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So does this mean the Torah, Talmud, etc will be explained through a Kabbalistic lens at some point on this journey?
Hi Dave, good question!
Yes, to some extent we will be deciphering the Torah and the Talmud. Keep in mind that although these are indeed Kabbalistic books, in our days we usually don’t study them directly. This is because egoism grows from generation to generation, so Kabbalah, the method for its correction, needs to get adapted in each generation for that level of egoism. For example it’s like in medicine, if a person has a headache he can just drink a tylenol and that’s enough to fix him. But if it’s not just a little headache but something cancerous, then that tylenol won’t do anything for him but he needs a completely different regime to heal himself.
This is why Kabbalah gets adapted in each generation to the level of egoism that is currently found in that generation. So although there were many different Kabbalists and Kabbalistic books throughout the generations, nowadays we mainly learn from the writings of Baal HaSulam and Rabash, since their writings contains the light that is most suitable to correct the egoism that is found in our generation.
Check out these blog posts from Rav Laitman for more details:
If you’re interesting in learning how to properly decipher the Torah, check out the books: Disclosing a Portion or The Secrets of the Eternal Book.
Albert @ KabU
Hello Dear Instructor and Fellow Students,
My feelings are that the very act of studying, discussing, and just participating together are actually changing us, transforming us, like we are all being pulled towards the Light. Is this the true alchemy of Kabbalah, and is anyone else experiencing a more positive and harmonious shift in your day-to-day life? Thank you all.
Hi Karen,
Yes, you can say that. Essentially the process of learning about higher spiritual states and yearning to be in them is already bringing us closer to them. This is because through the study we extract the light, a special force that gradually corrects us and adapts us to the pure spiritual qualities of love and bestowal. This is why a big part of the method is simply to regularly return to the study, to the source of the light, which makes all the changes on us.
Check out this blog post from Rav Laitman for more details: https://laitman.com/2013/02/sunbathing-in-the-rays-of-the-reforming-light/
Albert @ KabU
Hi Brian, good question!
The light has multiple connotations. When we use the word light, we’re not referring to colors or waves but rather that this is the force that is opposite the desire. All that was created was the desire to receive pleasure. The force that created this desire and fulfills it is the light. So the light is the Creator, the pure quality of bestowal. We can also say that light = pleasure, since this is what fulfills that desire.
Check out this blog post from Rav Laitman for more details: http://laitman.com/2014/12/what-is-the-light/
Albert @ KabU
Since I have begun studying Torah , how can the study of kaballah compliment torah study and is there the risk of my becoming confused by the different study methods?
Hi Kenneth, good question!
The Torah is a Kabbalistic book. So there is no issue there.
Check out this blog post from Rav Laitman for more details: https://laitman.com/2016/10/what-came-first-the-torah-or-the-wisdom-of-kabbalah/
The issue is what do we do with these Kabbalistic books? What is the goal of our study?
If our goal is simply to acquire knowledge, then it’s not called that we’re learning Torah or Kabbalah. Rather we’re simply filling ourselves up with data just like we fill up a computer hard drive with data.
If our goal is to reveal the giver of the Torah, meaning the Creator, then in order to do that, we need to become similar to Him. This is what Kabbalah helps a person to do: to correct our opposite egoistic nature, for it to become similar to the Creator, thereby revealing Him in practice, in our lives. This is the goal that needs to be in front of us when studying Kabbalistic books.
Albert @ KabU
Hi Fer, great question!
Our generation did not develop in a bubble, rather it’s the result of thousands of years of development and disillusionment from being unable to fulfill oneself. When we’re unable to fulfill ourselves, our point in the heart begins to awaken and ask “what is the point of life if we can’t find any fulfillment in it”? It’s thanks to the point in the heart that a person begins to aspire for spirituality.
Check out this blog post from Rav Laitman for more details: https://laitman.com/2009/04/we-have-gone-through-thousands-of-years-of-suffering-to-reach-just-one-conclusion/
Albert @ KabU
I was taught as a child by my mother that “G-D is everywhere in all things”, just as the words you use have power, so think about what you say about yourself and others. She also taught me that my thoughts have the potential to be my reality. She would mention other realms that few can experience like her mother and grandmother. So I believe in other dimensions because I myself have spiritual experiences that impacted my purpose in life like an unexpected kundalini awakening, and two out-of-body experiences where I traveled to another dimension. I did not plan nor meditated on these experiences they just occurred and caused a personal transformation. My question is “Are some people destined to walk on the spiritual path to bring more light to this dark world? by this I mean some unknown forces or events happen to guide that person on the spiritual path? I know about free will but that can lead to taking the wrong path and living in cycles.
