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Hi, reading in the Zohar, I got some questions about the spiritual structures and their properties, as I am not not sure if I understood or interpreted in any way correctly:
1. Would it be correct to say there is a differentiation of the forces into paternal (Hochma), maternal (Bina) and children (Zeir Anpin- son, Malchut-daughter)? And does the interaction between these structures correspondingly show up as branches in human relationships as well, or is this solely a spiritual structure?
2. I understood, that in the way Hochma, Bina, Zeir Anpin and Malchut interact, there is a way of transferring the light Ohr Hochma from Hochma to Bina to Zeir Anpin and Malchut, as well as from Zeir Anpin to Malchut ( Panim be Panim) but also a way of blocking this transfer in Achor be Achor. This is raising quite a few question… are both process PBP and ABA natural processings of light, equally needed, or is PBP the „altruistic“ way of the light being processed, and ABA the „egoistic“ way, so that PBP would be a desired state and ABA be a less developed state? And again is there in terms of branches a corresponding process in how humans relate to each other, thus PBP leading to pleasure and ABA to suffering?
3. Could Bina be considered the primary „maternal force“ , as it is completely devoted to bestowal and to the Light of Mercy? As as it says Bina is relating to Zeir Anpin as to a „son“ and to Malchut as to a daughter, is this why Bina can deliberately fall into Zeir Anpin to correct him and why Malchut can ascend above Bina and why ZON can raise a prayer MAN to Bina ewoking the desire to bestow in Bina? Because, just thinking from a human perspective, thatś what a mother would do…
4. And then, would Hochma be considered a primary „paternal force“, linked to the Light of Wisdom, and is this what is giving strength to the Partzufim and thus can change their state from Katnut (small) to Gadlut (big)?1) These are spiritual structures. But in our world you see the branches.
2) These are all desirable, spiritual states.
3) The spiritual world isn’t “like” our life and psychology; ours is the way it is because in accordance with spiritual roots, we feel good, and out of alignment with the root, we feel unpleasantness.
4) The Light to the lower ones is always through AB-SAG. Bina receives the correct deficiency from the lower ones, and with that, she can turn to Hochma, who turns to his Upper Partzuf, and so on.
Hi, could I have some guidance?
‘For Her sake’, and ‘For Her name’ both translate as Lishma. ‘For Her sake’ has always felt slightly out of reach to me – a bit ‘in the head’ – but ‘For Her name’ says to glorify the Creator in everything you do. There may be a more nuanced meaning in For Her sake, and it even feels odd to be asking a question that hinges on language, but I would appreciate your thoughts.
Lishma translates literally to ‘for her name.’ We can say more generally, ‘for her sake.’ In the end, the important thing is the intention to bestow, to the Creator, through his vessel, which is the friends in the group. What Lishma really is, Baal HaSulam says, is not for the human mind to understand. It’s something wildly alien that it’s useless to try to imagine.
I just wanted to drop a big „thank you“ for answering all the questions. I hope it’s not bothering in any way. Probably it’s just this beginner stage…, It‘s like being exposed to some really new form of matter… it’s easy to open a book and read, but so beautiful and hard to grasp what is really meant … and that is raising so many questions. It’s a bit like being exposed to some new, and very precious material for artistry work, and while I can study the texture and formal use, I know, I will not be able to go without the sensed attainment, which only adds to the longing to grasp it. And there are all the different layers on which things can be understood… which makes it even more precious but also confusing, so thank you for that help and everyone‘s patience. I will try not to ask too much☺️
Hi Gianni, can you help me understand what the term „contentment“ means in terms of „Bringing contentment to oneś maker or to the creator? I understand, this is what it is about. However, I am wondering, what the term contentment really means. I understand, itś not meant to be like a moral judgement, itś not part of corporeal thinking, right? But then, what is it? Is it that through achieving more equivalence of form, a desire returns back bit by bit to the creating force? Is that bringing contentment? Therefore, bringing contentment would be like reaching step by step towards fulfillment of the plan of creation in that creator and creation will be united in the end. Is that what it is about?
That’s what it’s about, in a way that you start feeling Him, knowing what He likes, and doing what He likes.
Thank you, I am wondering… should I think of this like a child wanting to please the parents? Is it a cognitive decision to „want to please“ while being clothed in a human body? Or is it deeper… like naturally getting back to the source, one comes from, not so much in terms of oneś own will, but rather feeling this as some sort of deep longing for unity? To me this is quite opposite, because the first way would be rather directive, the creator would be outside me, and I would cognitively thrive to get to adhesion, the second would be rather through letting go… it would stem from an inner longing for this unity, I dońt know if that makes sense, but it feels different in the approach how to get there.
Hi, in the introduction to the study of the ten Sefirot, many articles refer to working with Torah and keeping Mitzvot in expectation of reward versus punishment, and while doing so , internally growing from Lo Lishma to Lishma. Furthermore, there were suggestions to give the study of Thorah no more than 3-5 years before turning to Kabbalah as a different source. For me this raised a few questions:
1. How is the importance of keeping Torah and Mitzvot considered in a non-religious context? Should that be a source from which to derive direction for people who are not engaged in Judaism? Especially, when it comes to the Mitzvot. I understand, that „love thy friend as thyself“ is kind of the core Mitzva, that is definitely needed for spiritual work, whereas the others Mitvot seem to be guiding to this goal (if that is right) but for a non-Jewish person I am wondering how to deal with the study of Mitzvot at all?
2. In comparison of keeping Thorah and Mitzvot versus engaging in developing the wisdom of Kabbalah, how are Thoras/Mitzvot related to Kabbalah? Could it be said that people can learn outwardly from experience through engaging in Thorah / Mitzvot whereas the study of Kabbalal develops them internally? And can it be said, that if one would decide to take Thorah/Mitzvot more literally, itś not so much about the action performed, but about the underlying faith?
3. And then how does Kabbalah relate to the expectation of reward and punishment? Does this actually exist, like in a conditioned environment, or is it referring to the pain and suffering that arouses from being developed along the natural process rather than the internally driven and enhanced process Kabbalah offers?
Sorry , thatś a lot of questions. But I am really trying to understand HOW to develop myself, and I feel I need to understand the implication the different sources have, especially Thorah and its Mitzvot, because I have no connection to it, so I need to understand which place it is supposed to have in the study of Kabbalah.
1. You don’t need to keep corporeal customs to succeed. You can think of Mitzvot as such: there were Kabbalists who attained the Upper World and saw that, because of the connection between Roots in the Upper World and their branches in our world, there are spiritual actions that, in the matter of our world, can be represented, as with a seal and imprint. Doing these actions could awaken the Surrounding Lights, depending on various factors.
2. It would depend on the intention, and the expectation for the Light to work. But there are other ways to draw the Surrounding Light. And many people do physical actions, but never attain spirituality, no matter how meticulously they keep them. See Item 155 in “The Introduction to the Study of the Ten Sefirot”. https://kabbalahmedia.info/en/sources/OqZMFGHu
3. Reward and Punishment refers to what is already happening to us. There’s already a punishment for not following all that Baal HaSulam and Rabash tell us we should do. It’s happening. But do I see this or not? Seeing clearly that there’s a reward for following their advice to the letter and punishment for not doing so, is called Reward and Punishment.
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