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In the morning lesson they read ” The Striking of Thoughts upon Man” by Rabash. But nobody asked if the “striking” here is the same as a “striking” on a spiritual partzuf, or why the text seems to be framed in a pre-attainment cognitive paradigm.
This text seemed to imply that the “striking” is to trouble the lower one. And the way it’s describing it is as if the same striking happens on someone who doesn’t have spiritual perception or a real screen yet. It certainly describes states that anyone can relate to: having troubling thoughts that require scrutiny, the Creator sending an awareness of your own egoism in a situation, making a calculation not to act on an egoistic impulse for the sake of the Creator. These are thoughts that anyone beginning the study will have all the time.
“…We can interpret that striking is the thoughts that strike a person, trouble him and tire him, and he has thoughts this way and that way. And all this is because he has a Masach…”
(But this also happens in a person without a Masach.)“…and thoughts begin to run about within him. This is called ‘striking with his views.’…” (Is this another kind of striking? An internal one?)
“…This means that although he does not really feel the importance of the upper one, the scrutiny is through a Masach, called ‘an attempt,’ regarded as ‘concealment.’ But when he overcomes the Masach and sustains it, meaning he does not cancel the Masach,…”
Does this mean that before one gets a permanent Masach and perception of the spiritual world, that they are already making the calculations and the “attempt,”??
Does it mean that even before having a screen and perceiving the spiritual world you could achieve (to some measure) the following result described in Rabash’s note?
“…this causes joy above, and then the upper one also gives him joy. That is, to the extent that he received the importance of the upper one above reason, that same measure of greatness of the upper one extends to him within reason, not less and not more.”
Is the pleasure of devotion the reward described there, which is dispensed in the same measure as the amount of devotion you mustered in response to the striking?
No, this is how Rabash writes when he seemingly doesn’t write for those who can get confused. These are notes to himself, possibly to be turned into an article at some point. Since above you have all the roots that cascade down into our world too, you have something like it here. But Rabash did have a Masach [screen]. And we also have the thoughts that trouble us, and disturb us reaching spirituality. What else do we think we’re ever going to have besides a desire, and thoughts that come from the desire about how to receive or bestow?
To your other question, yes, in everything on the path there is some kind of contentment in it. It’s all a great adventure with an array of encounters along the way to the goal.
Hi Gianni
it’s me again 🙂
So our correction is to aim for receiving in order to bestow to the Creator, and we can only achieve that through bestowing to the Ten. but I am not the Creator, the Creator bestows endless light/love to us, but me as a pure will to receive, what do I have that I can bestow to my friends?
thanks
Helen
Receiving in order to bestow, yes; but that’s far away. We need to bestow in order to bestow. Pure bestowal, without anything in return. I can’t already mix some reception together with that. Bestow to bestow without wanting anything, not even the confirmation that I’m in bestowal or that it’s working or correct, but just according to what our teachers advised. Elevate the friends, push them toward the goal, expect help from the Light, and the world is a wide field for such bestowal. If the goal is to reach true bestowal, I don’t need more.
thank you for that clarification. we were also advised to only elevate the friends, but not share our lowliness to avoid bring the entire Ten down. but if I do not know a friend’ state, how do I elective this friend? I recently shared an excerpt about how it was the creator who sent us wicked thoughts, then realized that a few friends were “suffering” silently. if we knew what each other had been going through, we probably would all just be honest and openly talking about it, instead of feeling low and lonely silently. we were given homework, our zoom calls are all centered around homework, it mostly talking with brain on knowledge side, what is Laban, what is Esau, what is Jacob etc. maybe we understood the rules wrong? it feels like we need heart to heart talk, share the spies we noticed in ourselves, share the obstacles we encountered, so we can identify our common deficiencies, then raise our common prayer.
so I guess my question is, what should we would (other than go to classes, join zoom calls, share excerpts, force ourselves to talk positively, act positively etc) are also considered bestowing? I know those ‘acting” are needed, but it feels like we also need something deeper.
I heard from Rav Laitman:
Don’t scrutinize where we REALLY are. That’s after we have the Masach. Then we will draw out the evil inclination on our own. That’s a long way off. For now, we are acting, and we truly want to reach a state called love between us. I don’t check who they are, what they are, but only how I can fill up the distance between us with love. By that, I draw the Reforming Light. Before every lesson, this is a mandatory exercise — and in every assembly of the ten.
Hi Gianni
How do I view life events less as distractions, but rather material/fuel for spiritual work?
thanks
Helen
First to know that this life is only to turn from it to more spiritual things. Yes, we must take care of this life – that is a commandment as much as any spiritual advice we get from the Kabbalists – however, all that is only so that one would do so just what’s necessary and normal, and not more than I need to be able to turn from it upwards. But to be awarded such thoughts all the time, we have to be connected to our ten, to actually feel the friends close to us. The Arvut between us, the friends are the spiritual neurons that allow us to have spiritual thoughts.
