Forum Replies Created
- Replies
I’ve heard the recurring guidance from the teachers that for worldly ailments, we apply worldly remedies—that if one has a broken leg, or a psychological disorder like OCD or depression, they should seek professional help outside the wisdom. I completely understand and respect this boundary, and it seems like a healthy distinction to maintain.
That said, I want to ask about something more complex and internal.
Take for instance someone who is paralyzed. Yes, it’s a physical condition, and yes, it’s something a doctor treats—but that person doesn’t simply “have” paralysis; they exist within it. It’s not just a diagnosis, it’s an inseparable part of how they move through the world. It becomes woven into the fabric of their experience.
In a similar way, many of us carry certain mental or emotional tendencies—not always severe enough to warrant a diagnosis, but persistent and shaping. Things like obsessive thought loops, depressive coloring of perception, or self-critical inner voices. We don’t just “have” these thoughts—we exist within them. They inform our inner world, moment by moment.
So my question is:
How should we relate to these more subtle but ever-present mental states? Should we be actively scrutinizing them as material for our spiritual work, or should we view them as noise—something external to the wisdom and best left untouched within this context?
And more broadly: Why does this question always seem to receive the same general answer? Is it because, from the perspective of spiritual attainment, these inner experiences truly hold no individual significance? Or is it that we don’t yet fully grasp how to bring these layers of inner experience into alignment with the work?
If all my actions and thoughts are given by the Creator and are not something I generate independently or possess as my own to return, then what remains for me to offer? Is my attitude—the inner response I cultivate toward Him—the only true gift I have?
I was recently traveling and participating in some group work when a stranger sitting next to me asked what I was doing. As I tried to explain Kabbalah, I realized I either had too many words or not enough to really capture it. I mentioned that most people think of it as Jewish mysticism, but that’s not really what it is. Instead, it’s about developing an authentic relationship with the Creator. Still, I felt like my explanation didn’t fully do it justice.
So my question for this forum is: How do we describe what we’re doing when people ask? What’s the best “elevator pitch” for the school? I’m not trying to teach it, but when someone unfamiliar with Kabbalah asks, what’s the simplest and clearest way to explain it?
When time feels so short and the work so vast, how can we approach fulfilling our spiritual purpose in this lifetime
How do we find peace with the idea that our time in this world feels too brief to accomplish all that we are meant to?
When it says, “the whole world is included in the Arvut,” (article below) does this mean that as Kabbalists align more closely with the upper forces, they practically help the world shift from unconscious to conscious alignment with those forces? Like helping people around them all the time but not knowing that they are helping.
Practically speaking, a person who works with these forces does good in the world and helps others. However, this help is not from a human or egoistic standpoint, but rather by acting in ways that align with the Creator’s will—to fulfill the ultimate purpose of creation.
Or does this mean that the “world” included in the Arvut refers to an entirely internal process, where the external reality is a reflection of one’s inner corrections?
Preparation Before Sleep 26/12/2024
Baal HaSulam, “The Arvut” [Mutual Guarantee], Item 19
Rabbi Elazar, son of Rashbi, clarifies the matter of Arvut even further. It is not enough for him that all of Israel be responsible for one another, but the whole world is included in the Arvut.
What are some of the side effects of being in a 10 for a long time? Ie. what changes can I expect in my personal perspective and the collective perspective of our 10? For context I’ve only been in a 10 for a a year and half and just excitedly curious about the 10’s impact on a person or persons over time?🦀 it would be a fun promo commercial to make a health ‘warning’ for the positive impacts of a 10.
