The Zohar: “Who is that rising from the desert like pillars of smoke?” (Song of Songs), at the time when Israel walked across the desert.

A person on the spiritual path goes through states of darkness, emptiness and various problems, and he must constantly rise above all of this by acquiring the quality of bestowal.

The Shechina walked ahead of them, and they followed it.

If a person asks for help so he will have something to follow, and if he chooses to follow the Creator instead of his egoistic nature, then he sees a “pillar of fire” and “clouds of greatness” – signs that help him ascend up the spiritual ladder.

“The Shechina walked ahead of them” means that their only thought was about how to unite together into one gathering of souls, called Schechina.

The Shechina walked accompanied by all the clouds of greatness. And when the Shechina ascended, so did Israel, as it is written, “When the cloud rose above Sinai.”

When the Shechina ascended, the cloud rose to the highest peak. And all those inhabiting the world saw and wondered, “Who is that rising from the desert, like pillars of smoke?”

The desires that are able to follow the Shechina do so. And those that aren’t yet able to follow her are called “the nations of the world.” However, they also receive a revelation, and when everyone ascends, these desires also advance with them.

This is how a person advances by clarifying which desires within him are called “Israel” (straight to the Creator), “the nations of the world” (the desires that he is unable to correct for now), “Klipot” (desires that are completely unfit for correction until the end of all corrections). A person continuously sorts his desires and sacrifices them, causing the sacrificial smoke to rise, which means that he changes their use from “for my own sake” to “for the Creator’s sake.” Smoke (“Ashan” in Hebrew, also translates as “world, year, soul”) is the Reflected Light.

If a person works on himself in this manner, sorting his desires and attaching them to the Creator, then He attains similarity to Him. Thus, he raises the Reflected Light and opens the way to his next degree. In other words, he constantly reveals a new world, a new year, and a new soul.

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A question I received: Does reading The Zohar affect me even if I don’t feel it?

My Answer: You will soon feel that The Zohar is working on you, because this influence is very powerful. Let’s take a look at you after ten lessons; you will already feel very great changes happening in you.

First of all, your view of life and your entire life focus will change. What you do and do not pay attention to will shift; your inner sensation will become more self-absorbed and you will be more concerned with your attitude to others. Suddenly, you will begin to think and dream about various actions which you read in The Zohar and to imagine how they are connected to our world in a more internal manner. And there will be a multitude of other changes.

It is clear that The Zohar changes a person very much. It calms him down, making him more internal, serious, and goal-oriented. In this regard The Zohar affects a person in a very powerful manner. And it happens irrespective of how much a person understands; it depends on one’s efforts – how much he tries to comprehend what is written in The Book of Zohar.

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A question I received: Can we be reading too much Zohar in one day?

My Answer: Right now we are reading and rereading The Zohar again and again. There is no sense talking about the inner definitions since we don’t feel them yet. After many hours of study (say, 100 hours) we will begin to feel and sense what The Zohar is talking about. It will be hazy and unclear at first, like seeing through a fog. We will feel something that draws us to an unknown place. This is called a “wonderful means” (Segula), which influences us.

After many hours of study, we receive impressions from various words, and each word starts to awaken a unique sensation in me. For example, cold, warm, up, down, bestowal, reception, GAR, VAK, Esau, Jacob, Leah, Rachel, village, animals, and so on are all words through which we accumulate specific impressions. Once we do, we will be able to talk about them with others.

Then we will be able to participate in a shared discussion. This is not particularly necessary, but nonetheless, it will give us a common language with our friends, since they will also feel and realize a new reality.

This special sensation is not easy to achieve. It is a true revelation, and it occurs after many hours of study.

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The Zohar: All the ways of the Creator are right, and His ways are true. Hence, “the just do walk in them,” since they know the ways of the Creator and engage in Torah, and anyone who engages in the corrections of the Torah knows the ways of the Torah and walks in them, and does not stray right or left. But transgressors do stumble therein.

This is not speaking about the material world, but only about a person’s soul if he uses all the possible means and his entire strength to try to attract the Light of Correction in order to merge with the Creator. A person wants to walk the right path, but along the way he sometimes experiences night and sometimes day.

That is why all of the “transgressors” described in the Torah (Esau, Bilam, Balak, Ahasuerus, the primal Serpent, the Pharaoh), as well as the “righteous” (Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, David) emerge in a person. He falls into a state of darkness, fear, war, troubles, and then he awakens, succeeds and advances forward. Then he goes through the same cycle again and again. He “sins” numerous times on the spiritual path because he has to reveal his entire uncorrected desire and feel how opposite it is to the spiritual goal. Only after that can he learn what kind of Light he needs in order to correct his desire and turn it into a bestowing one.

