Revealing the Upper World

The Essence of Religion and its Purpose, Talk 11

Lecture presented at Bnei Baruch Education Center

Rav Michael Laitman, PhD, July 28, 2005

• Bold and in quotes: Original text of Baal HaSulam

• Regular: Commentaries of Rav Laitman

• lowercase italics: emphasized words

• Capitalized italics: transliteration from Hebrew

We continue to study Baal HaSulam's article "The Essence of Religion and Its Purpose" from the book Kabbalah LeMatchil, page 19, section called "Religion is Not for the Good of the People, But for the Good of the Worker."

By religion we refer to the Science of Kabbalah, which is the means to achieve creation’s correction. This is precisely what Kabbalists mean when they use the word “religion.”

In general, all words such as commandments, Torah, religion, righteous man, wicked man and so on have completely different definitions in Kabbalah than what is understood in regular use, as it is written: “The opinion of the Torah is opposite to the opinion of the masses.”

First we must define these words correctly, and only then will we understand the message a Kabbalist wants to convey us.

All the problems of understanding the Wisdom of Kabbalah incorrectly— the fact that for thousands of years many people have tried to understand it and failed— come from them defining the words in Kabbalistic texts incorrectly. The words in these texts have an altogether different meaning than what we are used to understanding in all other cases of their use.

Thus, the word “religion” means "Kabbalah" or "Torah". In other words, it is the means for correction. This “religion” has been given to us not merely for “the creature’s good,” in order to derive pleasure from it. Rather, it was given to us only “for the use of the worker, ”for a person who uses it correctly in order to achieve a goal.

Religion is Not for the Good of the People, But for the Good of the Worker

This means that we absolutely cannot change any aspect of our destiny for the better by shouting, praying and using various other pleas. The means, called "Torah and Mitzvot (commandments)", were given for our correction. To the degree a person corrects himself, he acquires the Creator’s unchanging attitude of “He is good and He does good” in the correct form; a person really perceives himself to be in the world of the Creator, Who is “good and Who does good.”

Only in this way, meaning by changing himself, a person is able to change his destiny and his life. Merely pleading with the Creator will not help. The Creator does not change. Even now, He governs creation as one "Who is good and benevolent" for the righteous and for the wicked.

“Many are mistaken and compare our holy Torah with ethics.”

What is the system of ethics? Ethics are systems that constantly guard a person and hold him in fear. They obligate one to perform various actions against one’s will. Thus, instead of correcting oneself and one’s desire from within, a person, out of fear of punishment, performs various actions externally.

“Externally” means “outside” of my desire. That is, I do not want, do not feel and do not understand that this is necessary. However, I was told to do this. I was brought up this way, so therefore I do it. Obviously, in this case, such actions are external. If it were not for the upbringing that became my second nature, if it was not for my habit (whereby I feel bad if I fail to do something), or if I cease to be afraid, I would then run away from this and no longer do anything.

That is, this is not the inner correction of the desires that comprise the entire matter of creation, its very matter or intention “for myself” that a person must correct, in all the 613 desires of his soul. A person’s soul consists of 613 (TARIAG) desires. These desires are subdivided into five levels of Aviut. At first a person corrects the level of Aviut Shoresh, then Aleph, Bet, Gimel and Dalet. This is what we must correct.

Drawing No. 1

How do we correct these desires? We do not correct the desires themselves. Originally, every desire within us is used to receiving delight and enjoyment for our own sake. For all these desires we must establish an intention “for bestowal”, in order to bring contentment for the Upper one.

Drawing No. 2

The desires will remain the same desires as before, but the way they are used will change.

We have talked about this many times before: I do something in order to do good for the Upper by using any one of my desires. If I do this, I become similar to Him, I am as the Upper and thus reach eternal and perfect life. However, this happens only on the condition that I achieve His degree.

This means that I must correct my desire. This does not mean carrying out some physical actions and considering them to be corrections. Rather, it means correcting the desires within your heart. This is precisely what the Upper One wants me to do: to correct my heart. It is also impossible to correct the heart with the system of ethics. Rather, one can do this only with the help of the Light that Reforms.

