, the more you develop the Creator within you. In Hebrew, the Creator is called “Bo-reh,” which means, “Come and see!” This is what distinguishes one’s development using the science of Kabbalah. You reveal the Upper Force clearly, inside you. You then see that it is a system that governs everything and that you are inside this system and thereby establish a mutual connection with the Master of this system.

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A question I received from my student: Is it good or bad to use one’s fantasy in the inner work?

My Answer: If you are studying only Baal HaSulam’s books and are trying to leave behind all your previous prejudices and stereotypes, then you will gradually be “cured” of all your fantasies. Our task in Kabbalah is to start feeling a new reality, which is not a fantasy! You should come to feel an additional  world that is similar to how you now feel this world, but you shouldn’t make it up!

Right now, you don’t feel the spiritual world. Even though people tell you about it, you don’t discern it. Nevertheless, you wait to feel it and you aspire toward it by performing different actions and exercises in order to feel it. In virtue of the efforts you make and your practice, you will eventually begin to sense spirituality, even though initially you didn’t have any abilities to do so.

The same thing always happens with everything we do in this world, as well. If we seriously engage in something, then we begin to feel and understand it. Where does this sensation and understanding come from? It comes from the general system that we are all part of, where each of us is connected with everyone. We simply forget that we are inside this system. For example, if I don’t feel or understand anything about plants, but begin to study gardening and start taking care of flowers, then I will gradually begin to feel them, receive impressions from them, and will establish a connection with them.

Where does this connection come from? From our connection with all parts of reality, which already exists. Now, when we perform various exercises, we merely awaken the connection that is already there, but we are not creating anything new. We only discern this system in virtue of our efforts and desires.

The same thing also happens with the spiritual world! We are already in the World of Infinity, but we reveal this system in virtue of the efforts we make, by studying the Upper World and trying to reveal it together with others. We reveal something that is already there! So there is nothing in the world to which we can point and ask, “Where did this come from? Is it a fantasy?” Nothing is a fantasy! All we have to do is practice in order to awaken our sensitivity to something that already exists.

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A question I received: No new system is established in its pure form. In one way or another, it always makes a compromise with the former system, from which it develops. There is simply no other way. Do you agree?

My Answer: Yes and no. We are talking about a completely new level, qualitatively speaking, and therefore it will not develop in the traditional way – egoistically, from smaller to greater. We are talking about a qualitative revolution, which is changing from an attitude of consumption to an attitude of bestowal. People will begin to feel the world by coming out of themselves. They will feel the world beyond themselves. This model is inverse to anything that came before, because it is not built by development on the past.

People will continue to live in the world, along with all of their experiences and culture. However, when people begin to perceive and feel the inner, hidden connections in the world and the inner forms – the forces and souls, then the world will become transparent. The objects and actions of this world will then be seen as inanimate consequences of the Upper Forces, and the Upper Forces, a deeper layer of the world, will be clearly revealed to everyone.

Our current state of crisis is pushing us towards the need to attain this hidden reality, which contains the forces and actions controlling our world. Essentially, the present crisis is but a preparation, making us more able and willing to perceive something cardinally new, due to there not being any other choice.

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A question I received: You have said that the goal of human development, the reason we are born, is to reveal the Upper World inside us, to acquire His qualities and love for Him, as well as for the entire universe. Practically speaking, this means we must attain the ability to feel unconditional, infinite Love.

How will humanity be able to come to this end state if every person subconsciously operates by a strict calculation: how to fulfill his own instinctive needs to eat, drink, sleep (don’t worry about sex – it’s just extra work) and protect himself from others? Today a person may even let his own children and family starve, because he perceives even them as external and alien. For the same reason, people (especially youth) do not even fear death, because there is nothing to lose; this is no life. This is not anyone’s fault, but it’s a disaster!

Fear is no longer a motivator. So what can force all of this to change? In theory, the sensation of lack is what motivates a person forward. But how can one strive toward something he doesn’t feel, and therefore has no sensation of lack related to it?

My Answer: You will see that all of a sudden, people will start to feel the desire for spirituality, and will start to behave accordingly. After all, they are puppets, and are now experiencing a sensation of emptiness and lack of purpose. It is all happening according to the Creator’s plan. There is a time and a place for everything. And as for you, the next stage is already beginning to happen!

Our entire lives are a process of gathering the sensations necessary to come to feel the Creator. Therefore, resistance is useless. What we have to do is speed up the process. That is how everything will change. You will then acquire the same impressions, but without the suffering.

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Two questions I received about how to deal with the erroneous ideas and imprints we receive in life:

Question: When people begin to study Kabbalah, they often bring their baggage of erroneous ideas, and they can get lost in the authentic concepts. What is the quickest and best way to sort out this inner mess?

My Answer: We must accept the student the way he is. The only thing that affects spiritual progress is the inspiration received from one’s environment, which is then aimed at the Creator. Besides, we don’t understand the value contained in false methods, as per the law “the rind protects the fruit.” This will be revealed to us at a later time.

We come to Kabbalah burdened with a myriad of misconceptions and stereotypes received in childhood and over the course of our lives. Everything we heard in childhood forms the foundation of “facts” within us. Then, the person is guided by these “facts” and unable to rise above them.

Until he acquires new qualities, which act within him with the same force as those “slogans and facts” that he naively heard and believed in as a child, he will not be able to feel the Upper world. But he is unable to rid himself of the old conceptions on his own, because they need to be replaced by the new – and this can only be done by the Light, which descends from the next degree of attainment.

Question: To what degree does everything we took in as children limit us?

My Answer: When a person receives the spiritual power of bestowal and rises above the corporeal, and begins to see his corporeal self from the side, he is astonished by the incredible amount of utterly baseless stereotypes that he is filled with. These are just things he had once taken on faith. It had entered his childish mind and left a non-erasable imprint, which he couldn’t do anything about.

That is why anyone can come and start studying. And only as time goes by, gradually, i.e. under the influence of the studied material, will he rid himself of false stereotypes and beliefs. The conceptions one had acquired later in his life are easier to part with; it’s the things that he had absorbed in his childhood that are the most difficult. Nevertheless, step by step, man peels himself of all this “rind,” until he begins to use the spiritual fruit when it truly becomes ripe.

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A question I received: How is it that an external Upper Force balances Malchut (the desire to receive pleasure) with the spiritual worlds, if all the worlds are within a person?

My Answer: The spiritual Force resides within us. There is nothing outside. Everything is within a person: the Creator, the creature and all of creation. And if it seems to me that an external world exists, it is because I am lacking the true, corrected perception.

But, if I view myself as being the entire world and concern myself with becoming similar to the Upper Force, if I constantly imagine this Force as increasingly more bestowing and loving to all, then to the degree that I understand and feel this Force, I will organize all my internal desires and qualities in such a way as to unite with others. And all this is done within me.

It turns out that I must correct only myself and my perception that the world supposedly exists outside of me. I begin to sense that indeed the world is all within me, and thus I correct reality. It turns out that the correction consists not in changing my relations with others, but in correcting my current perception that others exist outside of me and are not part of me. But having discovered that everything is mine, do I still remain an egoist?

Then, all of reality, its external and internal parts, seem to be as one. And even if I’ve yet to reach the true spiritual perception of reality and everything does not seem to me to be one single whole, it does not matter. The most important take-away from the science of Kabbalah is that a person has to correct only himself.

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