We don’t have any other matter through which to study what the Creator made and how He is acting inside us; we can only do so through the desire to enjoy, through empty, evil shells that are revealed in us. We can then convert the evil to goodness with the help of the Light to the degree that we gain knowledge about how to do this. A person has to sin first in order to understand that he uses his desire to enjoy for the sake of evil – against everyone and against the Creator. He then sees that he is full of egoism and it rules over him. While going though these states he is called a “transgressor,” and by correcting them he becomes “righteous.” So let us hope that we will become the transgressors about which the Torah is telling us, since these are elevated spiritual states.

These states come to a person who is ready to see his evil, provided that he does not submit to it but rather feels and discerns it. A special Light shines upon him, allowing him to discern the darkness inside himself. Similar to how we check Chometz with a candle light before the holiday of Pesach, a person should descend into the dark cellar within and, aided by the light of a candle, begin checking where is Chometz and where is food that is fit for Pesach.

Only the bestowing Kelim are good for Pesach, while all the rest is forbidden. We need at least a tiny candle light in order to go down to the cellar and begin checking it. That is how we prepare ourselves to exit from our inner Egypt. By revealing and checking the evil within, a person takes a step forward and comes out of the exile from the Upper World.

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In preparation to The Zohar lesson, we have to attune ourselves so as to want to perceive, understand and feel The Zohar within us, inside our matter, so the Light will be revealed to us and we will open up as well, instead of being calmed by our fantasies. Besides, we shouldn’t forget that all the forms of the Light’s connection with the Kelim are attained inside our unity and connection, by restoring the connection among us in the place where it was broken.

Our Kelim are broken and we have to reveal the broken connection among us, as well as to feel how to correct it. The corruption as well as the correction are both inside of us, and both of these feelings must be expressed in us as darkness and Light. They have to define for us the forms of the letters, the form of our connection with and sensation of the Upper Level. The words express a special relationship between the broken Kli (vessel) and the corrected one. From these two forms one attains oneself, the Creator, the relationships between the two and the unity.

“Nothing disappears in spirituality” is a law which means that my previous, broken forms are revealed to me through my mistakes, transgressions, problems and obstacles; and they never disappear. This enables me to make efforts in order to reveal these things and to attract the Surrounding Light, which corrects what had occurred before.

However, the corruption remains inside me so that I would be able to build the correction above it. Both of these states have to exist. It’s impossible to have just serene perfection, since then I would not be able to feel or understand anything. The corruption always continues to exist, and the correction happens above it, but both of these states support one another. The darkness is below and the Light is above it, and this is what produces understanding and sensation within me, the relationships between myself and the Creator, as well as everything that follows from this.

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The Zohar: When darkness comes and Malchut connects to it, she governs and shines in Hochma, which is her governance. And since she lacks the Light of  Hassadim, all her openings are blocked from all sides, for all the Lights freeze within her and there is no vent in her, through which any Light can appear.

She is filled with Light, but the vents are blocked. Afterwards, when the middle line awakens in her and opens the vents, they will receive the illumination of Hochma from her, which was blocked within her at that time. It is written that they crave to permeate the Nukva precisely when she is discerned as small ways and blocked vents, since only then is the Hochma in her complete.

The night is actually full of Light, but we are unable to see in the night since we lack the Light of love and bestowal (Hassadim) to see the Light. Only in the Light of Hassadim can we compel the Light of Hochma to reveal itself and to shine in the Light of Hassadim. The greater the Light of Hassadim, the greater the revelation.

Night or darkness is a state where I am in an ocean of the Light of Hochma, but I have no Light of Hassadim. If I begin developing inner qualities of love and bestowal (the Light of Hassadim), then the Light of Hochma begins to shine for me little by little. This means that I awaken dawn, the Light of morning, and then the day.

From noon and further on, the Light of Hassadim, my force of bestowal, weakens and I begin descending from the level of Hassadim that I once had. It is as if dusk, a lessening of the Light of Hochma in the Light of Hassadim, sets in. That is when evening comes, followed by night. Stated differently, my desire to enjoy has grown and it leaves no strength for me to remain in bestowal and love (Hassadim); it gains more and more power over me. The dark forces of night seize me and I give up, descending into the darkness and becoming incapable of love and bestowal.

But then, while in this dark, I again accumulate the strength to give, and starting from midnight, I begin combining Hochma and Hassadim, so that one Light shines within the other. This is how I reveal the Light.

All of this is done by a person if he overcomes his desire to enjoy through his aspiration for bestowal; then he sees the Light. And vice-versa, he sees darkness to the degree that his egoism overcomes him. That is how we advance through our spiritual development, from day to night, again and again. Everything depends on the person alone, since on the part of the Creator, the Light permanently surrounds us, as it is written, “I did not change My HaVaYaH,” and, “The law is given and one cannot break it.” Everything is already given to you, and from now on you are welcome to do whatever you want.