Drawing No. 3

Therefore Baal HaSulam wrote that “many people mistakenly compare our holy Torah with ethics. ”What is “our holy Torah”? The Light that comes from above and corrects a person is called “Torah”. Why is the Torah called “holy”? “Holy” refers to Bina, the Bestower, and it also means “separated.” A person who is separated from the will to receive, from the matter of this world, is a bestower. Therefore “the holy Torah” is the name for the force that gives one the ability to bestow, that corrects one to the degree of holiness, or Bina.

“But that has come to them because they have never tasted religion in their lives.”

That is, these people have not fully felt either altruistic or egoistic properties. Even though they exist in egoistic properties, they do not think that they exist within egoism. Rather, they think that everything is fine with them, or even consider themselves to be righteous men.

“I call upon them: ‘Taste and see that the Lord is good.’”

This is exactly what we must do: achieve the state when we perceive and see the Creator,

meaning to completely know Him.

“It is that both ethics and religion aim at one thing—to raise man above the filth of the narrow self love and bring him to the summit of the love for others. But still they are distant, one from the other, as the distance between the Thought of the Creator from the thought of man.”

Why? Because it is possible to demand this from a person. Since a person must achieve love for the creation, since he must love all the creatures, people think that, if they force him to do so, he will gradually understand that this is good. They want to convince a person that this is what is necessary for him and for others to feel good.

The whole world agrees that if everyone loves everyone else, then the world will become peaceful and tranquil, and everyone will be happy. So what is missing? Raising the motto “love your neighbor as yourself” to such a high level that everyone will agree to it and accept it as the main principle. So why is this not enough?

“For religion extends from the Thought of the Creator and ethics comes from thoughts of flesh and blood, and from the experiences of their lives.”

In other words, this is like psychology. In our world we see that loving each other is worthwhile and by loving each other we are able to avoid disasters. What else can we do? “Friends, we are all egoists, so let us limit ourselves out of fear of self annihilation, fear of all the disasters our egoism brings to us, and let us elevate ourselves to the level of love.”

In essence, these are thoughts of “flesh and blood,” or “man’s thoughts,” and humanity agrees. It is also discussed in the UN, which has commissions working on the issue of “love for the neighbor.” Why is it not working?

Firstly, the Creator places obstacles before us and does not allow us to love each other on the level of this world in order to satisfy our egoism. Secondly, it is really a mistake to suppose that we can achieve love for the neighbor according to our own decision, based on our understanding, and with this goal in mind. It is because this kind of love for the neighbor, generated by the aspiration to do good for myself, does not elevate me to the level of love. It elevates me only to the level of necessity, whereby I will treat you good in order to feel good myself. The minute I discover that I will also feel good without love for you, I will immediately leave this entire love behind. That is, I do not change my nature. I merely behave good externally toward my neighbor.

“Therefore, the difference between them is obvious, both in practical aspects and in the final aim.

For the recognition of good and evil that develops in us through ethics as we use it, is relative to the success of the society.”

Why do we want to achieve love for the neighbor? All nations speak in favor of it. Nobody objects. Ask modern fascists and they will also say that of course they are in favor of love. Why does everyone want this? Because this will be good for the world. Essentially, this is the greatest egoism, and we arrive at this decision having no other choice.

This has no connection to the attribute of bestowal and real love. Love is when I use another person’s desire as if it were my own. I use my desire only in order to serve another person. In other words, I first have to exit out of my desires, receive the correction of Hafetz Hesed (delighting in mercy) on all my desires, and after this, also acquire another person’s empty Kelim. These other Kelim will become as my own Kelim,

and I then work within them to bestow for their sake . This is called “love.”I must completely replace myself with someone else.

Imagine that you exist, with all your desires, and suddenly you decide to love another person. What does it mean, “to love another person”? This means, you erase everything contained in your body, all of your thoughts and desires, and all your passions and plans. You clothe into someone else and clarify only what he wants, adding all of your body’s abilities to him.

There is not a single thought, desire or plan that is directed at you. According to the Torah, this is called “love for the neighbor.” If a person ascends to this level, this is called that he enters spirituality. Meaning, we are talking about changing one’s nature. We are not talking about external behavior; that which ethics demand of a person.

