A question I received: Why is the speed of the reading so important during The Zohar study and how does it differ from other Kabbalistic texts?

My Answer: While reading The Zohar we are trying to choose the right speed because we want to receive an impression from the general reading of the text. It’s similar to how we speak to a baby who doesn’t really understand what you are talking about. In contrast, suppose I were listening to a story in a language I don’t understand; I could still try to guess what every word means. However, a baby does not only lack knowledge of the words, but also lacks all knowledge of the actions that are being described.

In that case, what’s the point of talking to him about this at all? The fact is that if we don’t do this, he won’t grow up. When we talk to him in a language he doesn’t understand, about things he doesn’t understand, and tell him about a world that is completely concealed from him right now, but we explain it to him as if he understands, then it begins working inside the child, awakening the understanding and reactions.

It turns out that our actions with children during the earthly upbringing are completely equivalent to the influence of the Light upon us in the spiritual upbringing. In other words, upbringing by the Upper Light is completely natural.

When a baby begins to repeat the things we say and do, he says and does it all incorrectly. Yet, we understand that this is how it should be and in this manner, he grows. This is exactly how we develop in spirituality as well. Therefore, we have to let The Book of Zohar and the Light contained in it influence us and “mold” us, making us similar to the Creator.

This is the natural path of entering a new world. We aren’t aware of the process that took place when we were children because we were taught by adults through feelings and the mind in a language we understood, while assimilating and accumulating knowledge.

This is why we read The Zohar. Regardless of how much we understand or feel it, it works within us as a miraculous force (Segula). This is the same miraculous force that operates in our material lives when we raise our children. It seems like a miracle to us, but it is completely natural and regular.

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The Zohar, Chapter “Bamidbar (In the Wilderness),” Item 36: …south is Hesed, and grips to the east and depends on it as a branch with its root. This is so because the hidden Daat is the beginning of the sun, whose essence is Tifferet, called “sun” and east. But with its ascent to Yod–Hey it becomes Daat. In the beginning of the Daat in upper AVI, a root is made for the disclosure of Hesed, by which the upper AVI mate and elicit the Hesed (Love and Mercy).

We have to extract correction and remedy from every word in The Zohar. The Light will transform our properties according to its source. This should be our attitude to the reading. On the other hand, we have to try to understand what we read with more clarity.

Everything originates from the first HaVaYaH (Yod–Hey–Vav–Hey). The basic structure is the four stages of the Direct Light and everything clothes on these stages: the four letters, the three lines, and Malchut which receives from them. Everything comes from this connection.

First of all, we have to aspire to correct the breaking in ourselves so that every moment and every word from The Zohar will penetrate us like a balm or a healing remedy. After all, the Torah is created as a “seasoning” for a desire, as a remedy for its correction. When I want to connect with the text to reveal it, it opens up and connects with me as one whole.

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The Book of Zohar – Selections, Chapter “Chayei Sarah (The Life of Sarah),” Item 140
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Soon, the science of Kabbalah will be in high demand because without it a person will not be able to survive in the completely global world. It will become increasingly apparent that we have no desires or qualities that match or are appropriate for the world that is currently being revealed to us.

The Light from The Book of Zohar creates a sensation and understanding in us of global oneness. From that, we receive an opportunity to understand this world, to see it correctly through the matrix, which the Light creates in us. Then further, we want the force of nature, which established the global world that is being revealed to us now, to affect us in the same manner and make us suitable for it. We want our inner system to be similar to the system of nature that surrounds us.

Previously, it always seemed to me that I was above nature and that I controlled it. However, now I understand that this is not so, and I want to unite with nature, which is global, integral, huge, whole, and perfect. I want to use its integral force, its oneness. Now, I see that I am the only corrupted element, its only part that is not integral. Only my ego separates me from nature.

So let the force of nature abolish my egoism and allow me to be together with everyone! I see my redemption in this!

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The science of Kabbalah talks extensively about intentions: what we should think about, aspire to, and desire. However, in actuality, the goal is the correction of the breaking in our root, the breaking that separated the root into many parts or souls. Thus, the correction consists of uniting the souls. This is the most important intention, which should be present in all of our actions.

With this intention, our perception of reality will change, along with our attitude to life, this world, the spiritual world, the Creator, ourselves, and our surroundings. The most important thing is to desire to unite and to connect with each other while correcting the connection between us, changing it from rejection and hatred to unification and love, so that the Creator would be revealed inside this connection.

