The Zohar, Introduction, Article “Yitro (Jethro),” Item 100: The seed of David, the sights of the colors change in him, and this is why Samuel erred, as it is written, “Do not look at his appearance,” since the other side was in Eliav. This was not so with David, since David’s forms are covered because the forms of the other side were included in his forms, and the form of the other side appeared in him first, passing over the eyes for a time, and the heart is alarmed and fears.

We are mistaken in that we work very hard to understand what The Zohar talks about, and much less on the intention, the thought that we have to unite and reveal The Zohar inside of the connection between us. Only to the degree we unite, the image of the Creator will become revealed inside our unity, and it will be nothing like what we are able to imagine before we unite.

Our unity is the entrance ticket enabling us to see and feel spiritual images and qualities that The Zohar talks about. Their sum total gives us the image of the Creator. However, if we desire to discern what we study without searching for a connection between us, this is called external study, Klipa, a deadly poison.

If during the study I try to search for the image that I study, it is Klipa. On the other hand, if I first want to reveal that image through the prism of unification with the group, the environment, and only after the unification I try to find that spiritual image that The Zohar talks about, then it is holiness, bestowal, spirituality. At the end of the day I search for the forms of unity and bestowal, and that is the most important thing, whereas in the first case I look for the image or form of reception.

Therefore, we must first of all worry about how we pass through that prism, the intention, the unification with the group, the environment. This is very important! Without this we shouldn’t even open The Book of Zohar because it can either become a deadly poison or the elixir of life.

From the 1st part of the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 1/5/11, The Zohar

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Question: I sit in the lesson reading The Zohar and exert effort along with the others. Can it be regarded as “sacrificing desire”?

Answer: No, it can’t. How do I know what you are reading? Perhaps you are simply enjoying what The Zohar explains in such easy, attractive, and exciting language.

Why does it excite us, and what does it wish to explain? The Zohar explains that if I wish to be connected with you, I will undergo the states it describes. It’s that simple! What do the author’s of The Zohar say? “We gather while feeling hate for each other; we are separated by a total abyss. And then we start trying to unite.”

At that time, there was no Book of Zohar in front of them; they were just about to write it themselves. What do they write then? They begin mutual work and start searching: “How do we get closer to one another? What can we do to experience any closeness at all?

How can we find connection between us, the network tying us together, which already exists? What relations define this connection and what are its stages? Which internal forces within us are at work: envy, lust, hate, strife for recognition, the right, left, and middle lines? If we correct it, make a restriction, then a screen, and if we rise above our will to receive pleasure (desire), how do we achieve anything? I reject this and that, act this way or the other….”

And so, they started writing The Book of Zohar based on what they underwent in their mutual connection, until they reached such exalted spiritual degrees that each degree was ten times higher than the previous one: from ones to tens, followed by hundreds, then by thousands, and tens of thousands (Ribo). Do you see what levels they reach?! This is the power of their unification. And that is what they wrote about.

Therefore, if you wish to imagine yourself in the same state, then everything they have described will affect you so that you, too, get closer with the others and in your connection with them undergo the same states, until you reach the state where the perfect Kli (desire) is filled with the infinite Light.
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From the 2nd part of the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 12/27/10, “Introduction of The Book of Zohar,” Article “You Are Partners with Me”

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Question: Why did we start studying Part 8 of Talmud Eser Sefirot (The Study of the Ten Sefirot) instead of The Book of Zohar?

Answer: First of all, we are continuing to study The Zohar daily during the morning lesson, but only for forty five minutes instead of ninety minutes as before.

When we read The Book of Zohar, we constantly deal with Partzufim of the World of Atzilut, from which the Upper Governance originates: Arich Anpin (AA), Aba Ve Ima (AVI), Yeshsut, and ZON. Therefore, we must gain an understanding of how they are arranged, what constitutes the hierarchy and relation between them, and what program they are carrying out.

Hence, we need to study Part 8 of TES (Talmud Eser Sefirot), which is the major part of The Study of Ten Sefirot, essentially describing the World of Atzilut. Without it, we cannot even come close to The Zohar.

Indeed, the more a person knows, the more he understands and acknowledges that in reality he knows nothing, which better enables him to determine his prayer, not a baby’s cry, but a clearly analyzed request. Besides, if we study TES with the same intention that we apply to The Book of Zohar, it affects us and performs the same work in terms of our correction.
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From the 2nd part of the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 12/2/10, Talmud Eser Sefirot

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Dear Friends, please ask questions about these passages from the great Kabbalists. The commentaries in brackets are mine.

An Opportunity for Redemption

Thus, even though the Creator has delivered the land [our desire] from the hands of the nations and has given it to us [has given us a chance to begin correcting our egoism], we have not yet received [corrected] it. We are not enjoying it.

