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This lesson was interesting and answered many of the questions I had about Kabbalah,
There’s a couple that could still be clarified, though.
First, in the 5 levels of life from still-vegetative-animate-speaking and the final one, how is it that there are 5 discrete levels when biology goes against this, for example fungi might be placed in the vegetative level for certain features but have communication methods that surpass animals (or even humans), the same could go for some insects like bees.
Second, One of the readings talked about restriction which happens when the person starts their process of correction. This is not a new concept to me, but the way it was described in the text reminded me of how i’ve observed some people pass through the spiritual experience, first with what appears to be a rejection of worldly things and desire, as the screen or masach develops the first restriction is more intense. I think this is really universal knowledge that is not limited to a specific sect or religion, so is it simply so that Kabbalists use these terms that other traditions may also use?
Thank you !
Hi Dana,
1. There are 4 levels in nature: still, vegetative, animate, and speaking (human). Within each level, there are 4 sub levels: the still of the still, the vegetative of the still, the animate of the still, the speaking of the still, etc. And there are also intermediary degrees which contain aspects of both, like the coral and monkeys.
2. It’s possible that other methods borrowed these terms from Kabbalah. But it’s not recommended to associate what you learned from other methods in Kabbalah, this will lead you in the wrong direction. Even when things sound similar, like restriction.
The restriction that Kabbalists talk about is not performed by a person in isolation, like a monk, and not from worldly pleasures. The restriction is relative to the spiritual work that is done in a Kabbalistic group. It’s when the group, or connecting to the group is more important than myself.
Until we begin to do spiritual work in a group, we don’t even begin to reveal the true egoism that needs to be restricted. Until then we remain on the speaking sub-level of the animate degree, meaning we’re just human animals. The true speaking degree is a spiritual degree that is still ahead of us.
We’ll learn how to implement these things in the more advanced semesters where everyone will get their own Kabbalah group to put this into practice. In the meantime, check out this blog post from Rav Laitman: https://laitman.com/2011/01/get-down-to-pure-egoism/
Albert @ KabU
If a person does not find Kabbalah to be a teaching as you offer it in this setting, will they still enter the correct states naturally, or do they all have to join a group like this? I am so grateful to be here for all this wisdom.
Hi Linda,
It’s impossible to enter a corrected state “naturally” as this would violate the law that “there is no coercion in spirituality”. Naturally we’re egoists, so by nature we cannot want spirituality, meaning we cannot naturally want to acquire the Creator’s pure qualities of love and bestowal. And thereby we cannot be given it naturally.
It requires a special type of work within a Kabbalistic group to evoke a true desire for spirituality within us. We’ll learn how to do this type of work in the more advanced semesters.
As for the rest of the world, how would they reach this correction if they’re not studying Kabbalah?
That already depends on us. That is because all of humanity is part of a single system, within this singular system, there is a certain order of corrections that need to take place.
It’s like building a large jigsaw puzzle. First you start with all the corner pieces, and only then do you gradually work your way to the center. It’s the same with our spiritual work. There are those that are awakened to this work earlier and those that are awakened to it later. Those that received awakened points in the hearts are like those corner pieces of the puzzle that need to start the whole process. Later on, due to their good work, they pave the way for the rest of the world to join this process.
So ultimately, whether a person receives a point in the heart now or later depends on their place in the system, which is called the root of one’s soul.
Check out this blog post from Rav Laitman for more details: https://laitman.com/2010/10/the-root-of-the-soul/
Albert @ KabU
est ce que dans la vie chacun suit ces 4 etapes tout droit, on ne peut pas arriver à la révélation puis rechuter dans la double dissimulation?
est ce que l, experience de croyant , pratiquant selon les enseignements des religions font suivre le meme cheminement ?
Je suis né, elevée, grandie dans une famille croyant en Dieu dans la religion Catholique et trop pratiquant, entrée au couvant comme religieuse à 15 ans .à l, age de 36 ans j, ai quitté le couvent, je n’ croyais pas ,non plus au vatican, jeme souviensque j’ avais l, evidence qu, il n y avait pas de Dieu à Rome, mais je croyais en Dieu en moi,depuis 5 ans je visce que je viens de comprendre comme la double dissimulation, brisée totalement dans ma santé totale, dans ma vie materielle, je me suis demandée, etj, ai pleurée plusieures fois ou est Dieu ´. j, ai connu la Kabbale depuis 2 mois , et j, ai etais attirée à m, inscrire àtous les cours possibles . Jee suis peuteetre à ma simple dissimulation et je regarde avec beaucoup de grattitude la suite du cheminement, enfin j, ai trouvé le vrai chemin de trouver Dieu que je cherche jeune , j, ai manquer mon enfance, ma jeunesse ma vie d, adulte à le chercher dans un monde de méchants , menteurs , sans amour . cela sonne tellement bienfaisant quand j, entends dans la kabbale insister sur l, amour du prochain comme soi meme… Merci à vousGoogle translation of the question:
Does everyone in life follow these four stages in a straight line? Is it impossible to reach revelation and then relapse into double concealment?
