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Hi,
My question has two parts;
1) when I read that the term Creator, Nature, and Naturals Forces are used interchangeably, does that make Kabbalah pantheistic?
2) At point will we be versed in the Language of Branches, and be able to read texts such as the Zohar, Torah, and Talmud, w/o the help or the interpretation of a Kabbalah Instructor?
Thank you
Hi Euler, great questions!
1. Kabbalah is not a belief system, rather it’s a science based on the research of the Kabbalists. As a science, there are clear limits to what we can and cannot research about this thing called 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 simply 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/
2. The language of root and branches is not something you learn but rather something that comes with spiritual attainment. Without spiritual attainment, we cannot truly understand these things. It’s like a blind person that is trying to study colors. He can learn the wavelengths behind each one, the different feelings they all evoke, but ultimately he will never truly understand colors. But if this blind person was to undergo an operation and gain his sense of sight, how easy and simple it would be to teach him colors. We would simply point to it and say “this is red”. It’s the same with the language of roots and branches. It’s currently impossible for us to truly grasp these things. But once we gain our “spiritual sight” we would pick these things up very easily and naturally.
And although we spend a lot of time “studying” in Kabbalah. But the goal of the study is not to acquire knowledge, rather the goal is to extract the reforming light. It’s ultimately the force of the light that gradually corrects us until we become similar to spirituality and begin to attain it in practice.
Check out this blog post from Rav Laitman for more details: http://laitman.com/2013/02/sunbathing-in-the-rays-of-the-reforming-light/
Albert @ KabU
Are there people dying now and not having to reincarnate? If so do these souls become part of the root until all souls reach correction? Once we as humans United cross the barrier to the beginning of work in the spiritual world will the need for suffering end as a teaching tool? I struggle believing there will not be suffering as at the lowest spiritual level there is still significant separation from equivalence of form with the creator and in this world the separation is experienced by me as very grievous. This grief while motivating is also deeply sorrowful.
Hi Joseph, great questions!
1. If a person fully correct himself, then there is no need to reincarnate on the level of this world. Keep in mind that reincarnation happens on the level of desire. We all have this desire called the point in the heart. This is our spiritual potential. If we realize this potential, this grows into a desire called a soul. If not, this same desire continues to reincarnate again and again until it gets fully realized.
And this is not something we discover after we die, but rather we build the soul, experience it, and exist within it while we’re still alive in our corporeal bodies.
Check out this blog post from Rav Laitman for more details: https://laitman.com/2015/06/what-happens-to-the-soul-after-death/
Also check out this link for an extensive overlook on reincarnation from the lens of the Wisdom of Kabbalah: https://www.kabbalah.info/bb/what-happens-when-you-die/
2. Our nature is egoistic. As such, avoiding pain is one of the major motivating forces for us. If we were to get rid of that force, then we would have no drive to continue our development. So what good is studying Kabbalah then? It’s in order to correct our egoism. Once we correct it, we will no longer need problems and suffering in order to push us to develop because we ourselves will generate the force for our development.
Check out this blog post from Rav Laitman for more details: https://laitman.com/2011/01/lets-go-with-the-light/
Albert @ KabU
Hello, my questions relates to the fact that I feel anxious when I am not studying or listening to the Kabu videos or meeting with the friends on Sunday. Sometimes I even wake up at night wondering about the events in life that bother me and I try to find an answer thinking “There is none else besides him” that is to say, I cannot do anything because it is already decided by the Creator! The only thing is to think how the events that happen in life can give me a lesson of life!
Is this anxiety normal? Is that how we build our desire for spirituality? and are these corrections?
Thank you
Hi Esmeralda, good question!
We all go through many ups and downs on the spiritual path. This is normal. The important thing is to just keep going, to keep placing yourself under the influence of the light, and it’ll balance everything out. So it’s good to set aside some time to regularly return to the Kabbalistic study. But it does not mean that we can disconnect from the corporeal world, there needs to be a balance in our corporeal life as well.
The Kabbalists tell us “no flour, no Torah – no Torah, no flour”. Meaning a Kabbalist continues to exist on the level of this world throughout the entire spiritual ladder. So I cannot just turn into a monk and disconnect from this life and only focus on spirituality. On the other hand, if I only focus on corporeality, then I’m no different than an animal. So the important thing is to find the right balance between the two: to take care of all of one’s normal necessities: to work, take care of the family, health, etc (this is called flour) and to set aside some time to focus on spirituality (this is called Torah).
As for “there is none else besides Him”, we cannot just live by this maxim, we need to attain it. The correct way to work with this concept is to split our work to internal and external. Externally I continue to exist on the level of this world so I must function in a normal way in society, follow the normal rules and laws of society, to work, take care of my family, health, etc. Meaning to live my life and take care of all of my problems in the normal way.