But with this giving, the Creator has given us an opportunity for redemption [from perception of this world], to be purified and sanctified [of egoism and mutual hatred] and assume the work of God in Torah and Mitzvot Lishma [properties of mutual bestowal and love].

At that time, the Temple [collective desire] will be built and we will receive the land [corrected desire] into our own authority [for the sake of bestowal]. And then we will experience and feel the joy of redemption [fulfillment by the Upper Light].
– Baal HaSulam, “A Speech for the Completion of The Zohar”
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In the article “Body and Soul” Baal HaSulam explains that we live in one world, but it split into two parts in regard to each of us: an apparent one and a hidden one. Throughout history, we became better and better acquainted with our world, we revealed new continents, examined inanimate nature, flora, fauna, and cosmic space. Reality spread out broader and broader before our eyes.

Kabbalists say that this is not the limit. We just need new aspirations, an aim at bestowal – then the diapason, the range, of our qualities and feelings will become broader, and we will begin to perceive in them the reality that is currently invisible to us.

Today an inner impulse, a need to discover the hidden reality, is awakening in many people. Before, egoism constantly pushed people to explore our world in order to seek out new pleasures, the abundance in various forms, in it. And now, having exhausted all other opportunities, we wish to reveal the hidden reality.

In order to help us in this, Kabbalists wrote books. The main book, with the help of which we can find what has been concealed, is The Book of Zohar. While reading it, we need to pay less attention to the text itself since we still don’t understand what it is about. Instead, we should aspire more to what this book can give us.

The Zohar brings us revelation of “a new earth and a new sky.” The “earth” is the desire, and the “sky” is the degree of Bina, bestowal, on which we will see the reality of bestowal. Therefore, during the lesson we think about how to broaden our perception, to open our eyes, and to allow the still hidden part of one world to enter our sensations.

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From the 4^th part of the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 11/30/10, “Body and Soul”

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Question: While reading The Zohar, who can I identify with in the text instead of imagining some abstract forces?

Answer: We can imagine only one thing: the connection between us. In the end, we exist inside Malchut. Parts of Malchut unite with each other in all possible connections. It is a net of connections that constantly change, like in an electric device or computer. The matter, the desire to receive pleasure, remains an unchanged, rigid desire.

The forces inside the desire begin to work, serving as the material with which they can connect to each other. We exist within this desire along with the force that works in it. And everything that this force does inside the desire is done because we created it this way, as though we printed it using a model, and that’s it.

Inside this desire are “impulses,” the forces of good and evil, Light and darkness, two influences from the Creator which pass through this desire. We perceive and feel our reality as “me” and “the world” I live and feel within this material. We are talking only about the forces that act inside this matter, the desire to receive pleasure.

Thus as we read The Zohar, we wish to completely leave the picture of this world since it is false. I am situated in the desire to enjoy, and the force that acts in it is presented to me. And there is nothing else, no pictures or images.
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From the 2nd part of the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 11/28/10, The Zohar

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The Zohar, Chapter “The Rose (Shoshana)“: Rabbi Hizkiya began [his speech]: “It is written, ‘As a rose among the thorns.’”…

The rose is Malchut and it includes all the souls that desire to reject their egoism and unite. This is possible only with the help of the Light that Reforms. Every person who aspires to attain the Upper World, to reveal the Creator, essentially aspires to the general unification inside Malchut. She is the place where the Creator becomes revealed.

The Book of Zohar talks about how this place becomes built from desires that are aimed at revelation, from the spiritual aspirations of people who are ready to unite on the path to the goal. We understand that we are unable to do this. However, the Light acts inside Malchut, inside “the rose,” despite the thorns that stand in the way of unity. Whoever desires to reveal the Creator is willing to live with these “prickles” and to make his way through them towards “the rose.”

This is what our efforts should be aimed at in spite of the egoism that pushes us away from the goal over and over again. We must nevertheless overcome the thorns surrounding the rose and unite all our desires into one.

We will thereby evoke the Light that Reforms and reveal the Upper One.
From the 1st part of the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 11/29/10, The Zohar

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Question: What can be done if, during the reading of The Zohar, the intention weakens because the mind keeps trying to understand the content of the text?

Answer: We shouldn’t pay attention to it. Intention must become increasingly stronger during the lesson since the friends should think about it together. And if each of them holds the intention, it cannot be so that someone drops out of it.