Does the experience of a believer, practicing according to the teachings of religions, follow the same path?
I was born, raised, and grew up in a family that believed in God in the Catholic religion and was very devout. I entered the convent as a nun at the age of 15. At the age of 36, I left the convent. I no longer believed in God, nor in the Vatican. I remember having the certainty that there was no God in Rome, but I believed in God within myself. For the past 5 years, I have been living what I have just understood as double concealment, completely broken in my overall health and in my material life. I wondered, and I cried many times, “Where is God?” I discovered Kabbalah two months ago, and I was drawn to register for all the possible courses. I am perhaps in my simple concealment stage, and I look forward to the rest of the journey with great gratitude. Finally, I have found the true path to finding God, whom I have been searching for since I was young. I missed my childhood, my youth, and my adult life searching for Him in a world of wicked, lying, loveless people. It sounds so comforting when I hear in Kabbalah the emphasis on loving one’s neighbor as oneself… Thank you.___________________________
Hi Marguerite Marie,
1. It’s not a straight line, it’s possible to go back and forth between these stages.
Check out this blog post from Rav Laitman for more details: https://laitman.com/2012/01/understanding-his-providence/
2. I’m not an expert in religions, so I cannot comment on what they do there.
Also, this course is entirely in English, if you want to study in another language, we have courses in other languages as well: Check out Kab.info for details.
Albert @ KabU
In the article “Time to Act” in Kabbalah for the student there is a part that says:
“the arrowsnake make her nest, and lay, and hatch, and brood under her shadow.”
but on the Kabbalah media site it says
“the owl nests and lays [its eggs], and hatch, and brooded in its shade.”
Was there a mistranslation between owl and arrowsnake? does it matter? do they share a name in hebrew?
Is he cautioning here about having certainty in attainment? Or about misinterpretations?
Also, i was curious about some terms i havent brought up before. What is the difference between the aviut and the kli? What is the difference between the Shechina, the collective soul, and Adam Harishon? are they synonyms? Does Adam refer both to the first Kabbalist as a man as well as the collective soul?
I forgot to add, that the danger in having misinterpretations or having feeling like one has attained something they hadn’t actually would be that they would spread that to others and perpetuate false teachings, is this correct?
Hi Oliver,
1. It’s קִפּוֹז in Hebrew, which can be translated to owl or tree snake.
Kabbalah for the student was published many years ago, so the translation there is a little older. Whereas the translations in Kabbalah Media are constantly being updated.
2. He explains there why there is so much confusion in our days about Kabbalah, and why he ultimately felt the need to start openly disseminating the authentic wisdom of Kabbalah.
3.
Kli is the general word for the desire to receive.
Aviut is the level of the desire, the craving.
The system of Adam HaRishon is the same as the collective soul. When we reconnect back into that system, that state is called Shechina.
Depending on context, Adam can also refer to the first Kabbalah.
Check out these blog posts from Rav Laitman for more details:
https://laitman.com/2020/05/kabbalistic-terminology-aviut/
https://laitman.com/2014/05/puzzle-adam-harishon/
https://laitman.com/2014/05/the-human-is-the-innermost-part-in-the-system-of-worlds/
https://laitman.com/2012/06/what-would-a-cardiogram-of-the-hearts-desires-reveal/
4. Yes, you can say that about spreading false teachings.
Albert @ KabU
I so much admire that fact, that in Kabbalah our spiritual advancement is dependent on being in a group (right environment).
Q1] What are the topics I should bring to the group.
Q2] In love your friend as your self. How do I practically do this in the TEN or the group.
Q3] Is there a sample video for a TEN or a group meeting. I just wanna have a feel of how it is like ?
Hi Milo,
1. The main topic is how we connect so that we reveal the Creator in our connection. Everything else is a derivative of that.
2. Throughout the day, it’s mostly in our thoughts and prayers that the ten will succeed in connecting.
Aside from that, each friend in the ten is unique. One likes pickles, another likes sweets, so we cannot give something sweet to someone that doesn’t like it. Meaning we need to find what touches each one’s heart. So for one person it could be the way you speak with them, to another it could be that they need a phone call reminder before the meetings, to a third it could be that your active participation is what they need the most, etc.
3. Every ten is unique and goes through their meetings in their own way. In my ten, there is a rotating duty to prepare the weekly meeting. So each person in the ten gets to prepare it and add his own flavor to the meeting.
In general we start with something uplifting like the importance of the goal, the importance of the friends, gratitude, etc. After that we bring up more serious topics like things we want to implement in the ten that we heard recently from Rav Laitman’s lessons, or things we want to resolve that stand in the way of our connection, or organizational topics, or deciding on the logistics of our monthly physical meeting. And we end with something uplifting, usually a silent few seconds of gratitude, and a song.
In the advanced semesters of KabU, everyone will receive their own virtual Kabbalah group and taught how to put all these things into practice.
Albert @ KabU
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