The Relationship Between Two Worlds

Question: What is the relationship between the two worlds: the spiritual and the physical? Is it possible to influence the spiritual world from the material and vice versa?

Answer: The world is grasped through my selfish desires when I absorb impressions and information through my five senses: sight, hearing, smelling, taste, and touch.

Everything I feel in the material world, by maximally absorbing pleasant things and maximally rejecting unpleasant things, passes through my egoistic filters and I categorize them. I want see only the good, so I distance myself from all the evil, so much so that I cannot identify much of what is happening because I just don’t want to see it.

But the upper world is built according to a different principle; I don’t draw to myself what is good for my ego, but I interact in an opposite direction: I love others and not myself; I go out of myself for a good relationship with others.

And so I begin to see a completely different picture around me; it’s a completely different world! It is said to be higher because it is above my ego, above my present existence.

The connection between the two worlds is very simple: If I relate to everything egoistically, I feel the material world, and if I relate altruistically, I feel the upper world. This connection exists within me, I connect the two worlds; everything is happening only in relation to me. The wisdom of Kabbalah speaks only about the subjective perception of a person.

Question: Doesn’t a person who goes out to the spiritual world become detached from this world?

Answer: No. His egoistic, beastly, habitual feelings remain in him, and with all his human drives, he moves out of himself to a connection with others to bestow to them according to the general rule of “you shall love your neighbor as yourself” (Leviticus19:18). And with this intention to exit himself, he discovers a world that is upside down.

Question: Doesn’t this seem too simple for a person? After all, anyone can say, “I love others.”

Answer: It’s very easy to say that. When he tries to see the upper world, he will understand that this is just impossible to do except according to a specific system of work in a particular group, with clear support according to particular books and a special method. In addition, it takes a number of years.

So someone who says, “What is the matter with you?! I love everyone!” is profoundly mistaken. This is a human mistake.
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From the Kabbalah Lesson 10/27/15

Moses And The People

The Lord spoke to Moses saying: “Stand aside from this congregation, and I shall consume them in an instant.” They fell on their faces. Moses said to Aaron, “Take the censer and put fire from the altar top into it and put incense. Then take it quickly to the congregation, and atone for them; for wrath has gone forth from the Lord, and the plague is begun.’” (Torah, “Numbers,” “Korach,” 17:9 – 17:11).

A person must get close to those desires and characteristics that are below him. He needs to make it possible for them to be filled with incense, meaning with Ohr Hozer(Reflected Light), and then he will become like the Creator on his level.

Question: Why was Moses so merciful to the people?

Answer: What else is there to correct if not the people? Moses and Aaron are corrected characteristics. But who are they without the people? For what purpose would they exist?! Moses is the characteristic of absolute bestowal, and without the people he is like a head without a body.

Question: How can Moses feel the people if he is completely divorced from them? How can he pray for them?

Answer: Joining the nation. It’s his job, not the work of the people. All of our desires, except for the head, are basically beastly desires, and only the head keeps them in the right intention.

The head joins itself to a certain amount of desires of the spiritual body and makes a calculation about them, which is called Zivug de Hakaa (coupling while striking). After that it begins to work with the desires, joining them to itself, and the body agrees and completely manifests what the head decides.

Question: Does it follow that Moses felt guilty about his detachment from the people?

Answer: This happens all the time. Every time new desires appear from below the head must find how to work with them.

Comment: And Moses didn’t blame them….

Answer: What could he blame them for?! After all, this is a broken Kli that became disconnected from Egypt because the cloud of the Creator covered it and brought the people out of there. So the body is not to blame at all here.

All of the desires that appear in man are discovered according to a strictly defined schedule, and the head needs to work with them, it is responsible for them. As to the physical desires, there are no restrictions.
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From KabTV’s “Secrets of the Eternal Book” 5/27/15

Practical Kabbalah: How Does One Feel The Upper World? – In The Unity Circle

In our world there is a special condition to start feeling the upper world: the creation of a small society, a minimum of ten people, who must constantly try to be mutually interconnected, as a living organism, in full, good, integral connection.

And if we try to establish a structure like this between us, we gradually begin to feel new integral properties within us. But they won’t belong to any one of the ten participants; rather, they will become their common property.

The general desire manifested between us to connect us as a single spiritual person is what we create ourselves; we complement each others’ thoughts that will become our shared mind. As a result, a new spiritual union is created: one common person from all ten.

Each of us experiences it himself, because when we enter into this image, we feel it in our place. We dissolve in it, and together we begin to become a single system, a single sense.

Each one who leaves his egoistic perception of the world through connection, through the integration of everyone into something single, reaches the perception of a new world that doesn’t depend on the previous state.

And in this sense organ we create, we begin to feel a new state of nature called the upper world, the system that manages and influences us with quite different characteristics of the world: not selfish but their opposite.

