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Hi,
In different parts of KabU, I think I ve heard Adam Harishon spoken of both as the original oversoul, and also as a man, 6,000years ago, who first discovered kabbalah. Can you put correct my understanding, please?
Thank youHi Sarah,
It depends on the context, but yes, that term can refer to both.
1. The first Kabbalist was called Adam. He was the first, so he’s called HaRishon (which is Hebrew for: the first).
Check out this blog post from Rav Laitman for more details: https://laitman.com/2011/06/kabbalah-without-a-trace-of-mysticism/
2. The common soul is also called Adam HaRishon. This is a closed system to which we all belong. It’s like we’re all cells that make up this body of Adam HaRishon. The word Adam comes from the Hebrew verb “Dome”, which means: similar to. In this context, the word Adam is used to show how this system is constantly developing to become similar to the Creator. So essentially all of creation can be called Adam.
Check out this blog post from Rav Laitman for more details: https://laitman.com/2014/05/puzzle-adam-harishon/
Albert @ KabU
Let me confirm if I understood well, Kabbalah studies does not require any physical/character change whilst studying, but, my question, or rather conclusion, is, is it possible to attain any spirituality WITHOUT that affecting your character? As I cannot understand how someone who is learning and attaining spirituality can stay the same way as he/she was before that in this physical world (I am referring only to the emotional and mental state (including the behavior), for sure I don’t expect to grow third leg or something :))
Hi Zorica,
When we say that Kabbalah does not require any physical changes, it’s because most of our spiritual work is internal, and if there is any external expression of this work, we do it only in the Kabbalistic group.
With the rest of the world, obviously we should not be causing harm to anyone nor doing anything illegal there. But aside from that, with the rest of the world we need to act normal, just like everyone else.
As for the changes we undergo, we go through many different changes on the spiritual path. It’s not so much that our character will change, but rather we will begin to relate differently to life. Furthermore, the more we advance we become more sensitive, so our emotions become deeper. Aside from that, our priorities will shift around. At first we will value spirituality much more than corporeality, but then corporeality will once again become important and we’ll need to find a way to balance the two of them.
As for growing a third leg, no we won’t grow a third leg. We also wont become monks and disconnect from this world. Kabbalists continue to exist on the level of this world throughout the entire spiritual ladder of development. So we’ll continue to work, take care of our families, health, etc.
So from the above, we can see that not much changes externally while studying Kabbalah. Internally on the other hand, it’s quite an adventure…
Albert @ KabU
Hi fellow seekers,
I have some questions:
1) As I understand, we are in a world of consequences (branches). Above us is the world of Spirit (roots). As “myself” is a branch in this world of effects, is there my very own counterpart/root in the world of Spirit?
2) Using words from previous Jose post: Tony explains that if we knew and if we were connected with the upper spiritual world, we will be able to direct our destiny, we’ll stop making mistakes, we’ll understand the forces that guide us, we’ll become connected with the light to such a degree that we’ll be able to live life to the fullest and the benefit of all life.
We can therefore influence outcomes in this world caused from the causal world? If so, then Kabbalists can remove any negative consequences/outcome? So, logically then, we would have the power to live lives in perfect fulfillment of pleasure? So, how does Karma or the Will of God fit in?
Thank you,
GeoffHi Geoff, great questions!
1. From the 3 state model presented by Baal HaSulam in the Introduction to the book of Zohar, we learn that the future perfect spiritual state already exists, and we all already exist there as well. The only difference is that our uncorrected ego does not allow us to perceive this yet. So once we correct our egoistic nature, we will reveal the true spiritual reality in which we existed the whole time.
Check out this blog post from Rav Laitman for more details: https://laitman.com/2010/04/revealing-our-true-state/
Introduction to the book of Zohar, from item 14: https://kabbalahmedia.info/en/sources/ALlyoveA
2. The goal of creation is to bring us to that third final corrected state. This goal is predetermined. The path to reach that goal (state #2) is also predetermined. It’s like climbing a ladder, you have no choice but to keep climbing up.
So what influence do we have on this system? We can change the speed at which we climb the ladder and we can also change our attitude to what we are going through.
But if our development requires us to go through something unpleasant, like wars or personal troubles, we have no choice but to go through it?
We have to experience everything that is necessary for our development. But if we experience these things internally, in our spiritual work to correct our ego, we don’t need to experience them externally. For example with war, I can feel internally like I’m at war with my ego in my spiritual work. Or if I don’t perform this spiritual work, this war will appear externally in front of me in this world, and I will need to experience it externally.
Check out this blog post from Rav Laitman for more details: https://laitman.com/2023/01/what-can-we-influence/
Albert @ KabU
Hello Friends,
Tony explains that if we knew and if we were connected with the upper spiritual world, we will be able to direct our destiny, we’ll stop making mistakes, we’ll understand the forces that guide us, we’ll become connected with the light to such a degree that we’ll be able to live life to the fullest and the benefit of all life.
