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

The Wisdom of Kabbalah Does Not Speak of Our Corporeal World

Woe to those wicked ones [ignorant people] who say that the Torah is no more than a story [about this earthly world], and regard only the clothing [external narratives of the Torah]. Happy are the righteous who view the Torah [its inner content] appropriately.

Wine lies only in the jug; likewise, the Torah lies only in that clothing in its external clothing which has a form of stories [that seemingly take place in this world]. Hence, we should consider what exists beneath the clothing [within it]. Thus, all of those stories are the clothing [whereas the true essence of the Torah, the truth that the Creator wishes to pass to us, is presented in Kabbalah. This is the reason why Kabbalah is called the “inner Torah.”].
The Book of Zohar with the Sulam [Ladder] Commentary, Parashat BeHaalotecha, Item 64
[21289]

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

The Wisdom of Kabbalah Does Not Speak of Our Corporeal World

Such is the Torah. It has a body, which is the Mitzvot of the Torah, called “bodies of the Torah.” This body clothes in dresses, which are stories of this world. The fools in the world see only that clothing, which is the story in the Torah, and know nothing more. They do not observe what exists underneath the clothing of the Torah [the inner content of the Torah, Kabbalah].
The Book of Zohar with the Sulam [Ladder] Commentary, Parashat BeHaalotecha, Item 62

This [external, general] story in the Torah is [only] the [external] clothing of the Torah. Whoever thinks that that clothing is the actual Torah, and that there is nothing else within it, will be cursed [his soul will remain corrupted, egoistic; he won’t correct it] and [therefore] he will have no share in the next world [in the state of bestowal and love that follows our current uncorrected state]. This is why David said, “Open [the Creator] my eyes, that I may behold wondrous things from Your law [Torah],” observing what is beneath the clothing of the Torah.
The Book of Zohar with the Sulam [Ladder] Commentary, Parashat BeHaalotecha, Item 60
[21243]

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

The Wisdom of Kabbalah Does Not Speak of Our Corporeal World

Regarding the entry, Adam Kadmon, I was appalled to see that a corporeal form was depicted for the concept of Adam Kadmon of the Kabbalah, which is only a metaphysical concept, a Godly concept. God forbid that we should allow ourselves to materialize these sacred concepts, even as a way of studying. [There is no form in spirituality, only forces; therefore, we are allowed to illustrate only correlations between them. See Baal HaSulam’s drawings Sefer HaElan.]
– Rav Kook, Letters, Vol 1, pg. 162

Woe to that person [an unfortunate ignorant man] who says that the Torah is meant to tell literal stories [that allegedly take place in our world], and in uneducated words of Esau, Laban, etc., for if that were the case, even today we could turn words of an uneducated into a Torah, and even nicer ones than they. If the Torah is meant to show mundane matters, even world rulers have better things among them. Let us follow them and make them into a Torah as well. Rather [it’s not the case at all, and not a single world of the Torah speaks of our world, instead], all the words of the Torah are sublime secrets.
The Book of Zohar with the Sulam [Ladder] Commentary, Parashat BeHaalotecha, Item 58
[21069]

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Question: When we read The Zohar, I am constantly picturing things in this world. What should I do?

Answer: That doesn’t matter. If you wish to see the Creator behind this corporeal picture, then it is a good thing. Gradually the corporeal pictures, such as "home," "Abraham," "plants," and "animals" will turn into a picture of traits and qualities. All the words will begin to give you a sensory impression because everything is, in fact, depicted within our feelings.

If you are only seeing corporeal images and pictures right now, it is because for the time being, you are living in the picture of this world that you are used to. However, the Light will gradually cause you to feel traits, qualities, and forces. Instead of words denoting people, inanimate objects, plants, and animals, you will begin to feel the qualities of each of them within you and the correlations between them. Then, you will begin to piece together the picture of these states from your inner, sensory impressions. This picture will be arranged in you from the qualities of all the details of the narrative.
[21563]
From the 2nd part of the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 9/20/10, The Zohar

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

The Wisdom of Kabbalah Does Not Speak of Our Corporeal World

The truth is that The Zohar does not speak of corporeal issues [that occur in man’s egoistic desires] at all, but rather of the Upper Worlds [felt in the altruistic desire], where there is no time line [actions] as in corporeality [egoistic world], and spiritual times are explained in transformations of forms and degrees; they are above place [egoistic desire] and time [the order of actions since cause and effect in the spiritual property of bestowal are opposite to their order in corporeality].
The Book of Zohar with the Sulam [Ladder] Commentary, Parashat VaYetze, Item 139

The wisdom of Kabbalah speaks only from the root of Assiya in spirituality and upward [that is, above our world. Hence, those who try to apply Kabbalah to our world are either ignoramuses or charlatans].
– Rabbi Nachman of Breslev, Collections of the Moharan, 225
[20994]

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Question: You said that when we read The Zohar we should try to recognize the force that is behind the story. Is it correct to imagine that some force is talking to me in a language that I do not understand and I am trying to understand this language like a child that hears others talking to him and learns the language this way?

Answer: No, that is incorrect. Through my corporeal mind and feelings I will never be able to recognize the picture behind which the Creator is situated. My only task during the studies is to awaken a special influence called “the Light that Reforms,” which will then build a new quality in me enabling me to feel the picture of a different world.

Right now I lack the quality that I need in order to see the Creator through the text of The Zohar. This quality has to form in me gradually, as a result of my effort. The Light influences me and builds an additional inner sense – the quality of bestowal. Then I begin to feel the Creator through this sense. No other efforts or goals will help when studying “holy” books (meaning books about the Upper World and the Creator). Therefore, all my efforts should be directed only at awakening the Surrounding Light.

