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Hi. I have a few questions about this week’s content. In the related material, I learned about the language of roots and branches. According to this, and what is clarified in the book ” Kabbalah for Students”, as long as we are in the world of branches, we never attain the spiritual meaning of their roots. The roots are the means by which Kabbalists exchange and discuss spiritual concepts among themselves. There is no way to understand the hidden meaning no matter how hard you try. You’ll understand, apparently, only with help from above and the attainment process. So, why is it emphasized, many times, that reading the authentic Kabbalah books, which are only understood by us in their corporeal form, will help with attainment? Is it like magic (Kabbalah is not magic) or by dedicating your time and commitment to reading something you won’t understand until the creator considers me worthy and give me something out of pity or as a reward for my desire?
Second question is about the groups of ten. As we are hard wired to receive, every attempt made to get beyond the Masach, is based on the will to receive. The intention is originally receiving the “will to bestow” and being equivalent to the Creator in form. Every attempt we make in this journey is to become or “receive” the creator’s form. The intention is to receive in order to give. The fact that we will give doesn’t eliminate the very first intention that is “to receive” that quality. How does it work and how this paradox can be explained?
Hi Farzin,
1. It’s not magic. It’s not out of pity. These are simple spiritual mechanics. The system is built in such a way that “there is no light without a Kli”. Meaning that you cannot be given something spiritual if you don’t build the desire for it. And the second you build the desire for it, all of spirituality opens up for you.
Why then do we read the Kabbalistic texts? Because it helps us build the right desire for spirituality. Baal HaSulam explains this in item 155 of the Introduction to The Study of the Ten Sefirot. Here’s an excerpt
155) Therefore, we must ask, Why then did the Kabbalists obligate every person to study the wisdom of Kabbalah? Indeed, there is a great thing about it, which should be publicized: There is a wonderful, invaluable remedy to those who engage in the wisdom of Kabbalah. Although they do not understand what they are learning, through the yearning and the great desire to understand what they are learning, they awaken upon themselves the lights that surround their souls.
… Hence, even when he does not have the vessels, when he engages in this wisdom, mentioning the names of the lights and the vessels related to his soul, they immediately illuminate upon him to a certain extent. However, they illuminate for him without clothing the interior of his soul, for lack of vessels able to receive them. Yet, the illumination one receives time after time during the engagement draws upon him grace from above, and imparts him with abundance of sanctity and purity, which bring him much closer to achieving his wholeness.
In other words, we’re studying these texts because through this process, we evoke the light to influence us. It’s the light that ultimately builds the right desire in us. Our job is only to extract it more and more, and it does all the rest.
Check out this blog post from Rav Laitman for more details: https://laitman.com/2013/02/sunbathing-in-the-rays-of-the-reforming-light/
2. Our very nature is egoistic. So naturally it’s impossible for us to do anything against this nature. Meaning that even us studying Kabbalah is done for egoistic reasons. And that’s okay. No one is demanding of us to be saints. No one is demanding of us to have superhuman strength and to conquer our ego.
All that we need to do, and all that we’re capable of doing actually, is just to try. That’s it. We just need to try to be above the ego. We don’t need to succeed, we just need to try. Such efforts are enough to extract the reforming light which turns this aspiration into something real.
Check out this blog post from Rav Laitman for more details:Â https://laitman.com/2012/03/building-blocks-of-the-first-spiritual-degree/
Albert @ KabU
Thanks for the response. I read what you said in Rav Laitman, too:
“Similarly, we need to clarify the conditions under which we will be able to pull the maximum Light that Reforms. And we need not just to place ourselves under its influence, but to pull it to ourselves. After all, here everything depends on how strongly I want the Light to come and affect me.
And one needs to think about this all day: How can I hold myself in the correct thought and desire; what needs to control my heart and mind in order to invite the influence of the Light?”
One more clarification, please: the cause and effect in this case doesn’t follow the corporeal laws. Does it? For example, just thinking and dreaming about being rich every minute has never made anyone rich. You may dream all you want, but you also need to take some form of action to gradually get there. Starting to receive the Light by reading Kabbalistic texts because there is a desire to receive the Light is like starting to get rich through a burning desire and reading different books, such as “Think and Grow Rich”, etc., without any action. So, what’s the verdict here? Are the cause-and-effect laws in Kabbalah different, or are they similar to corporeality and require some action? If so, what’s the action? I hope I could get the message across.