How can we connect with the upper spiritual world? How long it will take to reach the whole of reality? Is this an individual, a group, or an internal effort we need to make? Is there any practical action we can take today to reach spirituality? What does spirituality mean?
Thank you,
Jose L. Espaillat
“Love above reason”
Hey Jose,
First we have to know where it is, maybe even more importantly, where it’s not. It’s not anywhere but between people, others in this world around us. Connecting with the spiritual world is first leaving or disconnecting from the world which conceals that reality. From self-love to love of others.
How long will this take? It just depends on the person, the root of their souls, the effort they contribute, the environment they connect themselves to which ultimately pulls them out of themselves. It’s both an internal and group matter. It’s working together and helping one another.
Practical action? Definitely, attend any gathering or group action, connect yourself to that “blob” of people who want to attain the spiritual goal and don’t let go. Stay adhered to the source texts and don’t leave them. Nothing happens at once. It’s a gradual development, but if you work at this and become more sensitive to the changes , you’ll see you are always advancing, knowing what changed in you and what you need to correct to be aimed at the goal again.
Spirituality is devotion to the Creator. It’s loving Him through love of others. It’s the ability to be above yourself 100% so as not to corrupt the pleasure He wants to bestow to all of creation. It’s the recognition that we are all one creature and existing for myself actually causes me the greatest pain even though it’s my most natural tendency, and always will be. It’s the purpose of creation though, for each of us to attain that level and feel what it is to truly be free, which is what we all want just not all of us feel it yet.
Best of luck, Jose.
Chris
Hi Tammy,
It depends on the context. You could say that our world uses the branch language. And sometimes we use the terms “our world” and “this world” interchangeably. But sometimes “this world” is not referring to planet Earth, and not even to us, but rather to the beginning of our spiritual journey. “This world” is referring to the point when we discover that there is something called spirituality and that we’re disconnected from it. Meaning it’s already a type of awareness of what is lacking. So we can say that 99% of the world is not in this concept called “this world” because they still don’t feel that they are lacking spirituality.
Albert @ KabU
HI, Albert,
I ‘d like to ask about what Tony said regarding the relationship between Kabbalah & Judaisism.
Would not the inner moral nature be the same?
Thanks, Sarah
Hi Sarah,
Kabbalah does not deal with morals. Kabbalah helps a person change on the inside. Not just our external actions, but our ingrained nature changes from operating in the direction of reception to the direction of bestowal.
Furthermore, Kabbalah and Judaism are two separate things. Let’s put a few things into perspective to understand this:
Kabbalah is the method of correcting our egoistic nature and thereby revealing the Creator, the general force of love and bestowal. The first one to actualize this was Adam. His name gives us a hint at this since Adam comes from the Hebrew word “Dome”, meaning “similar to”. He was not the first one alive, but rather the first one to reveal the Creator by becoming similar to this quality of bestowal.
This wisdom gets passed on ward from Adam until Abraham who adapted it to the people of his generation and made the wisdom more practical. Abraham put together a large group of Babylonians who were interested in actualizing this method. These people later on became the Israeli nation. The word Israel comes from the Hebrew words “Yashar” “El” meaning straight to God. These are the people who had an active point in the heart in those days and were interested in revealing the Creator.
These people greatly succeeded in this method. The peak of their success was symbolized in the building of the first and second temple, which reflected the level of unity and bestowal they were able to reach. At a certain point, they lost the spiritual connection between them (the destruction of the 2nd temple) and what remained was just these external symbols of their connection.
At this point the wisdom of Kabbalah became concealed. People still had the holy books, Torah and etc, but they did not know how to use them. Since the Torah is written in the language of roots and branches. Meaning it uses words of our world to describe spiritual phenomena. But if a person does not have this spiritual connection through which he can see this, then he thinks this book is talking about this world, history, morals, commandments, etc. From this emerges the Jewish religion.
From all the above we see that Kabbalah itself is not connected to any religion and that the modern religions came out due to the concealment of Kabbalah. At the same time, Kabbalah is not against religions. In fact we have millions of students worldwide, from many different backgrounds and religions. Many of them do choose to maintain their religion or to perform certain religious customs while studying Kabbalah and there is nothing wrong with that. Just like with any other science, a person can be religious and also be a chemist or physicist. Likewise a person can be religious and also study the science of Kabbalah. Baal HaSulam writes that even after the full spiritual correction people can still keep their religions.
Check out this blog post from Rav Laitman for more details: https://laitman.com/2015/12/the-wisdom-of-kabbalah-and-the-other-religions/
Albert @ KabU
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