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Hello,
Thank you all for such enriching materials for week 1! I am happy to be included.
I am having a hard time understanding what the Soul is, what the Spirit is, and what the differences between the two are.
Thank you!
Shana
Hi Shana, great question!
Our nature is the desire to receive pleasure. The Creator’s nature is opposite, that of pure love and bestowal. Our work is to correct our opposite egoistic nature and make it similar to the Creator’s nature.
The soul is also a type of desire. It’s the same desire to receive pleasure after it’s been corrected to operate in the direction of bestowal. So the soul = desire to receive corrected to work in the direction of bestowal.
The desire to receive can be divided into 5 parts, 5 levels of coarseness of the desire. Corresponding to the 5 levels of the desire, there are 5 levels of the soul: Nefesh, Ruach (spirit), Neshama, Haya, Yechida.
To the extent that we correct our nature for it to operate in the direction of bestowal, to that extent we build and discover these different levels of the soul.
Check out this blog post from Rav Laitman for more details: https://laitman.com/2015/06/what-happens-to-the-soul-after-death/
Albert @ KabU
Hi Albert,
Is there any order in the 5 levels of soul.
if so what is the importance of them?
And also from this corporeal world, I have the sense of my mind only.
With the mind only I desire, both for worldly things and eternal things.
Does that mean, my mind is the soul or am I missing anything here?
– Saji
Hi Saji,
The order is as I listed it above: Nefesh, Ruach, Neshama, Haya, Yechida. The order goes from the smallest level (Nefesh) to the highest level (Yechida). We’ll learn about these things in detail when we learn about the technical structure of the upper worlds.
As for our desires, they are not found within our body or our mind. It’s something outside of us.
Check out this blog post from Rav Laitman for more details: https://laitman.com/2017/05/what-is-the-soul-4/
Albert @ KabU
Hi Albert,
Thank you.
Correct me if I am wrong.
From the blog, I understand that, There is only one soul.
When we are born, we are given with a spark of that soul.
There is no individual soul.
If we do not have a glimpse of this spark, then we can be called as animals.when we say we are born (the process of birth),
we can connect it to the first week lesson,
That one soul that reduced down to the body which is in the current corporeal world through 125 steps.
And those steps flows through 5 levels of reality.Then what is mind. Is it a non – tangible sense organ.
We hear people say “listen to your heart and not to the mind”.Deuteronomy 6:4-5.
Hear, O Israel: [a]The Lord our God, the Lord is one! 5 You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your strength.What is the different between these three, ie heart, soul and strength.
– Saji
Hi Saji,
First a desire awakens in us and then the mind develops in order to help us to realize those desires.
For more details, check out this blog post from Rav Laitman: https://laitman.com/2017/05/thoughts-and-mind/
As well as this Shamati Article: A Thought Is a Result of the Desire:
https://kabbalahmedia.info/sources/4GW5T0i5
Regarding that quote, it’s a complete form of love. Similar to how a mother loves her children and is ready to sacrifice herself completely for them: on the level of her desires (heart), or her possessions (might/strength), or her very existence (soul). We’ll learn about this in the more advanced lessons.
Albert @ KabU
P.S. It’s hard to find these questions when they are buried in the second page of the forum. So please post new questions not as replies but as new posts at the beginning of the forum page.
In one of the videos the Rabbi tells us about what “is not Kabbalah”, among the things mentioned is Astrology.
1) The way the Universe is organized, as it has been said, that there are universal laws that do not change, does the order of the Cosmos and our Solar System also apply?
2) Is the hierarchy of Planets and their representations considered within Kabbalah?
3) Is there Kabbalistic Astrology? Is the observation of the movement of the planets not part of any study of a Kabbalistic nature? Does the Tree of Life have a relationship with the Planets?
Hi Andrea, great questions!
On the one hand, Kabbalah can explain everything about life, including the system of planets, stars, solar systems, etc. Check out this blog post from Rav Laitman: https://laitman.com/2015/01/all-of-the-planets-sustain-life-on-earth/
On the other hand, Kabbalists are not interested in Astrology or anything else in this world. This is because ultimately our entire world/universe is below the ladder of spiritual degrees. Kabbalists call it “the imaginary world”. Since once we correct ourselves, relative to that corrected state this life would appear as nothing more than a dream. So Kabbalists are not here to teach us more about this dream, they are here to teach us how to correct ourselves so we will wake up from this dream.
Check out this blog post from Rav Laitman: http://laitman.com/2010/11/this-life-is-a-dream/
Albert @ KabU
Hello Albert
A question that occurred to me after this lesson is whether I am required to study the Torah, the Gemara, or other things before I start my studies here? Because I have no knowledge about Judaism and for the first time I am interested in Judaism in my studies here at Kabbalah.And another question unrelated to this lesson, I’m from Israel and I’m having trouble understanding the content here, which is in English, and at the beginning you recommended us to read books that are an introduction to the course, is it possible to buy them translated into Hebrew?