Everything in our world is constructed according to two opposing characteristics: plus or minus, hot or cold, and so forth. Balance between them creates a state of life, comfort, homeostasis; this is what we aspire to. Balance exists in everything except our inner egoistic desire.

But discovery of the upper world makes it possible to build a new system of equilibrium of our egoistic desires with altruistic ones, without destroying egoism but complementing it. Moreover, the altruistic desires don’t belong to our world because what we consider to be altruism on the physical level is also egoism.

Entering the balance between self-interest and the new system—the system of bestowal, integration, and exiting yourself—in Kabbalah is called “love.” Love is a state in which you fulfill the desires of another without wanting anything for yourself. This is the opposite of the current state of human nature.

The moment that we reach this state, at least once on the minimal level, we can balance the ego, because all these states are graduated; we will immediately feel where we are.

Around us manifest the forces controlling our world. We begin to feel ourselves existing within a complete network of forces, and then it will be clear to us what is happening with us and what must be done. This is our role.

So a person who truly has a serious desire to attain the meaning of life and the system of management of the upper world, immediately, automatically, involuntarily, like a charge in an electrical field, finds himself in one of our groups, and if not, then he finds us through the Internet.

This is a law of nature, because there such a person has a particular negative charge that is looking for a positive point that is appropriate for him, to connect to it and receive from it what is desired. That is how the whole system of nature is organized.

And when he reaches us, we immediately begin to teach him the proper connection with the friends, because the main thing is practical training. During this learning process, a person is connected with those who are like him, creates a shared integral sense organ together with them, and begins to feel the system of management of the upper world in it.

I very much hope that we can do a great thing and discover the true picture of our world, which we need.

After all, while we abide in virtually the source of all problems and find possible solutions, we raise ourselves to a higher level above all the deficiencies of our world and enter into the new system—a system of harmony between us and nature on all levels.
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From the Conventions In Odessa, “In The Circle Of Unity,” Day One 10/16/15, Lesson 1

What Kind Of Unity Does The Wisdom Of Kabbalah Tell Us About?

Question: I am 40 years old and I am the fourth generation of our family in Israel. I served in the army and have seen unity between people and mutual guarantee. And also now in the streets of Israel, I see that our nation is quite united: if someone has an accident or if something happens to anyone on the street, all rush to his aid.

It is the same in times of war. There is no unity and mutual help like in our nation. I don’t understand what you are talking about, what is the mutual guarantee that we should reach?

Answer: It is true, on the one hand, the Jews feel that they are “in the same boat,” belong to the nation, linked in unity. They feel especially close to one another as a result of our history and the difficult times that we share. We are brothers in misfortune. That is what brings us together. But that doesn’t mean that’s the way we are in good times.

The unity the wisdom of Kabbalah tells us about and the Torah demands of us is to be “as one man in one heart,” “all of Israel are friends.” The word “friend” (Chaver) in Hebrew stems from the root word “connection” (Chibur).

The principle of “love thy friend as thyself,” is not a pipe dream or just nice words, but a real condition by which we achieve a very special life when we ascend to a totally different level of existence, to a totally different dimension, to eternity and wholeness. This isn’t what we see in the people of Israel today…

But if we were at least a bit closer to such unity in times of peace and not only in times of war or Intifada, no one would come to us with any complaints, not our neighbors nor the nations of the world.

Question: So, if we are brothers “of routine,” we would not need to be brothers “in distress”?

Answer: Of course!
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From the Israeli Radio Program 103FM, 10/25/15

Without Effort There Is No Result

Question: Does Kabbalah as a science make precise predictions? For example, Baal HaSulam knew that there would be a world war, so he tried to move the Jews from Poland to Israel, and after that he traveled to Poland to arouse the striking workers to unite. Did he know that his mission was doomed to failure?

Answer: Here there is a slightly different, even slightly unscientific approach from the worldly point of view. This is because a Kabbalist takes into account the effort that he invests.

In principle, in order to achieve something in our world, you must invest a particular amount of effort.

For example, to discover something new in nature, humanity has knocked its head against a wall for centuries by investing a certain amount of effort. We cannot complain, “What did they do this for?! They could have achieved something immediately,” because, after all, we realize that all of these efforts gradually created a certain foundation by which someone made a discovery.

In this manner, the sum of all human effort brings the world to a new breakthrough, a new ascent. The same thing is also true in spiritual work.

Therefore, I cannot say whether Baal HaSulam knew that his efforts would not lead to success. I saw how my teacher Rabash invested effort in spite of everything, which from my point of view were completely illogical. But he still made them because a person doesn’t need to rely on his mind only. He has to go, as it were, to the next level.

Question: Does this mean that he saw what is waiting for us around the corner?