Hi David, good question!
Yes, you can say that we’re destined for the spiritual path. This follows the saying that the Creator puts man’s hand on the good fate and says “choose this for yourself”. Meaning that He awakened your point in the heart which brought you to a spiritual environment in which you can nourish it. There was no choice in this matter. But after that, whether you strengthen yourself on that spiritual path or not, that is up to you. We’ll learn about these things in the more advanced lessons.
Albert @ KabU
Hello there
Since starting week 1 two days ago I have been absorbing many YouTube videos (mainly by Gil) and processing. I have loads of questions and am not really sure where to start. Here goes.
I am sensing that to reach any kind of attainment on the journey of Kabbalah is going to require more than one lifetime. Please share your wisdom with me on this.
Secondly, if I am right, when we come back, do we retain the knowledge we gained first time around so that we can progress further and hopefully faster?
Thirdly, my extremely limited understanding so far is that at some point we are going to have to wait for all of humanity to reach some sort of common level before we can progress together. Have I understood this correctly? If so, this is obviously some time away which brings me back to the more than one lifetime observation.
Also, the Kabbalah only speaks about the spiritual world/s and no restrictions are placed on us in this world. I think the example used was we can eat 5 hamburgers for breakfast – no restrictions. By extension that means that any kind of behavior is ‘allowed’ in our world. Have I understood this correctly? If so, I have a multitude of questions to follow.
With thanks
Caroline
Hi Caroline, great questions!
1. There is no time in spirituality. Reaching it does not depend on hours of study or acquisition of knowledge, but rather it works according to laws. One of these laws is that “there is no light without a kli (vessel)”. Meaning that if we don’t have the vessel (desire) we have nothing with which to get the light (the fulfillment for that desire).
In other words, everything depends on us, if we build the right desire for spirituality, we will right away reveal it. If not, then even if a few more thousands of years pass by, we will still not reveal it. This is called “there is no coercion in spirituality”. Meaning if we don’t want it, we will not receive it.
And although we spend a lot of time studying, the goal is not to acquire knowledge, but through the study to draw the light, a special force that helps us to build the right desire. Meaning we don’t need to be super strong, wise, or talented in order to succeed in Kabbalah, all we need is to extract more and more of this light and it does all the rest.
Check out this blog post from Rav Laitman for more details: http://laitman.com/2013/02/sunbathing-in-the-rays-of-the-reforming-light/
2. Nothing is lost. If we don’t finish this work in this lifetime, we continue it in the next. Kabbalists compare the process of life and death of the corporeal body as to changing shirts: at the end of the day, we drop our dirty shirt into the hamper and in the morning put on a clean one. So we don’t lose anything, but continue the next time around until we reach the final correction.
3. You are correct that the final correction involves all of humanity. But waiting will not speed up this process. This is because we’re all part of one system. In this system, we don’t choose when to be awakened, but rather there is a certain order of corrections that needs to take place, and each one receives a spiritual awakening when it’s his turn for correction.
It’s similar to building a house. There is a certain order in which you need to build it. I’m not an expert on house building, but for the sake of the example, let’s say first you dig the foundation, then pour the concrete, lay the beams, etc, and only at the very end do you paint the house. Meaning that there is no point in even taking out the paintbrush before you finish all of the preliminary stages.
Likewise with us. Those that were awakened to this work first are like the foundation of the house while the rest of the world belongs to the later stages. So until those with awakened points in the hearts complete their correction, there is no point in even awakening the rest of the world for their correction. So we don’t need to wait for humanity to wake up, we need to finish our correction, and this will wake them up.
As to how long it will take humanity to correct itself, judging by the speed at which information travels and the rate at which changes take place in our days, this could easily be done within a short period of time.
4. Kabbalah only deals with our desire for spirituality. Regarding the desires of our animalistic bodies, Kabbalah does not deal with these things. Our corporeal desires don’t have any relation to spirituality, so each person can arrange these desires however is most comfortable for them (of course within the context of the law and without harming others).
So in practice we don’t work on restricting our corporeal desires, we only work on making the desire for spirituality the most important thing. Then naturally the rest of our desires will fall into place. For example, it’s like with an artist that is so involved in his art, that he fulfills all the rest of his desires out of necessity so he can quickly return to his passion. Same with us, when spirituality is the most important desire, then we will be able to properly relate to all the rest of our corporeal desires in a balanced way.
Albert @ KabU
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