Such a correction in our matter can take place only with the help of the very Light that created this matter. Our matter was created by the Upper Light. It created our matter, the will to receive. In Kabbalah we study that the Light created a desire. Afterwards, this Light clothed into the desire and gave this desire one additional perception—the perception of the Giver.

Drawing No. 4

This is similar to when I am a guest at someone’s house, and the host serves me delicious food. I feel that the food influences me in two ways. On the one hand, I perceive the delicious food itself—I enjoy the taste, I feel happy and pleased. On the other hand, I feel the host’s presence next to the food. Meaning, I perceive the Creator (the Light); I perceive the pleasure that extends from Him as well as He Himself. The appearance of the Creator ruins my appetite, it ruins my reception, and I begin to push this pleasure away. This is similar to when I say to the Host that I do not want the delicious food. The appearance of the Creator influences the Kli turning it from a receiver into a giver, or a Kli that returns and bestows.

This means that only the appearance of the Creator before meis able to change my egoistic nature; not ethics, with their prohibitions and moral teachings. Anything coming from people cannot correct me. Only when the Creator reveals Himself from above, when the Light reveals itself as bestowing, He will obligate me to become a bestower.

This is precisely the correction we need, rather than merely nice behavior on the outside. We see how hard it is for a person to hold onto this

“With religion, however, the recognition of good and evil that develops in us as we use it is relative to God alone.”

He must become revealed in order to correct me. I already need a connection with Him.

“That is to say, from a change of form from the Maker, to equivalence of form with Him, which is called ‘adhesion.’”

Just look at how much we have to change: we begin from the state when we have absolutely opposite properties, when the Light is bestowing and the Kli is the will to receive, and they are opposite to each other. However, if the Creator appears and the Kli already has a relationship with Him, then I, within my will to receive, transform into one who desires to give to Him in return. That is, I ascend from the degree of the will to receive to the degree of bestowal. I thus equalize with the Creator and attain the same level of existence as Him: eternity, perfection and infinity.

“And they are also completely distant from one another regarding the purpose.”

Ethics, or the system of Musar, and the Science of Kabbalah or Torah, are completely different from beginning to end.

“For the purpose of ethics is the wellbeing of society as far as examination of practical intelligence is concerned, which is taken from the events of life. But in the end, that purpose does not promise its follower any elation above the boundaries of nature.”

Meaning, regular upbringing does not demand a person to rise above his nature; he needs only to be good. In our human society we do not even dream about changing our nature, transforming human nature. Humanity does not think about this at all and does not understand that such a possibility exists. Even people who seem to study religion and Torah do not intend to change human nature using the system of ethics. With ethics, they only want to make a person better externally, for him to carry out the commandments and behave well toward the neighbor, in the external form. Obviously, here we are not talking about correcting a person’s heart, changing his very essence.

“…which is therefore still subject to criticism, for who can prove to an individual the extent of his benefit in such a way, that he will be compelled to belittle his own self, to a certain degree, in favor of the wellbeing of society?

The religious goal, however, promises the wellbeing of the individual who follows it.“

Why is this so? It is because “religious goal” refers to the goal achieved by way of religion, or the Wisdom of Kabbalah. This goal connects a person to the Surrounding Light, as we study. Let us read this part from the end of “Introduction to Talmud Eser Sefirot.”

We turn to page 198, in the book Kabbalah LeMatchil.

Introduction to Talmud Eser Sefirot, Item 155.

“Therefore we must ask: why then, did the Kabbalists obligate each person to study the Wisdom of Kabbalah? Indeed there is a great thing in it, worthy of being publicized: There is a wonderful, invaluable remedy to those who engage in the Wisdom of Kabbalah.”

So firstly, this is Segula (“a wonderful, invaluable remedy”), rather than what a person understands. If he studies the Wisdom of Kabbalah, this happens to him. And what is it that happens to him?

Although they do not understand what they are learning, through the yearning and the great desire to understand what they are learning, they awaken upon themselves the Lights that surround their souls.

That is, a certain Light shines onto a person who studies the Wisdom of Kabbalah.

“This means that every person from Israel is guaranteed to finally attain all the wonderful attainments that the Creator has calculated in the Thought of Creation to delight every creature.”