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The Book of Zohar – Selections, Chapter “VaYishlach (And Jacob Sent),” Item 222
“The gate of tears” is the joy from the fact that I finally and truly want to become similar to the Creator.
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The Zohar, Chapter “VaYishlach (And Jacob Sent),” Item 16: “He who deems himself a worthless slave is better than the vain who thus deprives himself of bread.” This speaks of the evil inclination, for it constantly accuses people, swelling pride in man’s heart and desire. And man follows it with his head raised high, until the evil inclination soars over him, carrying him to hell.

This is describing a state that we have to experience. Kabbalists know it because they have already gone through it.

It is impossible for a person to reveal anything other than through his own experience. Does that mean that every person must experience hell? Yes, it does! But what is hell?

Hell is when I reveal the evil inside myself, which governs me and tears me away from the Creator. It is a terrible feeling, like being enveloped by flames of shame. I see how much I am losing out, yet I cannot help myself.

This state must be experienced by every person, as it is written: “Man shall not perform a commandment without breaking it first,” and, “There is not a righteous person in the world that has not first sinned.”

The verse, “I have created the evil inclination and the Torah for its correction” means that I must always reveal my evil inclination first. I must go inside it, immerse myself in it, in order to discover that it is evil.

Initially we don’t see that it is evil, for if we did, how could we immerse ourselves in it? Initially it draws us in with a shiny and sparkling appearance. It appears good and wonderful, and that is how evil tricks us.

A person that advances on the spiritual path “digs” within his soul, trying to reveal the form of bestowal to the Creator there. He has to go through a state of confusion, and through this confusion to descend into the state of “hell.” This state exists at every degree, and only by experiencing it can a person scrutinize the evil contained within him.

Everything the Kabbalists write comes from their own inner attainment, according to the rule, “A judge has only what his eyes can see.” The authors of The Zohar have personally experienced everything written above.

Let us hope that we too will reach such states, and go through the entire spiritual path, which encompasses everything.

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A question I received: I am sitting here in Australia in front of a computer screen. How can I adopt the group’s desire and tune into the group?

My Answer: Desire knows no boundaries. Only our material bodies are limited by place, movement, distance, and time. However, our soul or desires are in a different dimension where there are no boundaries or limitations.

The spiritual world is a world of forces. The Book of Zohar describes it through stories about Abraham and Jacob, Pharaoh and Moses, and others, which are all talking about forces that a person discovers within. He reveals them beyond time and space.

If I want to unite with the friends, what difference does it make where I am located? In ancient times, Kabbalists were also not physically near each other, but this did not pose an obstacle for them. It was not perceived as a barrier to advancement.

If I wish to advance spiritually, the body cannot help me do this. Therefore, we shouldn’t pay attention to the external things. We need the inner desire of our friends, their points in the heart that aspire to attain the Creator and a connection with Him.

The Creator is an all-encompassing force that fills all of reality. If my friends and I strive toward Him, we can unite our efforts by rejecting our egoism. It doesn’t matter where my friends are located. I don’t even need to talk to them. The action of the desire itself is enough to come closer to the Creator, but it will only happen to the extent that I nullify myself before my friends.

However, since we are living in the material world, we have the ability to connect through the Internet and at Congresses. These allow us to establish more than just an inner connection. Therefore, it pays to attend a Congress once a year, as it can become a great training wheel for us to tune into the common desire.

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The Zohar: It is known that there is World, Year, and Soul in everything. In the stony heart (Lev HaEven), too, there are World, Year, Soul. World is the primordial serpent (Nahash Kadmoni), which Samuel rode; Year—the ninth of Av; and Soul—the thigh-vein sinew (Gid HaNasheh).

The Zohar tells us that there are two ways of perceiving the reality that we feel. There is the perception “for one’s own sake,” where one feels an egoistic “year, world, and soul,” which belong to the stony heart (Lev ha-Even). There is also the altruistic “world, year, and soul,” where one’s perception of reality is directed in the opposite direction, away from oneself. One perceives through bestowal rather than reception, and therefore one perceives the Upper “World, Year, and Soul,” because it is perceived through bestowal (sanctity).

What’s the difference between the perception of reality by way of absorption and reception, when one separates the perception into world, year, and soul; and the perception of reality by way of bestowal, when one also separates the perception into world, year, and soul? This is, in fact, a big difference between these sensations, because by absorbing into oneself, one is limited and feels that he exists in rigid boundaries of time. One feels that he lives and dies; he feels suffering and problems. One constantly wishes to fill himself, but this fulfillment fades immediately. One’s whole existence in these egoistic bounds of “world, year, and soul” takes place in reception, in the stony heart (Lev ha-Even), in absorption “into oneself.” However, in spite of the suffering, one is forced to continue existing in this manner because one’s environment conditions him that this is how he has to live. The environment obliges a person to strive to be successful at this egoistic absorption, and one is compelled to listen to them and thereby to kill oneself.

However, it is possible to perceive reality different – through bestowal, by exiting out of oneself. There, “world, year, and soul” are infinite dimensions, not limited by the considerations of how a person can fulfill himself. One feels the spiritual world, eternity, and perfection.

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