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We are pieces of the soul Adam HaRishon.
Does the creator exist appart from the creatures ?
What is the origin of the creator ?
Hi Amani, great questions!
Kabbalah is a science based on the research of the Kabbalists. As a science, there are clear limits to what we can and cannot research. One such limit is that we’re unable to research what happened before the thought of Creation, before Creation. This is because our current research tools are incapable of grasping such things, so we’re unable to research them.
Check out this blog post from Rav Laitman for more details: https://laitman.com/2017/01/why-did-the-creator-create-people/
Another limitation is in how we research the Creator. Kabbalah divides our research of the Creator into two parts.
The first is His essence (atzmuto in Hebrew). This is He Himself, His point of view, the Creator as an entity separate from the Created beings. We’re incapable of researching this part of the Creator again because our research tools are not built in such a way that we can grasp such things. Perhaps after we finish the process of correction, we’ll discover additional research tools through which we’ll be able to research these things, but until then we limit ourselves and don’t talk about this part of the Creator because we cannot properly research it.
The other part of the Creator is called Bo-Re (Hebrew for Come (Bo) and See (Re)). This is the part of the Creator that we can research and reveal. How do we research this? Through the desire. When we take a part of our desire to receive and correct it in the direction of bestowal, in that corrected desire, we reveal a certain phenomenon, we call this phenomenon the Creator. This is why there are many names for the Creator (in Hebrew), since every time we correct a different part of the desire, we reveal a different aspect of this thing called the Creator.
So all of our understanding of this thing called the Creator (and any spiritual phenomena) is based on what we reveal within the corrected desire. But whatever exists outside of the corrected desire, whatever we don’t grasp, perceive or attain within the desire, whatever is beyond our tools of research, we don’t talk about. We need to keep these limits in mind in order to stay within the realm of science and not venture off into religion or philosophy.
Check out this blog post from Rav Laitman for more details: https://laitman.com/2017/11/the-concept-of-god-in-kabbalah/
Albert @ KabU
I undertad the rejection of calling Kabbalah mysticism as opposed to a precise and scientific method to attaine spirituallity. But actually the true meaning of mysticism (not the pop meaning) has to do with the direct experience of the dive (creator, nature) through the inner work of the ego. And the fruit of the experience is the expanded percepción and inner realization (attainment) of the oneness and subtle interconection of all of reality by a single y simple force of bestowal and love. Mystics live in esctatic joy in this reality and above it. Not disconnected of daily life but with a broader perspective and profound meaning. That´s the reason why religious estabishments in all tradition were/are against mystics. They do not hold to power strutures in this world and not attached to external forms. In that sense It seems that Kabbalah have been called correctly mysticism.
Hi Javier,
I’m not an expert in other methods, so I don’t know how others define this word. But when we use the word mysticism, we are referring to something mystical, something removed from reality, something that does not follow the laws of nature.
So when we make the distinction that Kabbalah is not mysticism, this is because Kabbalah is very much so grounded into nature. Kabbalah researches nature and the laws of nature using a very strict scientific method: “a judge has only what his eyes can see” and “what we do not attain we do not call by name”. Even our knowledge of the upper force, of the Creator, is limited to our research tools, meaning the desire. And whatever does not enter into this desire, we cannot research or talk about. For these reasons, it’s more accurate to classify Kabbalah as a science.
As for living in ecstatic joy, if this was the case, we would never develop in life. We are all egoists. The more we develop, the more of the ego we reveal. If we had nothing but ecstatic joy, we would have no drive to continue our development and would agree to remain within our ego our entire lives.
Furthermore, development is always based on two opposite states. Just like in nature: hot/cold, up/down, positive/negative, attraction/rejection, etc. Nothing exists in one state. Spiritual development is also built on advancing between two opposite states. It’s just like walking left foot, right foot, left, right, etc. So if we ever remain within one state, even a seemingly good one, then we’re not advancing spiritually.
There are other differences as well, but we’ll learn about these things gradually throughout the different lessons.
Albert @ KabU
Hi Selah,
Not just that, but there is a spiritual cause to EVERYTHING. This follows the saying that “there is not a single blade of grass below that does not have an angel above striking it, causing it to grow”. So there is a spiritual cause to every single thing, both big and small. What is the reason for everything? To push all of humanity every single moment towards the purpose of creation, towards the state of full adhesion with the Creator.
This goal is preset and everyone will reach it. The only difference is the pace at which we get there. If we are consciously aspiring towards that goal, then we can get there quickly and in a relatively pleasant way. If not, then we begin to feel life pushing us towards the goal in all sorts of unpleasant ways.
We’ll learn more about this in the upcoming lessons, in the meantime, check out this blog post from Rav Laitman for more details: https://laitman.com/2011/01/lets-go-with-the-light/
Albert @ KabU
I’m happy when this is all starting that it doesn’t feel utterly foreign to me. I know this is where I’m supposed to be. It feels like I could have done this before. When I hear the videos I can hear spirit saying it’s like riding a bike. The bike is about balance. about finding my balance and that things aren’t what they show. But the meaning behind them is more empowering to the soul than we can imagine. I think learning to step back from what we have been all taught our whole life to see and really see things for what they are. is going to be life-changing.
Hi Amani,
It’s normal to not understand these things. This is why the Kabbalists tell us “it’s not the wise that learns”. Meaning we’re not learning this material simply to acquire knowledge, to store it in some box in our brains. After all, If knowledge was the path to spirituality, then a supercomputer loaded with all of the Kabbalistic texts would be the most spiritual being in the world. Obviously this is not the case.
So why do we spend so much time studying if not to gain knowledge? Because through the study, we draw the force of the light. This force is what makes all the internal changes, clarifications, corrections that need to be made. After we extract enough light and correct ourselves to a certain degree, then we won’t just intellectually philosophize about spirituality, but we will begin to feel it in practice. And only out of that feeling will we begin to truly understand it.
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
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