Baal HaSulam, “The Arvut (Mutual Guarantee)”: Indeed, there is no dispute here, for everyone admits that to begin with, it is enough to start with one nation …for the beginning of the correction of the world. Undoubtedly, both the physical purity and the mental exaltedness of our Holy Fathers greatly influenced their sons and their sons’ sons, and their righteousness reflected upon that generation, whose members all assumed that sublime work, and each and every one stated clearly, “We shall do and we shall hear.” Because of that, we were chosen, out of necessity, to be a chosen people from among all the nations.
We study the general system that stems from the four phases of the expansion of the Direct Light. The Light operates on the desire that it created as “existence from absence,” and inevitably, the desire develops by the four phases. Only in the last phase does it feel itself separated from the root, from the Light, and in this state perceives the root as the bestowing one and itself as the receiving one.
As a result of this feeling of separation, the oppositeness in attributes, the desire restricts itself and performs internal changes in order to resemble the root. The root gives it the feeling of self-deficiency that stems from the evil and lowliness of receiving, and so the desire wants to change itself and to resemble its root.
The four phases create the matrix of Yod-Key-Vav-Key (HaVaYaH), or the “the name of the Creator.” This means that the Creator imprints His name, His action, in matter, meaning in the desire of the created being.
All our development occurs following the format of Yod-Key-Vav-Key, through the four phases and their root, or through the five worlds. In each one there are five Partzufim, and each one is divided into five Sefirot, a total of 125 degrees.
The five general stages of development are divided according to the Aviut (depth, “thickness”) of the desire, from the root (zero) level until the fourth phase, or into fiveSefirot: Keter, Hochma, Bina, ZA, and Malchut, or five Partzufim: Galgalta, AB, SAG,MA, and BON, or five worlds: AK, Atzilut, Beria, Yetzira, and Assiya. In short, the format of HaVaYaH surrounds everything, and there is nothing else in reality except for these five parts of the desire to receive. The Creator is also inside.
Accordingly, the last phase, Malchut, which needs correction, also includes five phases that are corrected gradually, starting with the “tip of Yod.” The levels that preceded us are called “forefathers” and “sons.” And we stem from them. This is the order of the correction of the vessels.
In fact, the level of the forefathers begins from Adam who was the first to discover the Creator. Then came the souls who do not belong to this world, although we call them Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and so on. It is a matter of numerology, as the name reflects the level that the soul attained in its correction.
We come after all these souls from the degrees of HBD and HGT, and we belong to the degrees of NHY. On the whole, all the souls make up the general vessel, and so at our stage we should see the continuation of the previous levels. Our small level is also divided into three corresponding parts: HBD, HGT, and NHY. In this round we are the forefathers with regards to the last degree, the last generation.
So we are connected to the forefathers because all the Sefirot match one another and are connected. Because we belong to the level of the forefathers, it is hard for us to be corrected. After all, it isn’t just about something that exists; rather, we have to rise in our mind and heart, in awareness and understanding, in clear attainment, and in a large scale, finite, and perfect action.
So we should be grateful that we were privileged to be the first. Yes, it is not easy. There are people in the world who prefer a “quiet place” and little responsibility, but there are those who what to spread the Creator’s name in the world. There is nothing we can do, it doesn’t depend on us; however, we should be grateful that we received such a special role, we should be proud. You can be a farmer, for instance, and simultaneously disseminate the wisdom of Kabbalah.
There are many interruptions along this difficult path, which are especially meant for us. It will be much easier for others. We will build schools, kindergartens, and different systems for the new world: industry, management, government, and health care systems, and then people will enliven all that.
But it is us who attain the Creator fully and wholly, not like the forefathers in the past. They only had the Light of Nefesh, while we attain the head of the level with the greatest vessels of NHY, the essence of the Thought of Creation itself. This is because the wisdom of Kabbalah begins with the question about the meaning of our lives, about knowing the Creator, about attaining Godliness. All this is revealed on our degree.
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From the Arava Convention 2/25/12, Lesson 7
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