The body of the soul includes 248 positive commandments, 365 prohibited commandments, and 7 commandments of the sages (De Rabanan, from the word “Rav,” great), which are an addition to the 613 regular commandments. Altogether, there are 620.

Until we cross the Machsom, we do not know a single commandment because we are in darkness, in concealment. We do not know what we are fulfilling, with which desire we are working, or by means of which desire we have a connection with the Creator. The Creator is revealed within desires. If He is concealed, it means the desire has not yet been clearly revealed in me.

I do something, but I do not know what I am doing. I have a point in which there are 620 desires. What can I do with them? I do not know. They appear to me as a point. Therefore, it is written that since you do not know what to do with them, in which particular desire you are now acting, then “whatever is in your power to do, do.” And whether I do it for the sake of reception or for the sake of bestowal, it is not important. Exert effort!

This continues along the whole path until we cross the Machsom. As I approach the Machsom, I begin to feel the particular desires I am in, even in the smallest form; this is still called “the growth of a person in the mother’s womb.” But certain awareness already exists.

What awareness does an embryo in the mother’s womb have? We say none at all, but it does exist! It is still a foreign body found in the body of the higher.

In exactly this measure, a person feels his existence in the world of the Creator, in the Creator Himself, within Him. We, in our present state, cannot point out even a single commandment precisely. Our commandments are our various efforts that we make in order to come to some degree of similarity to the Creator, to connection with Him, to His revelation.
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From the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 3/23/26, Rabash, “The Measure of Practicing Mitzvot [Commandments]”

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Question: Does it make sense to perform actions without a desire, without an inner attitude? Suppose I know that right now I am not capable of desiring the Creator, but I was told that if I work in the kitchen, for example, I will attain this.

Answer: First of all, a person must act. As it is said in the “Preface to The Book of Zohar”: even commandments without intention purify the body, but on the level of Nefesh de Nefesh.

What does commandments without intention mean? It is when a person like you wants to reach the goal but does not know by which actions exactly.

It is said that even simple commandments, that is, various corrections of desires without the intention for the sake of the Creator will help if you try to come out of the inanimate (Domem) state. This state is characterized by a lack of understanding and absence of sensation as if you do not exist at all.

Question: But must a person ask himself what he is doing this for?

Answer: When you act without knowing why, you are like a small child. He looks at his father and repeats the same actions after him, without knowing why he is doing them. This is called the “monkey” instinct. In fact, this is the most correct learning when the small one wants to become similar to the great one only through actions.

“From Your actions we shall know You.” From the fact that a person performs these actions, he begins to understand the mind, the plan of the upper, why He does this. Then the lower one begins to receive this mind. Even in this world you never know the next degree in advance, its plan or how it works. You see only its external form, that is, how it acts on you.

It has other Reshimot, other intentions that you do not touch at all and about which you have no idea. Of course, you cannot act as it does because you do not have such Reshimot, screens, and forces. And nevertheless, if in your state you try to do everything as it is done there, despite the fact that you have no desire and no Reshimot, this will mean that you want to become similar to the upper.
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From the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 3/23/26, Rabash, “The Measure of Practicing Mitzvot [Commandments]”

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Comment: In the article “We Should Always Discern between Torah and Work,” Rabash says that if a desire arises in a person to ask for oneself, it is not good. But I do not control this.

My Response: We are not speaking about your current ability to control it, but about the state you must ultimately attain. You must reach a state where your attitude during the study of the Torah is under control, rather than simply reacting impulsively like weeping if you suddenly feel pain or laughing if something strikes you as funny.

Before you come to study, you must arm yourself with everything necessary so that your study will be beneficial for correction and advancement; otherwise, it is worth nothing.

It is said that there must be a “prayer before the prayer.” It is written in the Gemara that in the past, people would sit in concentration for two hours before the evening prayer, in order to focus their intention before uttering the prayer. This refers to matters of a very exalted spiritual nature.
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From the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 3/21/26, Rabash, “We Should Always Discern between Torah and Work”

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Question: How can one prepare for a state in which the corrections themselves will be our fulfillment and will lead to connection and adhesion?

Answer: To prepare for this state, one must arm oneself with a desire, a lack.

You see that everything is simple: light and Kli, clothing and inner part, desire and fulfillment. Both corrections and fulfillments come through the light; therefore, our entire life must depend on the light.

There are two types of influence in the light: correction followed by fulfillment, depending on what you want to be connected with, what you prefer, what you want from its action upon you.

It is very simple. When we speak in this way, a person stands before decisive actions: either yes or no.
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From the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 3/21/26, Rabash, “We Should Always Discern between Torah and Work”

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