This should also be the main intention while studying The Book of Zohar because it gives us strength with which we can really correct the breaking in us

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A question I received: You said that the students of Rabbi Akiva wrote The Zohar and Talmud. Could you specify who precisely?

My Answer: I said it to emphasize that the Torah came to us from Rabbi Akiva in that his students presented it to us in the form of the revealed Torah, Talmud, and the concealed Torah, Kabbalah.

Rabbi Akiva had five great students (out of 24,000): Rabbi Meir, Rabbi Yehuda Bar Ilai, Rabbi Yossi, Rabbi Shimon Bar Yochai (Rashbi), and Rabbi Elazar Ben Shamoa. Rabbi Yehuda Bar Ilai is the most prominent scholar of the Mishnah. Rabbi Yehuda HaNasi (a student of Rabbi Akiva’s five great students) finished the Mishnah. Rabbi Shimon Bar Yohai (Rashbi) wrote The Zohar.

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It may seem that it’s more enjoyable to read The Zohar peacefully, without exerting any effort. But we must demand the intention for every word, and it’s not simple. We shouldn’t consent to simply read The Zohar and let the words “flow” through the ears. Rather, each word should be an opportunity to “break into” the text, an entrance into it.

As I’m reading, I have to see every word as a niche for filling myself with the intention, unification, and connection. I have to realize that every word can add to this connection.

This is the only way we should read The Zohar. Then the Light will come and unite the two opposite properties, Abraham and Isaac, as well as everything that is included between them, into the property of the middle line called Jacob or Israel.

The miraculous property of The Book of Zohar lies precisely in the middle line which unites good and evil together. And it is precisely in their correct connection that we reveal the Creator, the source of everything.

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A question I received: In our material lives we are in a dead-end situation where it’s impossible to attain pleasure. But what does the science of Kabbalah promise us?

My Answer: When I sit and study The Book of Zohar, it is called Lo Lishma – an egoistic action. I deceive myself because I plan on fulfilling my egoism through this action, but in return I receive the quality of bestowal.

Why does this action end up bringing us success, unlike any other? It’s because by making these actions, I desire to do everything I can to attain bestowal. I look for signs of bestowal along the path, consciously deceiving myself, and I use the Light that brings me correction and draws me closer to itself.

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A question I received: After the Zohar 2010 Convention, I received a desire to help people. How do I check whether I am doing the most that I can in this regard?

My Answer: The ultimate help is when a person spends all the hours of his existence trying to think about correcting himself and the world.

After all, a breaking first occurred in the worlds and then in the common soul, and now the broken souls exist in a broken world. Correction is possible only by the method of Kabbalah, which helps us draw the Upper Light, which alters our intention from an egoistic one to a giving one. The same force, the same Light, which created the whole universe, needs to affect us and correct everything.

Therefore, we can help others only by disseminating the science of Kabbalah until we reach complete redemption. However, while the world still needs correction, we need to try to bring the correction to the world. During the Convention we received a great force from our mutual unification because, together, we attained greater understanding and sensation.

And now we need to perform immense actions for the sake of the general correction of ourselves and the world. We received advancement precisely for this purpose and no other. None of us would have received what we received (an opportunity to participate in this gathering, an understanding of something, or feelings) if we were unable to affect the world through our correction.

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A question I received: If I hold the correct intention during The Zohar study, should I feel some results?

My answer: We do not know whether our intention is correct or not. Quite possibly I am in a special mood and feel excited; I slept well and perceive everything very clearly. So it seems to me that my intention is sublime, right on the spiritual goal. And sometimes I can barely keep awake, drifting into sleep and waking up again, or I suddenly recall some past events.

We don’t know how it works; every person is continuously given special circumstances and efforts he has to make. The most important thing is to simply continue, whatever the outcome. One should only try to imagine the spiritual picture that The Zohar describes in every situation. It could be very hard to accomplish this, but even if one is in the most difficult state, he nevertheless manages to catch “the end of the rope,” then he attains a much greater success than if he felt inspired from the beginning.

Of course we shouldn’t disregard the states of excitement that are given to us, but we also should not pay too much attention to the inner or outer conditions we find ourselves in. Whatever the conditions given to a person, are the conditions under which he should try to do everything possible.

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