Kabbalah Moments: From A High Mountain To A Deep Hole
Posted on July 28th, 2010
Kabbalah TV Channel 66’s Kabbalah for Beginners, “The Arvut (Mutual Guarantee)”
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Question: What does “crossing the Machsom” mean?
Answer: To cross the Machsom (the barrier separating us from spirituality) means to feel the reality within. The “point in the heart” emerges and gains the minimum “volume” (10 Sefirot). In these Sefirot, I begin to perceive and feel a new reality. I feel how the Light enters and exits me and causes various sensations. It starts with minimal changes in perception and understanding, but I’m able to see what’s occurring “within.” With regard to our world, I begin to see it on the background of the new (spiritual) world.
Such duality of existence is not an obstacle. On the contrary, it allows me to feel and understand the relationship between the two worlds, the branch and the root. Within my point in the heart, I sense various actions no matter how small. I still don’t understand what it means when the Light enters and exits, but I feel that something comes and goes repeatedly. I don’t yet comprehend exactly what is happening just like a newborn who feels but doesn’t know what is going on.
Suppose a light turns on and off. A newborn doesn’t know that it is called light and dark, but he observes some phenomenon. To me, as the Light enters and exits, it gives a sensation of the Upper reality (as the Light enters) and our world as its mere imprint (as the Light exits). Further on, I begin to orient myself in it better and better to the degree of my ability to develop similar properties.
From Mega Congress Lesson 5, 7/25/10
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Kabbalah Moments: “Towards The Machsom”
As a consequence of our spiritual work, we should reach a state in which 1) We all desire to reach the same goal and 2) We all are united. However, we unite not because this is our initial state that comes from Above, but because it is our common goal.
In a best case scenario, when we correct something in our world, we return the object to its former state. However, when we correct the broken connections with other souls, we acquire much more than we had prior to the breaking of the common soul. This is due to the fact that we reveal and endow independence to every part outside of ourselves.
Within my egoism, I relate to everyone as though they have no independence and they all should service me. As I begin to love them, I wish to relate to them like every one of them is great, independent, and special. This is also how we want to see our children. Then each of the friends that surrounds me suddenly becomes a possessor of freedom of choice; each of them takes his place and level. And then, when we unite and I adjoin all these friends to myself, it turns out that each of them has grown and become just as great as me.
As a result, I do not re-adjoin the same seven billion parts to myself; rather, seven billion worlds of infinity unite into one. This means that I increase the scope of my spiritual vessel (Kli) by 620 times. However, all this works only in relation to me. After all, everything exists within me and depends only on the extent to which I relate to my friends in the right manner every time. I do it only in order to increase my Kli, to make it worthy of the Creator’s revelation.
Therefore, I see them in a three-fold way:
1. As higher than me, so that they would be great in my eyes,
2. As lower than me, in order to bestow to them,
3. As equal to me, in order to unite with them.
Then I acquire a huge, powerful Kli called my true soul. It becomes several billion times bigger than it was prior to the correction. After all, before the correction, I was in the World of Infinity as one point. Now I return to it with a “620” (Tarach) times greater sensation of perfection and eternity. The difference between these two states is like the difference between a drop of semen and a grown-up person who attains everything.
From Mega Congress Lesson 5, 7/25/10
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ARIfilms: “The Ego’s Grip On Our Choices”
It is said in Mishnah (Ta’anit 26:2): There are no happier days for Israel than the 15th of Av and Yom Kippur (the Day of Atonement) for on them the maidens of Jerusalem used to go out dressed in white garments, borrowed ones, however, in order not to cause shame to those who had none of their own… and thus the maidens went out and danced in the vineyards, saying: ‘Young men, look and observe well whom you are about to choose?’
The pretty ones among the maidens, what did they say? "Regard but beauty alone because a woman is made for beauty." Those from the noble families among them, what did they say? "Rather look to a family for a woman is made to bear children." The wealthy ones among the maidens, what did they say? "Look at those with considerable wealth." The ill-favored ones among them, what did they say? "Take us for the glory of Heaven and crown us with the golden adornments."
The “ill-favored maidens of Jerusalem” is the last phase of Malchut, Dalet-de-Dalet, called “poor and wretched.” A person runs away from a work like this, having no motivation or desire for it because all this work is by “faith above reason.” But it is created this way on purpose to help one attain spirituality.
A person has to understand that if his egoistic desire doesn’t work any more, if he lacks any desire at all, or if the beauty or fulfillment doesn’t attract him any longer, then it is a sign that he needs another type of “fuel.” A person is given the chance to imagine a state in which he isn’t “bribed” by his egoism and to understand that if he continues working in the same manner, it will be “for the sake of bestowal.”
However, where does he get “anti-fuel” that will allow him to work without energy or fulfillment of his egoism? This is the state where a person starts to comprehend that he needs the Creator’s help. If he doesn’t get power from Above called the Light, he won’t be able to move at all. If someone wants to reach bestowal without being compensated by “wealth,” “beauty,” or “nobility,” but rather chooses a “poor and wretched wife” (according to an estimation of his own egoism), that is, if he chooses to bestow unconditionally, then he arrives at The Day (property of the Light) of Joy and Love (15th of Av).