Every person has his own point in the goal of creation. He must ultimately attain this point, either in a good or a bad way. This point is already guaranteed to everyone, and it exists.

“One who has not been awarded in this life will be granted in the next life, etc. Finally, one will be awarded completing the thought that He preliminarily planned for him.”

This does not mean only one additional reincarnation. Baal HaSulam writes: “in the second life etc.,” meaning that a person may reincarnate even twenty times. The number of reincarnations depends on how much a person strives to finish everything needed faster and reach the goal. He will then no longer need to reincarnate.

“While one has not attained perfection [meaning while he has not reached the goal of becoming similar to the Creator, the force of bestowal], these future Lights that are destined to reach him are considered Surrounding Lights.”

The Ligh tthat a person will receive at the end of the path, will fill his soul, and he will thus feel that he exists in eternity, in absolute perfection. The same Light now shines from the future state (which has already been prepared for him) onto his current state. This happens because a person aspires to attain it, and it shines upon him to the degree he aspires for it.

“That means that they stand ready [the same Lights that will ultimately fill him],

and wait for one to purify one’s vessels of reception [for him to become a giver, for every Kli to work for the sake of bestowal. This is what is called “purification.”] At that time these Lights will clothe the able vessels...” according to the vessels’ readiness.

How does a person advance toward this? As we have discussed, he ascends along one hundred and twenty-five levels of purification. There are five levels of our desire:

Shoresh, Aleph, Bet, Gimel, and Dalet. Correspondingly, there are five worlds: Assiya, Yetzira, Beria, Atzilut, Adam Kadmon, and on the outside is the World of Ein Sof (Infinity).

Drawing No. 5

This way a person gradually ascends and enters the World of Ein Sof (Infinity) as he corrects himself. The same Lights that boundlessly fill him in Ein Sof already shine onto him in the place where he is at the moment. These Lights shine for him to the degree he desires to attain a high state. Therefore we need a group and the correct books,in order to increase the desire. To the degree we aspire for spirituality, a Light shines on us and acts as this wonderful, invaluable remedy: It brings me to a spiritual state.

Question: If a person does not yet have the ready Kelim, then how does he perceive the future Lights?

(He perceives them) in the point in the heart. Right now only desires of this world become revealed in us. These are the desires that now become revealed in us. Within these desires, one more point is becoming revealed, which is the beginning of the spiritual Kli. This point pulls a person upward to his root. The root is located in Ein Sof (Infinity), in the state of Gmar Tikkun (lit. Final Correction).

Drawing No. 6

If a person increases this point within himself, using his efforts to constantly add additional desire and aspiration to it, then correspondingly, with this addition (not with the point itself, but specifically with the addition—the most important thing) the Light comes from the root. This Light is located at the root, but it shines downward as Surrounding Light because it has no place to enter, there is merely a point for now. If a person expands this point into a small Kli then the Light will enter into the Kli to the degree the Kli is already able to contain it. The rest will remain in the form of Surrounding Light. However, there will already be Inner Light as well as Surrounding Light.

This way a person gradually ascends, broadening his Kli more and more. The Inner Light increases while the Surrounding Light decreases. This continues until the entire Light that stood before him finally enters him as Inner Light.

How does a person expand his point in the heart? He expands it by attaching other souls to it. As he begins to tune into other souls and love his neighbor as himself, he attaches other people’s desires within himself and his Kli expands because of this. In other words, he acquires an increasingly greater degree of bestowal. Therefore, according to the law of equivalence of form, the Light fills him more and more.

Question: What practical actions should I perform in order to increase my point in the heart? Do I need to think about or concentrate on something special?

We will talk about this later. This does not fully relate to the topic we are discussing today. Here a person needs to work with books properly and carry out Kabbalists’ advice with precision. This is described best in the writings of Rabash, who talks about what a person must do on every level. The writings of Rabash contain a person’s entire inner work.