Hi Gianni, sorry for pestering you again. I am reading “attaining the worlds beyond” and come across below paragraph. #1 sort of confuses me as I thought we shall never pray for obstacle removal as without them, there is no work, there is no correction. I am probably reading it wrong. please hope:
P 326, Chapter Spiritual Work
When we experience obstacles in our advance toward the Creator, we must ask the following of the Creator:
1. That the Creator remove all the obstacles, which He Himself sends, so that we can overcome them by our own means, and not be in need of greater spiritual strengths than we already possess.
2. That the Creator grant us a greater desire for spiritual
understanding, and impart to us the importance of
spiritual ascent. Then, obstacles will not be able to stop
us on the path to the Creator. We as individuals are willing
to give up everything in the world for our lives, if life is
valuable to us. For this reason, we must ask the Creator to
grant us a taste of spiritual life so no obstacles will deter us.
Questions are not a chore for us.
But I think this text is not so much for study, but for a person to read and install it in their heart. It’s so revealed and direct that there’s nothing else to say. So, there are opposites there. If there aren’t opposites somewhere in the wisdom of Kabbalah, it only means the Kabbalist didn’t mention it, for now. To add to this would be as if the teacher arranged everything on the desk for the student, who has nothing left but to lift the crayon, and the mom jumps in and colors the picture for the child.
not sure how to install without understanding, especially when there are opposites…literally I do not know what to ask the creator now.
this remind me of another question about prayer. my understanding (with your previous help) on thoughts/desires/emotions, is that they are the product of the interaction between the light and my Klipot, is that correct? that’s why it’s said they are from the creator. how does my prayer work with the light and klipot?
To install means to be as a recording device. Put it in your box. Even if you don’t remember it, it enters, will be there when you need it.
What to ask? Ask not to be disconnected from your ten. I heard Rav Laitman say that this is what he would ask for. Even Rav, a great Kabbalist, this is what he wants.
I never heard my teacher give us work with “the Light and the Klipot.” We don’t have those details in our senses. We have the ten – our spiritual group – and the Upper Light. I also don’t know what the Upper Light is. So, I only have the ten. But if I long for connection with them, though I don’t really want it, I discover that there is a force that can bring me from completely locked within myself to the wide spaces of love of friends – and that’s a miracle. So let’s say the Upper Light, I can say I know about, or will soon. I also know I have a force in me that doesn’t want this connection, even if it will be good, great, sublime – but is that the Klipot? We can say losely, conversationally, sure – but it’s not really. Because Klipot are actually only against the spiritual worlds of Assiya, Yetzira, Beria, against each degree of kedusha [holiness], a klipa. It’s something out there in the real world and not some exercises given inside the kindergarten. So, it’s better we relate to these forces realistically, according to what we know about them, and not to tack on some names from the Upper World. The ten, the Upper Force, the ego that goes against the connection, and my contrasting prayer for connection. Some of what we read is mainly for the Surrounding Light, and not that we can truly work with those.
“…So, it’s better we relate to these forces realistically, according to what we know about them, and not to tack on some names from the Upper World…”
Thank you. It is like everything is before us. I remember some time ago, one instructor said we should not overthink it and that we should focus on the text. We shouldn’t think it is something far away. And that really changed the way I approach the Kabbalistic books.
Hi Gianni
“We say that ‘He is good who does good,’ and that all suffering comes only from the lack of equivalence of form.
But the entire system of concealment, along with the will to receive and the egoistic intention, was created by the Creator — not by the creature. Therefore, all the pain we experience because of concealment is also a result of His design, correct?I understand and accept that the intention behind this design is completely good, to bring us to the perfect state. But my question are Are we supposed to say that the pain itself is ‘from my perception,’ even though I did not choose the will to receive, the concealment, or the egoistic intention?
Is it correct to say that I justify the intention and the final result, but the actual pain still originates from the system He built?
Or must I also think that I am the one who caused these pains?
And If I were corrected completely and the same events were to happen in this world(not the TEN but this corporeal world), would I truly feel no pain at all — only good?thanks
Helen
It is written that Malchut of the Four Phases decides on the Tzimzum [restriction]. It’s called an ‘adornment,’ as if not entirely necessary. And the Creator pushes Malchut to receive, but as the ‘guest’ Malchut refuses the entreaties of the Host. However, “a decision of the Upper becomes a law for the lower.” Moreover, I heard in the lesson from Rav Laitman just now, “Every moment he is giving you exercises and you couldn’t care less about them – that’s why you are staying as you are – you don’t want to see his relation to you and establish your relation back to him.” Therefore, all our suffering is because we’re willing to have tomorrow be as today was, and so on.
