[Albert – KabU Instructor]

Hi Lana,

It does not feel right because we bring all sorts of previous values and notions of these words into Kabbalah. We think that a sin is something bad, something that makes us feel guilty, something that we can avoid, etc. Kabbalah does not define it in this way. Rather, the Kabbalistic definition of sin is closer to a mistake. And mistakes are not bad, but rather the natural process by which we grow and develop. Similar to how kids have a tendency to break a toy in order to learn how it works.

Likewise in our spiritual work. There is a saying that “there is no righteous man on earth who does good and does not sin” and “a person does not keep a commandment if he has not failed in it first”. Meaning that it’s impossible to advance without first making such mistakes. Just like it’s impossible to walk only on one foot, but rather there is an alternating motion to walking: left, right, left, right, left, right, etc. Likewise in our spiritual work: we reveal the ego, we correct it, we reveal the ego, we correct it. And this process repeats itself until we correct our egoistic nature on all 125 degrees.

We’ll learn how to do this work practically in the more advanced lessons. In the meantime, check out this blog post from Rav Laitman for more details: https://laitman.com/2010/05/there-are-no-sins-in-this-world/

Albert @ KabU

[Albert – KabU Instructor]

Hi Martin,

It depends on the situation. In our days, given that a systematic approach to studying Kabbalah exists, then of course that is the preferable way.

As for being in attainment in order to teach, that also depends. For example, we see in our world that in order to teach kindergarten a person does not need to be a Ph.D professor or a great scientist, etc.  Such credentials might even make that person less suitable to teach kindergarten.

It’s the same with teaching beginners, being in attainment might make a person more distant from the audience and thereby less suitable to teach them. We see this from the example of Baal HaSulam, who asked to be lowered from his degree, in order to be able to pass this wisdom to more people.

So for us, in order to teach beginners, it’s more important to be a good instructor, one who knows how to pass the basics in a way that people would want to hear them. In a way that does not reject people from Kabbalah, which can ultimately cause harm to both the person and the instructor. We’ll learn about the proper way to disseminate Kabbalah in the more advanced semesters.

Albert @ KabU

[Albert – KabU Instructor]

Hi Jarrett,

We go through many ups and down on the spiritual path. The main thing is to just keep going, to keep placing yourself under the influence of the light, especially during the Kabbalistic studies and readings, and the light will balance everything out.

As for the news, there was a time when Kabbalists, like Rabash, would regularly listen to the news (not anything political or opinionated, but strictly the news). Such a process would help them feel the world and build a relationship with the Creator. In our days though, the news channels have been turned into means of brainwashing. Because of that, Kabbalists don’t listen to the news in our days.

Check out this clip from Rav Laitman for more details: https://kabbalahmedia.info/lessons/cu/2HNYS0Sb?sstart=52m43s&send=54m39s&mediaType=video&shareLang=en

Albert @ KabU

[Albert – KabU Instructor]

Hi Julia,

Angel is a general term. It can refer to any of the four levels, including humans, when we have still not developed our free will. Check out this excerpt from Rav Laitman’s blog:

“All the forces of our world, (the forces clothed in matter that we can perceive) are also angels. Even the still, vegetative and animate levels of nature, man included, are angels, because they are completely controlled by the Creator. So who isn’t an angel? Only a Kabbalist, because he becomes independent, a Man (Adam, one who is similar to the Creator), one who is independent from the Creator. A Kabbalist isn’t just one of the Creator’s forces or messengers, and hence, a Kabbalist is not an angel.”

As for the corresponding levels, it depends on the level of desire that is being described. There are many such levels and sub levels. Check out the diagram in the back of Kabbalah for the students which lists a few of these levels of desires. We’ll learn more about them in the future lessons.

Albert @ KabU

[Albert – KabU Instructor]

Hi Collen,

I cannot comment on your personal situation, but in general, there are many people out there who have a certain heightened sense, intuition, or feel the world differently. But can we really call these things spiritual? Since we see that even animals perceive the world differently. They’re able to tell when storms are coming, or have access to a higher or lower spectrum of light and see the world from these different levels. Other animals hear higher or lower frequencies and also pick up information from parts of reality that we normally don’t have access to.

These are all just heightened senses within our current nature, it has nothing to do with spirituality. Spirituality is the correction of our egoistic nature and the acquisition of a new nature, of the quality of love and bestowal. By correcting our nature, we become similar to the Creator and reveal Him in practice. This is what the wisdom of Kabbalah helps us to do.

Albert @ KabU

[Albert – KabU Instructor]

Hi Miho,

1. Correcting our egoistic nature means being close to the Creator’s qualities of love and bestowal. Keep in mind that it’s impossible to correct our own nature. Just like a PC cannot just reprogram itself to run as a Mac. We too need outside help to make this change. This help comes to us from the reforming light. All of our work boils down to extracting more and more of the light, especially during the Kabbalistic studies, and it makes all the changes on us.

Check out this blog post from Rav Laitman for more details: http://laitman.com/2013/02/sunbathing-in-the-rays-of-the-reforming-light/

2/3. The ego is the Creator’s loyal servant. The Creator gave us the ego in order to help us to develop towards Him. As we develop, our attitude to the ego develops as well. At first we see the ego as a good force. After all, it’s thanks to the ego that we develop on the spiritual path.

Afterwards, we begin to realize that it’s actually the ego that is preventing us from reaching the Creator. So we begin to search for a way to get out of it. But we realize that we’re powerless to do anything against it. So instead of fighting it directly, we begin to turn to the Creator for help. Throughout this process, we see that it’s thanks to the ego that we develop a true need for the Creator’s help. So the ego is a force that on the one hand separates us from the Creator, and on the other hand, brings us closer to Him.

Check out this blog post from Rav Laitman for more details: https://laitman.com/2016/04/pharaoh/

Albert @ KabU

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