The Zohar, Chapter “VeYechi (And Jacob Lived),” Item 696: “Dan shall judge his people, as one of the tribes of Israel.” Dan, as it is written, is the last of all the camps, the left thigh, Hod. He walks last because Judah and Reuben journey, the Levites and the ark set up banners, and the banner of Ephraim journeys to the west. The right thigh journeys according to the order that the right thigh comes before the left thigh, Dan. Thus, Dan journeys last.

In this form The Zohar tells us of the formation of the “camp of Israel in the desert,” meaning the formation of the soul in its development at the 0-1-2 levels of desire (Galgalta Eynaim), attainment of the qualities of Bina, and how all 12 parts that make up the system of the collective soul (called the “12 tribes of Israel”) need to advance along the degrees in “three lines.”

In the soul there are such notions as “banners,” separate groups or “camps,” “women,” “elderly,” and “children,” which go in the front or in the back. These are all various desires within a person, thus organized and interconnected and thus actualizing their correction: moving from one “camp” to another, from one spiritual degree to the next. And every time there is a particular order which every moving “camp” must follow (“hands,” feet,” “head,” torso,” “extremities,” or lines and Sefirot), and how they have to connect between themselves so as to advance.

This is why the Torah talks about what’s happening in the camps, all the various problems and events there, that is, about the revelation of new lows in the ego of the common soul and how they correct the ego and advance thereby. That is what the story is all about.
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From the 2nd part of the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 10/11/10, The Zohar

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The Zohar, Chapter “VeYechi (And Jacob Lived),” Item 675: Zebulun was rewarded with preceding Issachar in the blessings because he took bread out of his mouth and gave it to Issachar’s mouth. Thus, one who provides for one with Torah receives blessings from above and from below. Moreover, he is rewarded with two tables, with which no other person is rewarded. He is rewarded with wealth—blessed in this world—and with having a share in the next world.

The Zohar speaks of the types of connections existing between the souls for only this is concealed from us, and this is what we need to reveal. In the connection between the souls, which we reveal, we clarify the picture of forces (desires) of bestowal, the web of connections between them that manifest the degree of their bestowal to one another above the egoistic forces of each particular soul. The connections between the souls are the forces of bestowal, the desires to bestow, while every soul is an egoistic desire to enjoy.

It follows that if we work, everyone in his desire, so as to actualize it in bestowal to others, this means we are working with the right desire (Kli) equipped with a screen so as to be connected in mutual bestowal with everybody. This is the way the system of desires (Partzufim) of every soul works with respect to other souls (Partzufim). Mutual bestowal and its general force, the Creator, become revealed in the connection between them, while within every soul there remains its inherent desire to enjoy.

The Zohar speaks not of the desire to enjoy embedded in each of us, but of what happens between us, where we reveal the web that connects us. Initially, this web is called the world of Assiya, then Yetzira, Beria, Atzilut, Adam Kadmon, and the World of Infinity, where the connection between us has no end or limits. As we strengthen our connection, we reveal the Creator, the Light, inside it.

Therefore, when we read The Book of Zohar we must think of what The Zohar speaks of: the connection between us wherein the Creator is revealed.
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From the 2nd part of the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 10/10/10, The Zohar

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The Zohar, Chapter “VeYechi (And Jacob Lived),” Item 660: This is so because the Torah is elucidated in thirteen qualities, thirteen qualities of Rachamim that extend from the thirteen corrections of Dikna de AA. And it is all one, for there is no separation there. They extend from above downwards in unification, from the thirteen corrections of Dikna de AA, from there to the thirteen of Bina, from there to the thirteen of ZA, and up to the place that stands on the separation, the Nukva.

The Zohar speaks of an extremely important part in the Upper system of governance called “the thirteen corrections of Dikna.” There is a special Partzuf, a system called Arich Anpin. Through it, the Light trickles downward and descends on us in droplets. We are unable to perceive the Light as a direct flow, but only drop by drop.

In Hebrew, “drip” is “Nozel,” so receiving a trickling of fulfillment is called “drops of luck” (Mazalot). Hence, there is a saying: “It all depends on luck,” which means it all depends on these droplets of the Lights trickling down.

This system is very exalted and profound; it determines everything that occurs with every person and all of us together in this world and even above it, until the very final correction. Therefore, when we read about this system and wish for the corrections, the Lights, and help to come from it, it is a very unique and effective state that can bring tangible results.