Thank you
Hi Salam,
1. There is no prerequisite to study the Torah or Gemara. Although these are indeed Kabbalistic books and there were countless other Kabbalistic books that have been written in the past, in our days, we mainly study from the writings of Baal HaSulam and Rabash. 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 this blog posts from Rav Laitman for more details: https://laitman.com/2015/11/the-great-kabbalists-and-their-works/
2. As for Judaism, if you wish to study Judaism, that’s completely up to you, but that’s also not required. This is because Kabbalah is not a religion and not connected to any religion. Kabbalah is a scientific method by which we can correct our egoistic nature and as a result of that correction, we reveal the Creator in our lives.
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/
3. Yes, you can find the books in Hebrew. Here’s a link to the Hebrew bookstore: https://books.kab.co.il/
and a link to the Kabbalah Library in Hebrew: https://kabbalahmedia.info/he/sources.
Although if English is difficult for you, you can also try switching to the Hebrew version of this course: https://campus.kab.co.il/
Albert @ KabU
Hi Natalia,
You can say that Kabbalah is hard because it talks about correcting our nature. If we try to perform this correction by ourselves, not only is it hard, but it’s actually impossible. Just like a PC cannot change itself to run as a Mac, we too cannot just reprogram our very nature. We need outside help to perform this change. This help comes to us from the light. This is a special force that we can tap into in order to help us perform this change. We extract this force primarily from the Kabbalistic studies. Our entire work boils down to extracting more and more of the force of the light and it does all the rest. If we learn how to do that properly, then this path will not seem hard, but actually quiet simple and relatively easy to carry out.
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
Shalom,
1) As I learn the program I found that when referring to the Creator it says that it is equal to nature is that correct?
2) I would like to understand if someone says that they do not believe in God but in nature – does it suggest that God is nature? So do we share the same belief but using a different terminology?
3) Just to clarify, when we refer to God are we referring to nature and it’s unchangeable laws? Which would give us the physical realty we see and the upper reality we are not aware of?
4) In other words: That idea of God sitting on a throne is it a metaphor used to share a story such as with Job that the sons of God present themselves on a throne and God sitting on the Throne?
Thank you so much in advance.
Kind regards
Sharlene Raston
Hi Sharlene, great questions!
1. Yes.
2. Kabbalah is not a system of beliefs. Kabbalists don’t “believe” in the Creator, they reveal Him in practice. And this revelation is not something mystical, but rather it works according to the law of equivalence of form.
Check out this blog post from Rav Laitman for more details: https://laitman.com/2011/06/kabbalah-without-a-trace-of-mysticism/
3. Yes, you can say that.
Check out this blog post from Rav Laitman for more details: https://laitman.com/2017/11/the-concept-of-god-in-kabbalah/
4. Yes, you can say that. The stories in the Torah are written in the language of roots and branches. It’s a type of code that uses words of our world to describe spiritual situations and phenomena. As such, these stories are not literal stories.
Check out this blog post from Rav Laitman for more details: https://laitman.com/2016/05/dispelling-myths-about-kabbalah-part-4/
Albert @ KabU
What is it about many celebrities, like Madonna, etc. representing Kabbalah (even if it may not be authentic Kabbalah)? I get that Kabbalah essentially is really something different than what is publicly being pushed. But I still wonder where this comes from and why it really always comes with a dark message, like some occult ritual style music video, some apocalyptic event, or satan worshipping? I personally thought for a long time that I could and should not look into Kabbalah because it’s linked to satanism and therefore dark occultism. Now I am glad and grateful that I learn otherwise bit by bit, but I know there’s a lot of people that still have this belief because of this public representation.
Hi Marc, great questions!
But I’m not an expert in other methods, even others that seemingly teach “Kabbalah”, so I cannot comment on what they do or teach there. In general, authentic Kabbalah has been around for about 5800 years, but it’s been concealed for the past 2,000 years, so people don’t really know what it’s all about. Just picture a 2,000 year old game of telephone. So naturally, many different methods sprang up that are seemingly “Kabbalah”.
Some try to associate themselves with Kabbalah as a way to validate themselves, while others borrowed some principles from Kabbalah and created something else, which is how philosophy emerged and later on turned into science. Or it’s also possible that these methods sprang up as a result of the concealment of Kabbalah, this is how the modern religions emerged. But ultimately, authentic Kabbalah has nothing to do with any other method and for the most part precedes all of the modern religions, sciences, and philosophies.
Authentic Kabbalah is the method by which we correct our egoistic nature and as a result we become similar to and reveal in practice the Creator, the general force of love and bestowal.
Albert @ KabU
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