“Hence, even when one does not have the vessels [meaning when we have only the point in the heart], when one engages in this wisdom [by reading Kabbalistic books],

mentioning the names of the Lights and the vessels related to one’s soul…”

Undoubtedly, we exist in the World of Ein Sof (Infinity), reaching the root of our soul through all the Upper Worlds. Therefore everything we read in Kabbalistic books, written in the Kabbalistic language, in essence, talks about us, about all levels and states we will have to go through. In other words, I have a relation to all the states I read about. What takes place when a person reads about them?

“…they immediately shine upon him to a certain measure.”

To the degree I aspire to be in these states, to perceive and understand them, I attract the Surrounding Light to myself.

“However, they shine for him without clothing the interior of his soul [meaning I do not yet have a Kli into which the Light could enter] for lack of the vessels able to receive them.

Despite that, the illumination one receives time after time during the engagement[as the Surrounding Light that is around me and in this form it purifies me of my egoism] draws upon one grace from above, imparting one with abundance of sanctity and purity, which brings one much closer to reaching perfection.”

What does it mean, “draws upon one grace from above”? A person begins to perceive the grace of the attribute of bestowal, the attribute of Bina, or the Creator. He begins to value this attribute as the highest and most perfect compared to his nature, and desires to unite with it. This is called“to attach Malchut” or one’s own egoistic attributes—the will to receive, to Bina, or the Divinity.

When he gradually receives this perception and yearning as a result of the Surrounding Light’s influence on him, he thus attracts a greater and greater influence of the Surrounding Light on himself. These Lights that come to a person advance him, helping him to achieve his perfection faster.

This is the difference in the means: do we read books on ethics or on Kabbalah, or as Baal HaSulam calls it, “religion”.

Let us return to the article “The Essence of Religion and Its Purpose.”

“The religious goal, however, promises the wellbeing of the individual who follows it. As we have already shown, that when man is converted to loving others, he is in direct adhesion, which is equivalence of form with the Maker…”

If I exist only within the point and, (Rav is drawing) on account of love for my neighbor,

I attach several other points to myself, by doing this I already expand my Kli. It already becomes a Kli with a certain capacity, it contains a certain amount of space within it.

Why does a space appear in it? It is because I begin to demand the ability to give to my neighbor. New Kelim emerge in me: I relate to another person, my neighbor, and I want to bestow to him. That is, Light, wellbeing, can already pass through me to others.

It turns out that love for the neighbor, attaching Kelim to myself, existing in attributes of bestowal, revealing the Creator as Lights within Kelim, having equivalence of attributes with Him, existing in bestowal, and attaining the goal (to be on the level of bestowal just like the Creator)—this is all the same thing.

There is not a single action here that may serve as a cause for some resulting consequence, and so on, one after the other. All these actions become revealed as one; as it is said: “Israel, Torah and the Creator are one”—“He (Yu), Light (Hayu) and His actions (Garmui) are one.” We reveal everything within exactly the same Kli, within the Kli of our neighbor through our relationship to him.

“…along with it man passes from his narrow world, full of pain and impediments...”

This is how a person always feels within his Kelim separated from and opposite to the Creator. Since the Light is unable to illuminate within them, he neutralizes his desire. There exists a prohibition for Light to shine within the desire. The Creator and creation are opposite to each other, and the Creator is as if far from the creation.

Instead of feeling goodness from the Creator, creation feels the opposite—misfortune and suffering. This is how the whole world feels. These misfortunes and sufferings increasingly multiply. As we develop and, at every moment, become greater egoists, we perceive more and more darkness and suffering. From this state of being opposite to the Creator, we must come to equivalence of form with Him.

“…to an eternal world of bestowal to the Lord and to the people.”

In essence, bestowal to the Creator and bestowal to the creatures is the same thing. If a person exits his body relative to his neighbor, then to him it does not matter who he will bestow to. He does not feel any difference between the two relative to his egoism. If I have to leave myself, then I do not feel whether it is: the Creator or the creatures. This does not matter to egoism; it is “someone else,” I do not feel him and I do need him—for now. As soon as I really exist outside of myself, I reveal that, indeed, the neighbor, whether it is souls or the Creator, is all the same thing. There is nothing else. Why?

