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Exactly how did Adam HaRishon decend through a system of worlds, through 125 steps? Are theses steps degrees (in) angles of light? What are the system of worlds, and what are the 125 steps?
Hi Taylor,
The number 125 comes from the structure of the upper worlds. This structure is just a division of the spiritual desire that we need to correct into sefirot, partzufim, and worlds.
The most basic division of the desire is 1 Sefira. 5 Sefirot compose 1 partzuf. 5 Partzufim compose 1 world. There are 5 worlds in total. So 5 worlds each with 5 partzufim each with 5 sefirot equals 125 (5x5x5) steps on the spiritual ladder, or in other words corrections that need to be performed on the desire.
In the book Kabbalah for the Student, there’s an article called Foreword to the Preface to the Wisdom of Kabbalah (http://www.kabbalah.info/eng/content/view/full/64187) which lists these 125 steps in the language of sefirot/partzufim/olamot(worlds). For now, these are just technical terms for us, but in the future lessons we’ll dive deeper into these things and learn how to feel and experience them.
In simpler words, the 125 steps represents the difference between us and the Creator. The Creator is a desire to bestow and we are the desire to receive. Adapting our desire to receive to work in order to bestow takes 125 steps. So to the extent that we correct our nature, make it similar to the Creator’s nature, to that extent we’re “climbing” this ladder.
In other words, ascending or descending this ladder is not a physical action, but rather depends on how much we’re similar to the Creator’s quality of bestowal (ascending) or less similar to it and more egoistic (descending).
All of this operates according to the law of equivalence of form. Check out this blog post from Rav Laitman for more details: https://laitman.com/2013/04/everything-is-attained-by-the-equivalence-of-form/
Albert @ KabU
I am really confused after reading Walking the Path of Truth. Can someone please help me to decipher it?
Thank you
Hi Yana,
I agree, it’s a tough article. I think it’s a bit beyond what we can grasp in the fundamentals, but you can check out this blog post from Rav Laitman which explains the main takeaway from this article: http://laitman.com/2012/02/checking-the-aims-precision/
Albert @ KabU
Hi!
In reading some of the others’ questions a question of my own formed.
Regarding the effect of my correction: I understood that I can correct my part which is found within the whole system. This way, I can feel whole with the System and the Creator as a result of the spiritual fractality explained on a link you have placed. Have I understood this correctly?
The main question regards the effect of my correction upon the world. So my correction will help the others ‘understand where they fit’ and ‘I correct my part within everyone’. I cannot grasp either of the expressions within quotes. Could you clarify further please?
How can my correction help my neighbor who in his opinion/mind believes there is nothing beside the material world? How can my correction help at all if everybody else still needs to be corrected anyway?
Hi Francisco,
Great questions and I’m glad to hear that you’re reading your fellow student’s questions. It’s a really good way to develop your desire for spirituality.
1. Yes, if you correct yourself, you reach equivalence of form with the whole system and feel the whole system.
2. As for how my correction affects the correction of the world, some food for thought: Why is it that you were awakened now to ask about the meaning of life, to study Kabbalah, to correct yourself and rise above the material world? Why not a year ago, or 20 years ago, or in the many reincarnations that you had before this one?
It’s 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.
In other words, the fact that my neighbor does not care about spirituality does not depend on him, it depends on his place in the system. So how can my correction help my neighbor reach his correction? If not for my correction, my neighbor will not be awakened to this work, just like we saw with the above house example.
3. As for the fractality of nature, I agree that it’s very difficult to comprehend. This is because the system of nature is one whole, while we are completely opposite: separate and divided. As long as we remain within this egoistic nature which paints for us this picture of a divided reality, it’ll be impossible for us to truly understand the wholeness of nature.
Check out this blog post from Rav Laitman for more details: https://laitman.com/2009/10/how-do-you-calculate-infinity/
And for anyone else reading this question later on, here is the link Francisco referenced in his question: https://laitman.com/2017/04/the-fractality-of-nature/
Albert @ KabU
Hi Albert,
Thank you so much for your reply. I think i got it :).
Just so as to confirm, regarding your answer to point 2: As such, the fact that we correct ourselves and connect to the Creator, leads the Creator to wake up more points in the Heart?
Still related: is the work made more difficult by the fact that every year the population increases? Say now we have 8 billion people, maybe in 10 years we will have 10 billion. But maybe in the past we had maybe 500 million. Wasn’t it easier to correct Humanity then?
Last, but still related: since the vast majority of people can barely get past the level of Human survival and of the remaining the vast majority is alienated, how is it that Global Correction can be achieved?
Thanks again!