Hi Farzin,
Yes, actions are definitely required. But the action should be secondary. 90% of the work is in finding the right intention, and 10% is in carrying out that intention in action.
The basic actions are studying from the Kabbalistic sources and connecting with other points in the heart in the Kabbalistic group. This will be more relevant in the advanced semesters where everyone will receive their own virtual Kabbalah group to practice with.
Albert @ KabU
Hi Kabu Instructors, reposting on the right question: I am still a bit unclear on what Job reaction should’ve been upon each calamity – did he needed to ask the creator the purpose of his suffering? And what could’ve he done to prevent more suffering ?
youtube.com/playlist?list=PLVz2cfPpsbe7uhPudZSNAJJzw86UBuI2E&si=W6zZNzyz-rJSpa2Y
Hi Daniel,
This was answered in your previous post about it here.
For the future, general questions not related to the weekly materials should be asked in the ask anything forum.
Albert @ KabU
Considering the importance of group study for Kabbalists I regret that I’ve missed many study group calls and faq because I’ve been traveling and the time zone conversion is impacting my availability to join. Is it possible to send a google meeting invitation instead of a zoom link in what’s app? Google meet automatically converts the time. Alternatively if the meeting times are consistent and the link doesn’t change for each type of meeting we could create calendar reminders ourselves. Id love to know if others are struggling with this aspect of the course as I am.
Hi Ellema,
This forum is for questions related to week 5 materials. For technical support, you can use the blue help button in the bottom right, or the contact page.
Albert @ KabU
Hi,
Today I learned that my inability to follow and bond with a teacher is my greatest ego. I have a great desire for spirituality; reading and practicing everyday, and i love people and serve them with compassion. Yet when it comes to truly following a teacher and nullifying my desire and mind to a teacher is the greatest obstacle to becoming Kabballist. Is there any advise? I live far in the bush and only learning online.
Hi Bolormaa,
We don’t need to work directly towards a teacher. We need to listen to the teachers advice and try to implement it. The main advice from our teachers is that we need to reach a spiritual connection in a small group of ten. The group of ten is the main laboratory of our work. And it’s precisely in that connection where we will reveal spirituality in practice.
We’ll learn how to do this practically in the advanced semesters of KabU where everyone will get their own virtual Kabbalah group to practice with.
Albert @ KabU
suppose i have read the torah9bible and can see the spiritual secrets like what is cin or abraham , who is moses and so forth , what is the layers above and the pth of torh lishma nd mitzvot and have covered many zohr articles as well as shamati and michael laitman;s a few books ..wht will it take to corss the machsom?
Hi Collen,
Crossing the machsom (barrier) between corporeality and spirituality works according to the law of equivalence of form. Meaning that to the extent that we become similar to spirituality, to the qualities of pure love and bestowal that reside there, to that extent we’ll come closer to spirituality and feel it in practice. This is just like how a radio can pick up an external wave, when we tune the internal frequency of the radio to that wave.
But practicing love and bestowal is not something I can do in isolation, rather I need to have someone with whom I can practice these things. And I can’t practice this with just anyone, as that too would violate the rule of “there is no coercion in spirituality”. I need to practice it with others that have the same goal and are aspiring towards that goal on a regular basis. In other words, I need to practice this in a Kabbalistic group.
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
hi..is it worthy forming group of yet to be kabbalists who re totally new but eager to know ? can i study with them the little i know for example my spouse a friend a few colleagues or even my sons or should i be given a group?can i apply my kabbalh wisdom in a soccer team and use it as a group?
Hi Collen,
1. You can try to form a study group, just remember that “there is no coercion in spirituality”. So don’t force anyone into studying Kabbalah. Even arguing with someone about it or trying to prove that Kabbalah is correct to someone is not recommended. If you’re able to keep these limits, then there is no harm in forming a study group.
2. As for the soccer team, it depends on what you’re trying to accomplish. If the goal is to reach the revelation of the Creator, this is possibly only when we practice what we learn here with other points in the heart in a 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 or break the law, but just act the way normal people act.
And in the advanced semesters of KabU, we’ll learn how to do spiritual work in a group, and whoever wants will be given a virtual Kabbalah group to put these things into practice.
Albert @ KabU
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