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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.
How does the reforming light actually bring about change in us? Is there a particular analogy, narrative or mechanism that can be explained simply?
I have a question about our relationship with the Creator, particularly in light of Shamati 16, which describes how the Creator does not receive or need anything from us. It mentions that our relationship is like a game to the Creator, as expressed in the phrase, “He sits and plays with a whale,” referencing the verse, “There go the ships, and Leviathan, which You have formed to sport in it” (Avoda Zarah, p. 3). A teacher once explained that the whale alludes to the final correction, symbolizing the full rectification of the will to receive. However, I’m still pondering the meaning of the word ‘play’ in this context. What does it mean that the Creator ‘plays’ with the whale? Is this play something ongoing with creation—meaning, is He playing with us now—or does it only occur at the end of correction?
Additionally, is play a strong mechanism for connection with the friends? For example, I ‘play’ with the friends, giving and pretending to receive, but deep down, I don’t actually care to receive anything. Is it like playing a board game with my son—winning and losing is just for sport, but I’m really doing it because I enjoy spending time with him? Is this a good understanding of how the Creator relates to us?