Hi Francisco,
1. Yes, you can say that. To the extent that we correct ourselves, to that extent more points in the hearts are awakened in this common system to which we all belong.
2. It’s actually the opposite, the bigger the population, the easier the work becomes. This is because the size of the population is directly related to the level of egoism that is found in each generation. The bigger the population, the more this egoistic desire is divided up, and the easier it is to correct it. On the other hand, if the population was to shrink, then each person would receive a bigger chunk of this common egoism, which thereby would make the work that much harder for each one.
3. We don’t need to correct humanity. We just need to correct ourselves. To the extent that we correct ourselves, we’ll see the external world corrected as well. This follows what we learned in the lesson on the perception of reality, that the external world is just a reflection of my own uncorrected state. It’s like I have these dirty glasses through which I see the whole world as dirty. The moment I clean my own glasses, I’ll look at the same world, but now it’s clean and perfect.
Check out this blog post from Rav Laitman for more details: https://laitman.com/2014/04/in-neutral-gear/
Albert @ KabU
From the shattering there came 600,000 pieces/souls, then another shattering to today’s 8 billion sparks/points in heart. Does this mean the point in my heart/spiritual desire is linked to millions of others and these together combine to make one piece of the 600,000?
Hi Joseph,
Yes, you can say that. But keep in mind that 600,000 is less of a quantitative number and more of a qualitative number. It represents the strength of the spiritual desire after it’s been fully corrected. So essentially all of humanity is included in this number.
Check out this blog post to see how this number is derived: https://laitman.com/2010/09/love-and-hatred-of-600000-souls/
Albert @ KabU
What should our feeling be toward our friends who are not points in the heart? I have a group of friends whom I am very close with and have known for a long time. But I struggle to relate to them sometimes because their desires seem to not match mine and I feel frustration and sometimes resentment toward their complacency with material/worldly living. Should I still try to connect with them? Or does only our connection towards other points in the heart matter? In other words, is any effort put toward connecting with non points in the heart wasted and doomed to futility?
Hi Branden,
Friend (Haver in Hebrew) comes from the word connection (Hibur in Hebrew). So when we say “friend” in Kabbalah, we’re not talking about our corporeal acquaintances & buddies, but specifically the Kabbalistic group in which people are aspiring towards a spiritual connection within which we reveal the Creator.
As for your corporeal acquaintances, it’s not my place to tell you what to do there. But in general, I wouldn’t recommend to make big changes in your corporeal life. I would recommend to simply set aside some time to regularly return to the source of the light, meaning the Kabbalistic lessons, books, videos, etc. From that you’ll begin to relate to everything else in life in a very balanced way.
And of course remember that “there is no coercion in spirituality”. So don’t pressure anyone to engage in spirituality if they are not ripe for it.
Albert @ KabU
Hello, I would like to ask for clarification on some of the terminology. I apologize in advance that my posting may appear long; however, your indulgence is appreciated because I really want to understand what is being said/meant in our lessons. I will place headings at the start of each topic area for ease of navigation.
Will vs. Desire (1 or 2 questions)
As it pertains to our learning in Kabbalah, do the words “will” and “desire” mean the same thing? In other words, can the terms “will to receive” and “desire to receive” be used interchangeably? If they are not the same meaning, can you please explain what is the difference between “will” and “desire” as Kabbalistic terms?
Corrections, Intentions, Desires (5 questions)
In this lesson, we are told that a correction occurs when we transform the intention to receive into an intention to bestow. In this regard, what we are changing is the intention, not the desire or behavior. First question: Is this accurate? If not, will you explain?
Recently, a classmate expressed difficulty in understanding how the intention for the desire to smoke could be changed from reception to bestowal. He was told, as an example, that he could be part of a group and commit to not smoking as a form of giving toward the benefit of others in the group. In this example, however, it is neither the “intention” nor the “desire” that is being “corrected.” Rather, it is the behavior of smoking that is being changed to “not smoking.” Moreover, the behavior of not smoking goes against both desire (wanting to smoke) and intention (for personal pleasure). In essence, he would commit to sacrificing something he enjoyed for the benefit of others. This seems like the path of pain.
Second Question: Rather than trying to suppress (or sacrifice) our physical desires (such as smoking, drinking alcohol, eating greasy foods, etc.), should we just keep reading Kabbalistic books and following the courses offered through KabU? If not a simple “yes,” can you offer guidance?
It seems to me that we are being taught through Kabbalah that we, as individuals, are powerless to change the objects of our desire (wanting to smoke) on our own. But, if we join a group, our desires will begin to change. Third Question: Is this accurate? If not, will you elaborate?