We have discussed already that we are all in one closed Kli and we perceive ourselves from within this Kli. It seems to us that we perceive this world that acts upon us, but in reality this is not the world that acts upon us. The Upper Light is located above. It does not change, only the Reshimot within me change. As much as I correct these Reshimot,

I feel myself at the measure of my similarity to the Upper Light. (Rav, pointing to the drawing: this indicates "similar") In other words, I never feel anything located outside of me.

Drawing No. 7

If I do not correct myself, I feel my opposition to the Upper Light and then I feel suffering. If I correct myself relative to the Upper Light, then I perceive myself as the Upper Light. I thus feel good. Ultimately I always feel only my own inner attributes.

Therefore, the teaching of ethics, that tells me to behave “nicely” externally, and the teaching of Kabbalah, “religion” or Torah (about which it is written: “I have created the evil inclination, and the Torah as a spice,” meaning to correct my desires)are completely opposite to each other. I will never be able to achieve equivalence of form with the Creator by means of ethics.

I need to attract the Light in order to do this. The Light can be attracted only by studying the Wisdom of Kabbalah. This is not the study in order to know what is written there,

but rather, the study whereby one yearns to reach the corrected state.

That is, I always perceive the degree of my correction relative to the Creator.

“You will also find a significant difference regarding the support. Because following the ethics is supported by the favor of people...”

We see that everybody wants to appear as a kind, prominent, knowledgeable person, and a sage's disciple. This is not a bad thing, we do not scorn this, but it does not bring a person to the goal. This is good for upbringing and it is welcome in society. Baal HaSulam says that even in the last generation we will need to give out medals and various symbols of honor to those who excel, in order to awaken priorities in society and give it a value system. However, we should not think that we can correct a person’s inner essence this way. This is done only in order to attract a person and bring him closer to the Source.

“…which is like a rent that finally pays off. And when man grows accustomed to this work, he cannot ascend in degrees of ethics, for he is now used to this work,

that is well rewarded by society.”

The problem is the following: if this was done only in order to bring a person closer, then it would be good. However, people "buy" a person this way and he begins, he is ready to work only in order to become prominent, famous or to marry his children more profitably.

That is, to receive society’s approval rather than to exalt in the eyes of the Creator. That is, his external correction is more important to him than his internal correction, which no one sees, understands or feels.

This is the entire difference between the two. Unfortunately, people who fall into the system of ethics continue to remain in it. This way, instead of their inner correction, they are concerned only with the external.

“But by observing Torah and Mitzvot in order to please his Maker, without any reward, he climbs the rungs of ethics, precisely to the extent that he pursues it, since there is no payment on his path. And each penny is added and they accumulate to a great account. And finally he acquires a second nature, which is bestowal to others without any self gratification, except for the bare necessities of his life.“

This means a person intends only to bring contentment to the Creator with his work, without expecting to receive any reward in return. That is, he wants to perform a restriction on himself and achieve love for the neighbor at any price without turning around to look at his own self; since by doing this he equalizes with the Creator.

Three components are present in this: I, the environment, and the Creator. These three components must come together on every stage, in every state, and on every level I go through. The neighbor, the Creator and myself must unify. Baal HaSulam describes this in the Letter on page 63 (in the book Pri Hacham [The Fruits of Wisdom]). He writes that “Israel, Torah and the Creator are one.” Otherwise, a person does not follow the correct path in the direction of the goal.

A person has the correct intention if at every moment he wants to acquire the attribute of bestowal, to exit out of himself slightly, more and more, and in this way, to become similar to the Creator; to bring contentment to Him, become the same as He and relate to his neighbor with love just as the Creator relates to him. That is, all of this must unite into one picture where there is no difference between these three parameters: me, the neighbor and the Creator. All of this must converge in one point,and if a person constantly advances this way, it means he advances correctly.

By doing this he reaches the level of ethics. Sometimes Baal HaSulam also calls ethics “advancement toward the goal,” but this is already a higher, divine ethics, or the inner corrections of the heart.

“Now he is found to really have been freed from the incarcerations of creation. For when one detests self reception and his soul wants no more of the petite physical pleasures and respect, he finds himself roaming freely in the Lord’s world. And he is certain that no damage and misfortune will ever occur, since all the damages come to a man through the self reception that is imprinted in him.”