And internally, I try to attribute everything that is happening to the Creator, to “none else besides Him”. But this is our internal work and it does not cancel out any of the normal external actions that we need to take.
We’ll learn about this concept in the more advanced lessons, in the meantime check out this blog post from Rav Laitman for more details: https://laitman.com/2014/10/if-i-am-not-for-myself-then-no-one-will-help-me/
Albert @ KabU
Hello!
Thanks so much for putting KabU together. It looks like a great resource, and I suspect I’ll be taking several courses here. I have a couple of questions coming from my perspective as a scholar, a Noachide, and a “mystic” (the term is loaded, but such are the limitations of language).
First; in 2006, Tony Kosinec authored a paper called “Kabbalah and the building of a new civilization” for the World Futures journal. Is that paper available anywhere?
Second, do you have any general advice on how to integrate Torah and Kabbalah? I think am starting to see the connections between the two, but would be eager to learn if there are any fundamental principles for Noachides in terms of lived or practiced spirituality.
Third, how do we determine what world we are operating in, or which of the 125 steps we have ascended to? I suspect that this is done in partnership with a teacher or mentor, but was just curious.
Thanks!
-YS
Hi Yeshayahu, great questions!
1. I don’t think so, but you can ask Tony directly during the live Q/A event. The next one is schedule for Dec 19th. Check out this link for more details: https://kabuconnect.com/live/
2. Practical Kabbalah does not involve any rituals or customs. Practical Kabbalah is the process by which we correct our egoistic nature, from reception to bestowal, and thereby become similar to the Creator. We perform this change by “studying Torah”. Torah comes from the word Ohr (light). So when Kabbalists use the term “studying Torah”, they are not referring to the physical book, but rather to the light. This is a special force that we extract from the authentic Kabbalistic writings, by which we can correct our egoistic nature.
And although the Torah is indeed a Kabbalistic book, in our days, we usually don’t study it 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: https://laitman.com/2015/11/the-great-kabbalists-and-their-works/
3. We’re not yet on any spiritual degree, we’re still in the preparation period prior to the spiritual ladder. But once we start to do real spiritual work, we can measure our progress in our attitude towards other points in the hearts. That I’ll feel how my attitude towards them changes from complete indifference, all the way until I feel them as pieces of my soul. We’ll learn more about this in the more advanced lessons.
Albert @ KabU
Hi. I just want to know if it’s ok to tell some people about kabbalah even if right now they are not seeking spirituality. Or is it better I allow them to encounter kabbalah when their time is right? I just want to share this like when you’re eating really good chocolate and you go”yummy try this!”
Hi Ale, good question!
In general, it’s not recommended to talk about spirituality with others that are not on the path. It’s impossible for a person without an active point in the heart to understand these things. It just leads to unnecessary arguments which ultimately harms both them and us.
It harms them because we naturally try to justify ourselves, to prove our path to them, or even to force our path onto them, which violates the rule that “there is no coercion in spirituality”. It’s like forcing a 5 year old to do something sexual, which they are clearly not ready for. It’s an extreme example, but you understand how such things can mess a person up for life. Likewise when we try to force this path onto others that are not ready for it, it can mess them up spiritually for a whole lifetime.
Or these arguments can harms us, since our opinions on spirituality will mix with their opinions and our desire for spirituality, the most precious thing we have in life, will weaken more and more. So the best thing to do when outside of the spiritual environment is to act normal, just like everyone else. And when speaking with people outside the path, talk about the normal everyday life and not about spirituality.
And if you think someone is interested in spirituality, instead of arguing or going into any explanations, simply give them one of the beginner books as a present or send them a link to the course. This is the safest approach.
Check out this blog post from Rav Laitman for more details: https://laitman.com/2008/11/only-people-with-the-point-in-the-heart-can-feel-that-kabbalah-is-the-salvation/
Albert @ KabU
Hello, I am wondering that if the Creator wants us to “Connect” in this world, it means that not only in the Kabbalistic group but in our everyday life we should make the effort of “connecting”: connecting is also accepting the group, without judgment and trying to find solutions in a peaceful manner! In a group of students, in the neighborhood, in the family, etc;
Is this really what counts? The transformation that we that study kabbalah begin to feel and start connecting with groups with the intention of the Creator?
Thank you,
Hi Esmeralda, good question!
It all depends on your goal in life. If your goal is to correct your nature and thereby to reveal the Creator, the quality of love and bestowal, this is only possible in mutual work with other points in the hearts. This is why we practice this type of connection only within the Kabbalistic group.
If you practice this anywhere else, in the best case scenario you’ll build some good relationships, in the worst case, people will think you’re weird or try to take advantage of you. But either way it will not lead to the revelation of the Creator. So generally with the rest of the world it’s best to just act normal, like everyone else. Meaning don’t make a saint of yourself and at the same time don’t cause harm to others, but just act the way normal people act.
Albert @ KabU
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