Fourth Question:Â If we continue feeling the new/additional desire for adhesion with the Creator and we choose to continue our pursuit through authentic Kabbalistic learning, how will our abilities to derive pleasure from base activities, such as smoking, drinking, over-eating, etc., change (or will they)?
Fifth Question: If we study the Path of Reception offered through Kabbalah, will Ohr Makif (Light surrounding the Kli) eventually become Ohr Pnimi (Light received inside the Kli) so that we (individuals) become transformed beings who experience pleasurable fulfillment, while still living in this world, and who no longer wish to conduct ourselves in unhealthy, egoic ways?
Thank you for your patience, guidance, and kind attention to my mind-gnawing questions.
Many smiles…
Dyrk
Hi Dyrk,
Will vs Desire: As a rule of thumb, when the English words get confusing, it’s best to look at the Hebrew originals from which these things get translated. Both will to receive and desire to receive come from the Hebrew words: רצון לקבל – ratzon lekabel. So they are the same and used interchangeably.
1. Yes, we only change the intention. The desire to receive will always remain the same desire to receive, but it’ll be used in order to bestow. Meaning receiving with the intention to bestow. Check out the guest & host analogy in Chapter 3 of Attaining the Worlds Beyond for more details on that: http://www.kabbalah.info/eng/content/view/frame/4180?/eng/content/view/full/4180&main
2&3. 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). As for the desire for spirituality, this is possible to fulfill only in a group with others who have the same goal. We’ll learn more about these things in the more advanced lessons.
As for our corporeal desires, we don’t need to suppress or sacrifice them. We only need to 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.
4. Usually when we first reach Kabbalah, we lose taste in all the pleasures in life that we couldn’t care less if the world burned down, all we want is to fulfill our point in the heart. Later on, these other desires will begin to intensify more and more, and we will derive even greater pleasures from these things than before. These desires will begin to obscure our point in the heart and give us room to grow spiritually, meaning to make that point in the heart even more important than all these basic things. But these are already advanced stages of our development which we’ll learn about in the more advanced semesters.
5. Yes, you can say that. It’s important to note that Kabbalists are not monks. They don’t abstain from receiving pleasures. They don’t disconnect themselves from the corporeal world. Rather they continue to exist on the level of this world throughout the entire spiritual ladder of development.
Albert @ KabU
Thank you, Albert, for your prompt and clarifying reply to my cascade of questions. You have helped relax the wheels in my mind quite a bit, especially with…
“Kabbalah only deals with our desire for spirituality. Regarding the desires of our animalistic bodies, Kabbalah does not deal with these things.”
and…
“These (corporeal) desires will begin to obscure our point in the heart and give us room to grow spiritually, meaning to make that point in the heart even more important than all these basic things.”
Your second point is where I feel I find myself now in returning to this work. : )
I will re-read Chapter 3 in Attaining the Worlds. Many thanks for the link (and, I recently received my hard copy. [thumb’s up!])
Again, thank you!
Many good days…
Dyrk
Hi Dyrk,
Will vs Desire: As a rule of thumb, when the English words get confusing, it’s best to look at the Hebrew originals from which these things get translated. Both will to receive and desire to receive come from the Hebrew words: רצון לקבל – ratzon lekabel. So they are the same and used interchangeably.
1. Yes, we only change the intention. The desire to receive will always remain the same desire to receive, but it’ll be used in order to bestow. Meaning receiving with the intention to bestow. Check out the guest & host analogy in Chapter 3 of Attaining the Worlds Beyond for more details on that: http://www.kabbalah.info/eng/content/view/frame/4180?/eng/content/view/full/4180&main
2&3. 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). As for the desire for spirituality, this is possible to fulfill only within a group of others with the same goal. We’ll learn more about these things in the more advanced lessons.
As for our corporeal desires, we don’t need to suppress or sacrifice them. We only need to 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.
4. Usually when we first reach Kabbalah, we lose taste in all the pleasures in life that we couldn’t care less if the world burned down, all we want is to fulfill our point in the heart. Later on, these other desires will begin to intensify more and more, and we will derive even greater pleasures from these things than before. These desires will begin to obscure our point in the heart and give us room to grow spiritually, meaning to make that point in the heart even more important than all these basic things. But these are already advanced stages of our development which we’ll learn about in the more advanced semesters.
5. Yes, you can say that. It’s important to note that Kabbalists are not monks. They don’t abstain from receiving pleasures. They don’t disconnect themselves from the corporeal world. Rather they continue to exist on the level of this world throughout the entire spiritual ladder of development.
Albert @ KabU
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