A person rises above his egoism and of course, as a result he becomes equal, similar to the Creator and acquires equivalence of form with Him. Obviously, he begins to feel his inner attributes of bestowal, or, in other words, he feels the Creator, which is the same thing, and he perceives himself in perfection and eternity. It is clear that all the misfortunes that he felt before were only because of the lack of the equivalence of form with the Creator, or his opposition to Him.

There is no other opportunity. No prayers, pleas, shouts, useless expectations or searches for some other means will help us to reach a good state. We will feel good only to the degree we become similar to the Creator. To the degree we are opposite to Him, we will feel bad. The change must take place in us, not in the Creator. He always relates to us with bestowal, as “Kind and Benevolent.”

If a person turns to the Creator and demands of Him:“Change your attitude toward me! Do something good for me!”, this means that he thinks right now the Creator is not good toward him. In essence, this is what he says to the Creator. But this is fallacy, because the Creator does not change, as it is said: “He is Kind and Benevolent for the righteous and for the wicked,” “I did not change my Name”, and so on.“The Upper Light is in absolute rest”, as we say in Kabbalah, and constantly shines on everyone.

The Creator is the force of bestowal that does not change. We exist within this force

and every person feels the degree of his own correction or spoilage. Therefore “to pray to the Creator” means to ask Him to correct my nature. If I do not turn to Him with the plea to correct my nature, this is not called a prayer.

If I address Him, asking Him to change, it turns out that now I blame Him for bringing evil on me. After all, “There is none else beside Him.”Where else can all that happens to me come from if not from Him? Are there any other forces in the world? If I think that there are other forces beside the Creator, I already “worship idols.”

Therefore after all these clarifications, a person must understand that correction happens only in him. "In him" means that it takes place in his matter. His matter was created by the Upper Light, the force of the Creator, and the only thing for which he can plead is for its correction.

If so, then when do we ask for correction? We ask for it during the study of the Wisdom of Kabbalah. Light then descends and shines on a person from the corrected state, which is already prepared for him to reach in the future. From that future state, the Light shines on a person in his current state and pulls him to the corrected state. This is called “the Light that Reforms.”This is because the Source, where I will receive my good state is above, and this Light brings me there, reforms. The Light that Reforms is called “the Light of Torah.”

A person has nothing to get angry and complain about after he finds out about what is written: “I created the evil inclination and Torah as a spice,” and “Leave Me but preserve My Torah", since the Light in it reforms. Everything is written very clearly.

“Thus we have thoroughly shown that the purpose of religion is only for the individual who delves in it...”

That is, we are not talking about a person who does not begin to study the Wisdom of Kabbalah, does not open Kabbalistic books from where we receive the Reforming Light, as Baal HaSulam writes. We see the results from studying the real Wisdom of Kabbalah according to the correct methodology and what happens when, unfortunately, people study other methodologies, even though they may use the same books.

“Thus we have thoroughly shown that the purpose of religion is only for the individual who delves in it, and not at all for the use and benefit of common people, although all his actions revolve around the benefit of people and are measured by these acts. But that is but a passage to the sublime goal, which is equality with the Maker. And now we can comprehend that the purpose of religion is collected while living in this world.

And examine closely in The Giving of the Torah, the matter of the purpose of the whole and the purpose of the individual.”

We do not understand or feel all of this in this world, as Baal HaSulam writes in the “Introduction to Talmud Eser Sefirot” in Item 4:

(Rav finds the article on pg 160, in the book Kabbalah LeMatchil)

“Now you can see the true meaning of their words. It is indeed true that the Creator Himself puts one’s hand on the good fate by giving him a life of pleasure and contentment within the corporeal life that is devoid of content, filled with torment and pain.”

That is, a person suddenly feels that there is a certain place where he can escape all of the suffering. In this way, the Creator turns a person toward the right direction.

“One necessarily departs and escapes them when he sees a tranquil place, even if it seemingly appears amidst the cracks. He flees there from this life, which is harder than death. Indeed, is there a greater placement of one’s hand by Him than this?”

This is how the Creator brings a person to the group, to the screen of a television where people talk about Kabbalah, to the Internet, to a book, or to any place where a person who has ripened can receive further advancement toward the goal, to the degree of his readiness.