Here we truly get connected in the spiritual communication network between us, not in the material one. If I hold the intention to bind myself to “Israel” (those who aim directly to the Creator), the Torah (the Light), and the Creator are one” so that I, the Creator, and the group became as one whole and reveal the Light that fills the entire reality; if all of us strive to experience this condition and, due to reading of The Book of Zohar, the Light has to reveal it to us, then this intention will “burn” in us more intensely. But if I feel that my intention has become weaker, in this, I depend on the all the others 100%.

In this respect, we are truly working inside the spiritual network. Thereby, we enter the spiritual world and act in it to the best of our ability to hold the intention and bind “Israel, the Torah, and the Creator” together.

We already act this way in the spiritual world and only have to uncover it for ourselves. Therefore, we demand the Light to reveal it to us.
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From the 2nd part of the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 11/22/10, The Zohar

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The Zohar, “Introduction of The Zohar,” Chapter “BeLaila De Kala (The Night of the Bride),” Item 138: …and the iniquity became as a mistake to him, as it is written, “If the Lord had not been my help, my soul had almost dwelt with Dumah.” But the rest of the people should fear that they will not be able to say before the angel that it was a mistake, and will fall into the hands of Dumah, to Hell.

When we manage to correct some parts of Malchut, a thin thread still remains that connects the parts that are impossible to correct to us. We have to “nourish” them and allow them to stay alive so that we can correct them later.

There is always a “catch” that holds us “tied up” to egoism. It is similar to the “gates of hell” through which we can suddenly submerge into egoistic intention. This is where a problem hides.

Are we capable of retaining the screen that prevents us from getting pleased for our own sake? If we cannot retain it, the Lights will disappear, and we will stay in the darkness of “hell.” Do we have a chance to preserve a little portion of egoism without opening the gates and ensure minimum illumination that is vitally necessary for its existence?

The Book of Zohar speaks about the ways of achieving this. We are correcting our mistakes, whereas intentional evil will be corrected only at the last stage of our work.
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From the 1st part of the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 11/21/10, “Hakdama, BeLaila De Kala (The Night of the Bride)”

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The Zohar, Chapter “Tzav (Command),” Item 56: There is remission of work on Sabbath and on good days for each according to its Behina [discernment/essence]—like the ox, on which there is the yoke, and the donkey, on which there is the load—between those who have the burden of the kingdom of heaven, like Tefillin, who are exempted on Sabbath and good days, and the burden of the kingdom of idol worship.

The Zohar speaks of states: weekdays, holidays, Sabbaths, and beginnings of the month (Rosh Hodesh). These are special Lights that come from GAR of the World of Atzilut to the souls in Malchut.

The broken souls ascend from the worlds BYA (Beria, Yetzira, Assiya) to Malchut of the World of Atzilut (Malchut de Atzilut) to the extent that they can connect to her, that is, desire to unify. Malchut de Atzilut turns to Zeir Anpin (ZA) de Atzilut, ZA to Abba ve Ima (AVI), AVI to Arich Anpin (AA), and, from AA de Atzilut, the Light returns to the same souls that have ascended to Malchut.

This Light that descends from Above varies in power and potency. There are Lights with the potency of Aleph (1st day of the week), Bet (2nd day), Gimel (3rd day), Dalet (4th day), Hey (5th day), Vav (6th day), and the Sabbath (7th day, Saturday). This is what we call them.

We can also describe them as the Lights that bring the desire to enjoy various qualities: Hessed, Gevura, Tifferet, Netzah, Hod, Yessod, and Malchut (the last quality, Sabbath). That is why there are Lights which vary in qualities which we call weekdays.

When we conclude a degree, a special Light comes called Sabbath, and that’s when working is forbidden for we are incapable of working with Malchut, the desire to enjoy. We can only work with the part that can be attributed to the desire to bestow, the six qualities preceding Malchut.

That is why the seventh day of the week is a day of rest, a day off. What does that mean? There is no work, but all the preceding work is accumulated and revealed in Malchut.

Then, there are 30-day periods that are based on the moon, that is, ZA‘s attitude toward Malchut. There are the holidays of the New Year (Rosh Hashanah), Sukkot, Shavuot, and others. These are all the various Lights that come from the Rosh (head) of AA.

Therein lies the entire program by which we work. All these Lights are called “awakening from Above” (Itaruta de Leila) because this luminescence does not depend on us. These Lights are constantly changing and influencing us, evoking various states.

Although we say that the Upper Light is in absolute rest, by that we imply that it does not alter its program, course, or direction. It does its function whether we want it to or not. If we are able to draw additional luminescence from it, that is to our benefit. If not, it will take care of everything itself.

That is why it is called absolute rest and not inactivity, for every moment the Light does an infinite multitude of actions on which we have no impact. However, we can evoke from it additional influence onto ourselves.
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From the 1st part of the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 11/21/10, The Zohar

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