The entire Zohar was written by its authors from the height of this Upper system, Partzuf Arich Anpin or Zeir Anpin (ZA). ZA is a subsystem of Arich Anpin that influences us. If we desire to be awakened by the Light, the system works on us. The Zohar speaks solely about that.

A question arises: Why then do we need twenty volumes of The Zohar? Isn’t one standard book enough? Could we not keep reading the same book over again? What difference does it make? The difference is that with each page of The Zohar, we awaken a new manifestation of the Light.
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From the 2nd part of the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 10/8/10, The Zohar

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Question: Where in The Zohar can we find the description of mutual bestowal between a person and the group?

Answer: It’s everywhere and in every instant! The entire Book talks solely about it. The Zohar describes to us the point of connection between us: The souls unite together in Malchut and then, from their connection, they establish a connection with Zeir Anpin (ZA) or the Creator (Kadosh Baruch Hu). This is called “Israel (those who aspire to the Creator), the Torah (the Light), and the Creator are one.” The Zohar describes everything from the point of these three connected components: 1. every one of us, 2. all of us together, and 3. the Creator.

The text constantly speaks of the point of connection of these three components in their diverse manifestations: multiple states in their approximation and ascension, up to their complete adhesion. We feel the diversity of the spiritual world or even the variety of our corporeal sensations today from within the same point of connection or lack thereof. Beside this point, nothing else exists.

That same point of Malchut of the World of Atzilut, which feels that it isn’t connected with the others and the Creator, is called Malchut of this world. When this point starts acquiring a connection with the others and the Creator, then we can talk about the types of connection between us, and that is spirituality.

This continues until we reach the World of Infinity that we perceive within this Malchut as well, within the connection between the three components. When this connection becomes infinite, it is defined as Malchut of Infinity. In other words, only Malchut of the World of Atzilut in all its manifestations is the place where the connection between us and the Creator in it are revealed.

Therefore, The Zohar describes nothing but what is occurring in the point of connection and only adds information which can enable us to assemble a more accurate picture. This is similar to how I look at a blurry image on the computer screen and don’t know what the problem is. A specialist arrives and explains to me in detail what exactly needs to be corrected.

Thus, the Baal HaSulam’s Commentary to The Book of Zohar provides us with the detailed information about components that we should focus on in order to construct an integral picture.
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From the 2nd part of the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 10/10/10, The Zohar

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Spirituality exists not in some distance space but is concealed among our egoistic relationships. As soon as we manage to connect, at the point of contact between us, we will uncover spirituality; the entire system will start working; the Light will be revealed, and it will create a spiritual image in you.

This is exactly what we should be thinking while reading The Book of Zohar.
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From the 2^nd part of the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 10/7/10, The Zohar

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The Zohar, Chapter “VeYechi (And Jacob Lived),” Item 551: “Reckless as water, you shall not have preeminence” because when the sons of Reuben wage war in the world and defeat many nations, the sons of Reuben will not remain in kingship because they will make war in the holy land.

As the authors of The Book of Zohar describe the systems of the worlds and phenomena to us (and to the extent that they do it), they perform multiple corrections in this system of governance. It seems to us that they simply tell us about the events that took place in the past. However, when the Kabbalists go through the spiritual states that they tell us about, they reveal them within themselves and by doing so, correct them. In doing so, they prepare for us the space that has already been corrected so that we could ascend to it.
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From the 2nd part of the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 10/4/10, The Zohar

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As your intentions while reading The Book of Zohar get more correct, you will begin to uncover spiritual pictures within them. You won’t sense the corporeal images, but rather the entire development of events within yourself: in your desires, sensations, intentions, and attitudes.

The picture must fall together within you since spirituality is all that occurs within desire. In accordance with the correct intention, the will to receive begins acquiring spiritual forms. Intention “paints pictures” within the desire, formats it so that it takes these forms. Everything The Zohar describes will be perceived in the will to receive as if it is happening directly to it.

For example, my computer has a software program that opens text files in “Word” format. But if someone sends me a “.jpg” picture or an “.xls” chart, I won’t be able to open them in “Word.” Even though they contain very important and useful information, I can’t extract it. Hence, I must first obtain a new program, download it into myself, my will to receive (my “hard drive” or “computer”), and then it will be able to receive the data transmitted to me in its format.

Essentially, this is exactly what we are doing while studying Kabbalah. After all, what is the wisdom of Kabbalah? You acquire the new program for your will to receive or your vessel of perception (Kli). Having formatted it anew, you are able to perceive new images and information.