How could Malchut decide on something? there is even no Adam yet at that point.
I agree I am incapable of relating to the creator yet, I am learning, very slowly on how. I understand why we suffer, but I was trying to explain it feels like the system he created resulted me/us in suffering, but now the ball is at my court, I need to revert things, but I/we didn’t create the state we are in to start with, and the correction is a long process, we will continue to suffer, despite that I will be working on it, on each ladder, each reshimo, I suffer on different things.
That’s how it is written. Also, Adam HaRishon we can say had no choice: the shattering had to happen. Also,us. If we look through the right lens, we’d see there aren’t even humans here, but animals who follow their every instinct and only dream up a narrative about how they’re debating, deciding. But we could wash off that dream from the matter and we’d see that they do everything they do, anyway, without any of their decisions. Their decisions come after the impulses arise in them, and then depending on the more powerful signal, that’s the option they go with. But the weaker and stronger signals were juxtaposed on purpose, to lend the illusion of choice, while all along it is known what you are, what impulses were given, and thus, what you’ll decide. So, too, for every single human and the rest of the animal kingdom of which we’re still parts, because we, in this governance, have not risen to a level that is beyond animals. Rather all is done by the Creator.
Except that we were given the wisdom of Kabbalah and how much am I realizing at least what I know to do, in every moment? Or is it that I find that it is important, but other things are more important most of the time? So, until it will be important enough it turns out that it’s not important enough. Meaning, yes, I suffer but I’m ok with continuing to suffer a while longer.
Dear Gianni, I know you have tried to raise the importance of the creator and the work for us, many many times, of course we need to implement it but as our instructor, you did a great job in emphasizing it whenever there is an opportunity. the very recently YG article actually talked about the only way is to raise the important of the creator. it’s in my heart. thank you!
we say there are two paths, path of pain and path of Kabbalah… one is passively suffering, I get that. however, the path of Kabbalah, would we experience more frequent and more intense pain on this journey, because our aim is to do it faster, but everybody has certain numbers of reshimo to correct, and everybody has 125 ladders ahead of them. even in the preparation period, I start to feel that intensity, it seems like once you were able to recovery a bit, the Creator would throw you off quickly. I don’t really have a question but rather an expression: Ding, this should be call the path of pain, but I am willingly, at least so far :). cheers to pains.
No, the path of Kabbalah is joyous. If I am a world traveler, some CIA guy, I’m in some horribly inconvenient place. Would you like to go to the mountains of Yemen and maybe get into a battle, nearly die, and so on? He would. Or if I get into a cold plunge, I’m not wanting it warm or lukewarm – I’m looking forward to how cold it will be. If I wasn’t looking for that, it’d be terrible suffering, but just seeing it through another lens makes it the highlight of my day. A Kabbalist feels himself like a gamer who finally gets to play his game, the only thing he wanted to be doing. All the time, he is in joy. That’s if you’re relating to the path correctly at each stage, deeply integrated in the ten, the lessons.
Would you be more inclined at each stage, though, the more you advance, the more the ego grows, to put the correction off till later, and accordingly be subject to more blows? Here there is a question.
I only have one question from the last two recordings of Rabash. It’s about the one this morning: Baal HaSulam. Study of the Ten Sefirot. Vol. 1. Part 4. Chapter 5, item 3.
If the coarseness of the inner light is what prevents the surrounding light from entering, can the vessel purge or restrict the inner light in order to hurry the process of receiving the surrounding light?
For example, could one get rid of everything that they already have, and that could conceivably make it possible for the surrounding light to manifest the future state more quickly?
Thanks
No, the Surrounding Light could not be received in that vessel, which is why it had to remain outside. It’s not about making room for it, it’s that that Surrounding Light is of such quality in relation to the coarseness and the Screen that if it enters the vessel, it will be received in order to receive.
From the recording today. He said that the surrounding light weakens the vessel and then it can only receive at phase 2.
Is this allegory similar to what he describes there?
The lower one receives an image of herself in bestowal, an image of the future, which is so profoundly pleasurable to see that the craving for it is desperate. But she realizes by her own desperation to become that image that she is the opposite of it. And there are no steps that can be taken towards achieving it. So she has no choice but to be still and wait, but she is… in the meantime, nonetheless… sustained by the pleasure of the image (the surrounding light) which she can see, but cannot be it or reach for it in any way.
If you ask technical questions I can answer. How one feels in each state, Baal HaSulam doesn’t explain. Generally, too, we won’t be right in our imagination of it. It’s good to yearn for these states. But I can’t confirm it’s like this or like that. Sometimes there is an analogy, like with the guest and the host, but that’s Baal HaSulam’s example, so I’m comfortable using it.
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