The Creator can only be revealed if I am similar to Him by having the same qualities. He is completely Giving, while I lack the quality of bestowal, which is that sense through which I will reveal Him. I can acquire this sense only through the influence of the hidden Light that Reforms, because the Light creates the quality of bestowal in me. Then I will recognize the Creator.

Therefore, as we read The Book of Zohar, each of us should strive to awaken this Light to influence him.
[21561]
From the 2^nd part of the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 9/20/10, The Zohar

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As we read The Zohar, what is important to me? Is it to know the text in all its details or to get to know the Creator? After all, The Zohar talks about Him and His actions. Do I wish to know what’s written about the actions themselves or about where and from Whom these actions come?

There is a breaking point concealed here which leads either to success or failure, Light or darkness, revelation of the Creator or remembrance of the text, studying the Torah or attaining the One who gives the Torah. The goal is to reveal and get to know the Creator who is behind the text. He is precisely what is important to me, and that is why I think about how to reveal the force through the actions that are described here.

It is like I sit at the table with the Host, who has prepared the most exquisite dishes for me. However, I don’t even look at the dishes or pay attention to anything around me. It’s not that I neglect everything; I use it just in order to reveal Him and to obtain a connection with Him.

Why did I come to this table in the first place? I came for the sake of the Host, in order to meet Him, not for the food. Once I perform various actions in order to get to know Him, I am then allowed to take anything I want from the table, to taste it and enjoy it. I can do anything as long as He is important to me and everything else is just a means.

As we read The Zohar, we study the Creator’s actions, and the only purpose of doing so is to reveal Him. We should concentrate on what is behind the text and try to permeate through it. On the one hand, the book seems to confuse me. On the other hand, through my effort to penetrate through the text, I suddenly begin to see the Creator behind it. There is no other opportunity to reveal Him. There is no other connection to the Host.

I don’t understand Him because He is concealed behind the table. I can understand Him only by studying the dishes given to me. For example, I like sweets and He has prepared them for me. He created me to like sweets and He gave them to me. What does He desire by this? In addition, I don’t really like sour things, yet He gives me sour. Why? I need to reveal Him through myself.
[21569]
From the 2nd part of the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 9/20/10, The Zohar

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Sometimes the language of The Zohar appears to be very odd, but in fact the story behind it is extremely simple. There is my “neighbor” and “myself.” There is a distance between us that is divided into five parts. The most remote part is felt as “this world.” If I connect with my neighbor completely and attain total unity with him, I will sense the “World of Infinity.”

My drawing closer to my neighbor occurs in five steps: I ascend into the worlds of Assiya, then Yetzira, Beria, Atzilut, and Adam Kadmon. Five worlds with 25 steps in each make up 125 steps of us drawing closer together. Before starting this process, while I am still in this world, I have to fully realize that I am separated from my neighbor (the realization of evil).

I perceive myself and the world around me in the connection between me and my "neighbor." The Zohar speaks exclusively about what is happening between us: The still, vegetative, animate, and speaking levels of nature described in The Zohar, in fact, represent my desires of the still vegetative, animate, and speaking levels in relation to my neighbor (other souls).

The entire Torah speaks only about the ways of building the connection between me and my “neighbor.” It is what is called the “method of correction.”

The Torah is the Light concealed in the text, and I can derive it to the measure that I desire to unite with the other. The moment I connect with the other, I reveal the Upper World within this connection and exist in spirituality to the extent of this connection.
[21379]
From the 2nd part of the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 9/17/10, The Zohar

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

The Wisdom of Kabbalah Does Not Speak of Our Corporeal World

All the words of the Torah are sublime secrets [for those who have not acquired the property of bestowal yet and therefore cannot attain their true meaning].
– Baal HaSulam, The Book of Zohar with the Sulam [Ladder] Commentary, Parashat BeHaalotecha, Item 58

The wisdom of Kabbalah mentions nothing of our corporeal world [the state in which egoism reigns].
– Baal HaSulam, “The Freedom”
[20941]

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We have a problem with perceiving The Book of Zohar because even though Rashbi wrote it for our times, he did so from the height of his soul and used an ancient style from 2000 years ago. Obviously, this book does not suit us in this form because we are at the end of the final exile, absolutely detached from the spiritual world. Therefore, we don’t know how to open up this book and how to use it to work on ourselves.

That is why Baal HaSulam created a "ladder" (Sulam) for us, so we can rise along it to the height of The Book of Zohar. This ladder is built so that there is commentary for every excerpt of The Book of Zohar. And it doesn’t matter how much of this book we understand! The truth is that we don’t understand the commentary or the book itself. Nevertheless, the commentary creates a connection between me and the original text of The Zohar.

The same happens on every degree. As we ascend along the degrees, we enter The Book of Zohar through the Sulam Commentary. Without this commentary it would be impossible to connect to The Book of Zohar.

The Sulam is not necessary in order to understand, but for us to attain inner unity. Even if I don’t understand the Sulam Commentary or The Book of Zohar, but I use them and connect to the source, The Zohar starts to influence me.

At first the Sulam is necessary in order to connect us to the Light that Reforms. Without this we would have no possibility of using this marvelous means.

As I read, I am influenced by the Light through the reading, the study, and the group, and the Light awakens new qualities in me. These new qualities enable me to really establish contact with The Book of Zohar and to start to feel what happens there, what is written there. Only then can we speak about understanding The Zohar.

From the 4^th part of the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 9/16/10, Yahrtzeit Baal HaSulam

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