From the 2nd part of the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 7/26/10, Article “15th of Av”
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The Path Of Kabbalah: “Faith Above Reason”
Dear Friends, please ask questions about these passages from the great Kabbalists. I promise to answer them. The commentaries in brackets are mine.
All the Teachings in the World Are Included in the Wisdom of Kabbalah
Since the whole of the wisdom of Kabbalah speaks of the revelation of the Creator [the reason for the Creator’s concealment], naturally, there is nothing more successful teaching for its task. [The whole of reality is the Creator. The present reality is His concealment. The only real action is revelation of Him.]
– Baal HaSulam, “The Teaching of the Kabbalah and Its Essence”
However, understanding the meaning of the word, “spirituality,” [sensed in the property of bestowal and love] has nothing to do with philosophy. This is because how can they discuss something that they have never seen or felt? [After all, they do not have a goal to be corrected and do not research the new reality in the corrected properties.] What do their rudiments [about the attainment of the Upper World, the Creator] stand on?
If there is any definition that can tell spiritual from corporeal, it belongs only to those who have attained a spiritual thing and felt it. These are [only] the genuine Kabbalists; [this is because they are the only ones who are engaged in self-correction and after that, they sense and research the Upper World according to their similarity to it] thus, it is the wisdom of Kabbalah that we need.
– Baal HaSulam, “The Wisdom of Kabbalah and Philosophy”
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Kabbalah Moments: “What is Spirtuality”
Becoming a spiritual embryo means totally annulling oneself before the Upper One. There is a clear analogy in this world: an embryo cannot choose whether or not to eat, while a baby already can. An embryo receives sustenance directly through an umbilical cord, but it has to receive an anti-egoistic screen to be connected with its mother. Being an embryo is tremendous work. It seems to us that a drop of semen simply grew to 7 pounds in order to be born, but that isn’t completely correct. It not only gained 7 pounds; it also climbed 125 spiritual degrees, as it is written: “In the mother’s womb a candle burns and enables an embryo to see from one end of the world to the other, and it is taught the entire Torah,” the entire Light of Infinity (NRNHY).
An embryo receives and digests only to the degree that it annuls itself before its mother, and this annulment must take place in every spiritual degree until the End of Correction (Gmar Tikkun). A screen is needed so that it will not interfere with the action of the Upper One and so that it will only annul its own ego. It remains a drop of semen until its birth, as it were, while 7 pounds are formed only by annulling itself.
Until you become a drop of semen, you simply do not exist in spirituality. Annul yourself relative to the very first degree of spirituality, annul all your egoism relative to the point in the heart that you received, and then you will become a drop of spiritual semen and enter the mother’s womb of the Upper Partzuf. There, you will see all your friends; they are waiting for you. You are the only one missing in order for the spiritual embryo to start growing and evolving! You cannot do it alone because you have to unite with the others inside one Mother.
From the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 7/9/10, The Study of the Ten Sefirot
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5 Minutes Of Light: “Discover Your Connection With Others”
Question: How do I check my intention so that I am not lying to myself and I am doing everything possible for my advancement?
Answer: When a person begins his spiritual development, he only has an intention “for myself.” Only under the influence of an invisible Upper Light does he begin to feel a change in himself in that his intention becomes “for the sake of others.” In order for this to happen, a person needs to perform the actions that he is capable of performing, namely to 1) Unite in the group to the point of reaching a state of a mutual guarantee, as one man with one heart, and 2) Study Kabbalah together.
Kabbalists advise us to perform these two actions. This is called “half a shekel” which we need to put in. The other half will be given by the Creator.
We should invest, invest, and invest in the studies, unification, and dissemination. First, there should be the action, and no one can argue whether it did or did not happen. It is seen clearly, and it is within your power. Make a list of your actions (not necessarily the physical ones) that you have done that have transferred from your desire to the neighbor. You direct your actions to the group or to the Creator. By turning your actions toward them, you invest in them.
This is much like adopting a child where you invest in him, and he becomes closer to you than your own child. You don’t invest as much into your own child since you know that there is a natural connection between you anyway. However, you invest more in an adopted child because you are afraid that your connection is not strong enough. You wish to connect yourself to the child and to have him be connected to you.
Thus, adopted children become more dear to us than our own. This is because there is fear within that he isn’t really mine, and there is more that I could add or do. Maybe I am not treating him right or maybe he won’t treat me like I am his father. We see how important this inner fear is in order to use it as a foundation for revealing love.
From the 2nd part of the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 7/22/10, Article, “You Stand Today, All of You”
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Rabash, Shlavei HaSulam, “Who is He Who Causes Prayer?”
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The Book of Zohar – Selections, Chapter “Lech-Lecha (Go Forth),” Item 174
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Rav Yehuda Ashlag, Talmud Eser Sefirot, Vol. 6, Part 15, Item 2, Lesson 2
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Rav Yehuda Ashlag, “Introduction to the Book, Panim Meirot uMasbirot,” Item 3, Lesson 2
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