Previously, your program was working solely for reception, and now a new program has been “downloaded” into you, the program which understands what it means to bestow. It means new values, new relations between desires, intentions, and attitudes, new meanings of ascent and descent, right and left lines; everything acquires a new value and meaning. This new program changes everything.

In this case, what is left of the old? What is left is the will to receive but the connection between all its parts is implemented now with the new formula: how much a person gives to another, not how much he receives from him.

Then, since I am programmed so that all my desires perform in mutual bestowal to each other, I understand the incoming information of bestowal in any format that it comes (“text,” “video,” or “audio”). I can open and comprehend what it is, and every message is clear to me.
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From the 2nd part of the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 10/3/10, The Zohar

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The Zohar, Chapter “VeYechi (And Jacob Lived),” Item 528: However, he did not disclose what he wished to disclose, since he wished to reveal the end to them. There is an end to the right and an end to the left. He wished to reveal to them the end of the right, to be kept and to be purified from the foreskin in the end of the left. And what he revealed to them was known and was revealed until they arrived at the holy land. However, he did not disclose other things, and they are hidden in the Torah, in those blessings.

We have to try to recognize the events described in The Zohar within “ourselves,” in our corrected desire. The more we aspire to sense them within the corrected desire, the stronger Light of correction we attract. It will gradually correct us, and we will be able to see the true picture.

It’s like I’m looking at something without glasses yet I know that I need and lack them. I want to see the true picture and hope to obtain the “glasses,” correct my vision, and see the true state. This is the essence of reading The Book of Zohar.
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From the 2nd part of the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 10/3/10, The Zohar

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Question: How can I tell whether I am reading The Zohar with the right intention?

Answer: You have to think about the conditions of revealing the Creator. The condition is equivalence of form, which means that inside of my desire to enjoy I will reveal the desire to bestow, the intention of bestowal, or an aspiration for bestowal.

I am waiting for my inner program to change from reception to bestowal so that I will start perceiving the different forms of bestowal that are coming to me. And this is the only thing I want.

Right now I am in an ocean of spiritual information, but I cannot perceive any of it. I lack the program to perceive it. However, if I aspire to it and desire to acquire it, then I advance and come closer to understanding it.

Everything I read in The Book of Zohar are actions of bestowal that take place in reality. This is the only existing reality, whereas our material reality exists only in our subconscious. It’s an illusion that we presently exist in.

The true reality is above this subconscious level, this imaginary reality, and it operates according to bestowal. Reception inside the desire does not even exist other than in our "dream."

Therefore, I desire to ascend above my sensations to the true reality.
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From the 2^nd part of the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 10/3/10, The Zohar

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Question: What is the difference between perceiving The Zohar and Talmud Eser Sefirot?

Answer: They use a different language. It’s impossible to understand The Zohar unless you discern the right picture behind every expression in it, with the picture being clothed in your desire or intention.

If I read an exciting novel that talks about the discovery of new lands, then I already have ready-made internal images of the still, vegetative, animate, and human levels of nature. Out of these forms I create a picture that the author describes, and the pictures we imagine are similar.

On the other hand, The Zohar describes adventures we have never experienced taking place in a world unknown to us. If I don’t have these spiritual forms (qualities and actions) inside me, then I don’t even know what I am reading about, as if it were written in a language unknown to me.

In contrast, Talmud Eser Sefirot describes more concrete qualities, actions, and events, where there are only two operating forces or desires: "for" and "against." In essence it is talking only about two qualities: bestowal and reception, which exist in different interactions with one another. We can imagine them as forces of attraction and repulsion, as well as their interaction.

Of course, this is simpler and less confusing than the descriptions of The Zohar. Talmud Eser Sefirot constantly shows us the need for the screen, the force of bestowal, whereas The Zohar projects pictures of the Upper World onto our matter (desire).

It’s as if there is a movie playing somewhere very far away and I cannot make it out. As I try to see it, I ask myself: Which instruments or tools do I lack in order to bring this picture closer and feel it? This aspiration evokes the influence of that far-away picture upon me. If my aspiration is magnified many-fold through my environment (the group), then I really feel this picture coming closer.

Yet, the redemption comes from The Book of Zohar because it contains the most powerful Light that Reforms.
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From the 3^rd part of the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 10/3/10, Talmud Eser Sefirot

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