“One’s choice refers only to the strengthening. This is because there is certainly a great effort and exertion here before one purifies one’s body [meaning acquires the will to bestow instead of the will to receive] to be able to observe Torah and Mitzvot correctly...”

What does it mean, “correctly,” and what does Torah and Mitzvot mean? A person must realize “correctly” all of his 613 (TARIAG) desires, (Rav is drawing)the sum of which is called “the s-o-u-l,” meaning he must correct his soul. How should he correct it?

In order to act “…not for himself but to bring contentment to his Maker…”

Drawing No. 8

If I do this, then I not only do good for the Creator by bestowing to Him within all my desires and being devoted to Him with all my heart. Rather, through this I become similar to Him. When I become similar to Him, I am in the same state as He, which means eternity, perfection and infinity, in all senses of these words. Therefore the Creator sends us suffering in order to advance us and bring us closer to a good state.

Question: How do desires on different levels of Aviut differ? Are these different desires?

I do not want to confuse people, but let us say that on every degree there are the same 613 desires, only each time they become revealed with increasingly greater Aviut, coarseness, with greater aggressiveness and demand. However, the same desires are present there as it is impossible for something to be missing in a person.

This is similar to how human sperm, fetus, a newly born, a little person or a grown up person have the same forces and organs in them that either exist in potentiality or act in actuality, are either bigger or smaller. Yet, they are present—the only difference being whether this force has become revealed or not.

Drawing No. 9

The same thing is true for the ascent along spiritual degrees. There are 125 levels: 5 x 5 x 5. There are five levels of Aviut: Shoresh, Aleph, Bet, Gimel and Dalet, which correspond to five worlds: Adam Kadmon, Atzilut, Beria, Yetzira and Assiya. In each world there are five Partzufim, and each Partzuf contains five Sefirot. In total there are 125 degrees.

On every degree there are the same 613 desires, but each time they reveal with increasingly greater strength. “Every person who is greater than his friend has a greater egoistic desire.” That is, each time there is greater “heaviness of the heart”, but at the same time, we also have more strength and understanding about what to do with it.

Difficulties are given to a person according to his level of development, in the same way we do this when teaching children. By overcoming these difficulties, a person ascends and begins to understand and feel more. In this way he reveals his Spiritual World more and more, identifies with it, and no longer feels his body at all. He lives in this world, but the physiological body does not pose any problem for him. So much so that even when he frees himself of his body, he continues to live in the Spiritual World, and the Spiritual Reality is everything for him.

Question: Why does a person have to exit out of himself in order to love his neighbor? Why can he not love him to the same degree, to love himself and his neighbor?

(Laughing) Of course, many people would agree with you. In reality this is a fair question.

We return to love, beginning to use ourselves for our neighbor, but this is already called “resurrection of the dead” in our desires.

In our path, at first we restrict ourselves and merely exit ourselves to the neighbor. We connect with the neighbor as if we restrict ourselves, as if we do not exist on our own. When we are already able to do this, we then return to ourselves which is called “resurrection of the dead.” We then bring our 613 desires to life and begin to work with them.

It turns out that I use all my desires and all desires of my neighbor, and there is really no division here into halves, whereby I have some and my neighbor has some. Rather, everything is one hundred per cent inside of me and everything is one hundred per cent inside of him.

In other words, I do not remove myself from this entire picture. That would be incorrect. Spirituality is the full use of everything created by the Creator. Therefore isolation, taking on prohibitions, self-torment and even maintaining a diet that is not necessary for you: this is all forbidden.

“Nazir must bring an additional offering" ¹” This is because one must not fast for nothing. One can fast, only when it is established that there must be a fast, but he cannot do it without a good reason.

Maintain the fast inside of yourself— perform inner restrictions, if this happens under the influence of the Upper Light. However, if you maintain external fasts, you will only increase your pride by doing this. There is more to learn here, and we will continue later.

Tomorrow, we will continue with the article "The Peace", from the same book Kabbalah LeMatchil.

Thank you and goodbye for now.

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1. Nazir (Heb.)- a person who has taken an oath to leave the pleasures of this world↩