[Albert – KabU Instructor]

Yes, but keep in mind that in Kabbalah we don’t need to focus on our desires, on growing them, or anything like that. Our entire focus is always on the positive side of things: on our aspiration to acquire the spiritual qualities of love, bestowal, connection, etc. As a result and only as a result of that, we will see that our desires, our ego will grow and develop to the necessary levels. But again, this is only a side effect, this is not something we need to focus on.

See my reply to Miryam in the week 3 questions forum for more details.

Albert @ KabU

[Albert – KabU Instructor]

Hi Patty, good question!

The bible is written entirely in a type of code called the language of roots and branches. This code uses words of our world but speaks entirely about spiritual phenomena. To truly understand this code, we need to reveal spirituality. We do that by becoming similar to spirituality, to the spiritual qualities of love and bestowal. In other words, we need to correct our opposite egoistic nature to operate in the direction of bestowal. Only then, once we’re similar to spirituality, will we understand this code.

But not everyone is ready for such a correction. Only those with an awakened point in the heart feel the need for this. While the rest of the world prefers to just keep existing and operating within their egoistic nature. And that’s fine. After all, “there is no coercion in spirituality”.  So we shouldn’t pressure anyone into this. If someone has the point in the heart, they will naturally aspire to fulfill it, if not, they will not.

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

[Albert – KabU Instructor]

Hi Chris,

Assiyah (עשיה) means action.

See my post below for more details about the names of the spiritual worlds.

Albert @ KabU

[Albert – KabU Instructor]

Hi Rune, good question!

In general, people define idolatry as worshiping anything other than the Creator. But in Kabbalah, it has a different and more internal meaning. Idolatry in Kabbalah means that a person serves himself, his ego, instead of serving the Creator, the general force of love and bestowal.  So everything we do to serve our ego is considered idolatry.

Here’s an excerpt from Rav Laitman’s words on this topic:

“At first Abraham himself made idols, meaning he taught people to worship egoistic desires for money, honor, knowledge. All our activities in this world are called making idols, idol worship, since we work for our egoism”.

As for amulets and such things, these things are not forbidden but rather they have nothing to do with spirituality, there no spiritual forces within such things. They only benefit us in a purely psychological way, similar to how the placebo effect works.

Albert @ KabU

[Albert – KabU Instructor]

Hi Mike, good question!

On one hand, the Torah is entirely written in the language of roots and branches, meaning it uses words of our world to describe spiritual phenomena. So none of it is literal. On the other hand, there is a law that the spiritual root must touch the corporeal branch at least once. Meaning although these are spiritual phenomena, they must have a corresponding corporeal branch in our world.

For example, Egypt represents the uncorrected egoistic desire while Israel represents the corrected desire, those are the roots. But in our world these things exist as branches as well. There is actually a physical place that is called Egypt and Israel. Still, despite all the above, the Torah is not a history book, not a single word of the Torah speaks about our world.

Check out these blog posts from Rav Laitman for more details: https://laitman.com/2014/10/the-deluge-and-other-natural-disasters/

https://laitman.com/2016/05/dispelling-myths-about-kabbalah-part-4/

Albert @ KabU

[Albert – KabU Instructor]

Hi Paul,

“Heart” means desire. So equivalence of form in the desire, means having a true desire to bestow.

Regarding Lishma (for Her Name), her refers to the Torah (which is a female word in Hebrew).  And the Torah refers to the entire system in which we exist.

In other words, Lo Lishma (not for her name) and Lishma (for her name) is talking about our intention, the reason for why we’re studying Kabbalah. Lo Lishma means that we aspire to spirituality egoistically, for our own sake. While Lishma is when the light corrects this egoistic aspiration to operate purely in the direction of bestowal, for the sake of the entire system.

Check out this blog post from Rav Laitman for more details: https://laitman.com/2011/07/lo-lishma-having-something-to-correct/

Albert @ KabU

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