Answer: No, he didn’t see it! But even if he had seen it, this would not have cancelled his efforts, and even though, from our point of view with our usual approach and logic, it seems that there is no need for this, he knew that in any case it was necessary.
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From KabTV’s “The Wisdom of Kabbalah and Science” 10/7/15

It Is Impossible To Refuse To Be The Chosen People

Baal HaSulam, “The Arvut (Mutual Guarantee),” Item 26: Bear in mind that these things are evident to every educated person in the invitation that the Creator had sent to Israel through Moses, prior to the reception of the Torah.

It is as it is written (“Exodus,” 19:5), “‘Now therefore, if ye will hearken unto My voice indeed, and keep My covenant, then ye shall be Mine own treasure from among all peoples; for all the earth is Mine; and ye shall be unto Me a kingdom of priests, and a holy nation. These are the words which thou shalt speak unto the children of Israel.’

And Moses came and called for the elders of the people, and set before them all these words which the Lord commanded him. And all the people answered together, and said: ‘All that the Lord hath spoken, we will do.’ And Moses reported the words of the people unto the Lord.”

Do all of the people of Israel carry out the promise given to the Creator or at least some of the people?

The Creator promised that He would guarantee a special relationship with Him, called a covenant, as long as we maintain His conditions. The Creator says that He chose our people from among all of the peoples, and we must become this whether we want to or not because that is what the Creator decided.

99.9% of us refused to be the chosen people, a special people. Who needs it? We have suffered enough from it throughout our history. Everyone can confirm this covenant hasn’t brought us any good; at least, that is how it seems to us so far. But the covenant was decided from above, and we must accept it; there is nothing to argue about.

The Creator says, “…ye shall be Mine own treasure from among all peoples,” meaning that we must become a transitional link between the higher power and all of humanity so that we will convey the higher management to the world.

“For all the earth is Mine,” all creation, all of the desire to receive that was created is under the control of the higher power. However, the Creator wants to pass the control to the people of Israel who were chosen by Him for this role. The Creator chose us, and we must take control over our egoistic desire.

“And ye shall be unto Me a kingdom of priests,” meaning that you will carry out this work. And the work is to transfer all the sparks of bestowal to all the peoples so that all of them will reach bestowal and discover the Creator within it, “for they shall all know Me from their smallest to their greatest” (Jeremiah 31:33). Through this work, we become “a holy nation.”

“These are the words which thou shalt speak unto the children of Israel.” That is, each received the order from the Creator, not personally, but through the point in the heart that is called Moses; they heard the voice of the Creator not directly with clear knowledge and feeling, but through an emissary.

Moses transmitted this command to the children of Israel. Everyone knows from the Torah that it was difficult for Moses to carry out this mission and obtain the consent of the people. But ultimately the people agreed to work together as one person, and they proclaimed, “All that the Lord hath spoken, we will do,” and then, “Moses reported the words of the people unto the Lord.”

This means that the mutual consent is already in our roots. It acts and works even if we don’t feel it. Now no one asks to receive and sign this covenant again, but only renew it according to the level of our development today.

Even though we severed this connection from our side, it doesn’t lessen our connection with the higher power and with each other. It is just that a deep descent occurred that made it possible for us to discover all of the evil among us so that we could correct and sanctify it, meaning that we would come to the level of bestowal for the sake of bestowal and even to the level of reception for the sake of bestowal. This is what the people of Israel must do.
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From the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 10/19/15, Writings of Baal HaSulam

Correcting The Desires Of Humanity

The Torah, “Numbers,” 17:4 – 17:5: So Eleazar the Kohen took the copper censers which the fire victims had brought, and they hammered them out as an overlay for the altar, as a reminder for the children of Israel, so that no outsider, who is not of the seed of Aaron, shall approach to burn incense before the Lord, so as not to be like Korah and his company, as the Lord spoke regarding him through the hand of Moses.

Korach and his congregation are forces inside a person that express our internal attributes. Every person mentioned in the Torah reflects a certain unique attribute in a person’s general body.

The Torah, “Numbers,” 17:6 – 17:7: The following day, the entire congregation of Israel complained against Moses and Aaron saying, “You have killed the people of the Lord.” It came to pass while the congregation were assembled against Moses and Aaron, that they turned to the Tent of Meeting, and behold, the cloud had covered it, and the glory of the Lord appeared.

Everything that happens is necessary to bring about the revelation of the Creator. Even Korach’s rebellion and his seeming punishment, the concealment of that part inMalchut that cannot be on the level of Aaron, and the rebellion of the people are the revelation of all of the desires in our common body and their correction.

The congregation of the children of Israel, which means all of the uncorrected desires, tell Moses and Aaron, “You have killed the people of the Lord,” because this is how they feel themselves. It is because they compare themselves to Korach and his partners, while Moses and Aaron are very high moral principles to which our inner desires that are called the people simply cannot agree. This is actually how the correction of the desires takes place, and then the Creator is revealed.
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From KabTV’s “Secrets of the Eternal Book” 5/27/15

The Wisdom Of Kabbalah–The Basis Of All The Sciences

Question: The famous American scientist Feynman talked about quantum physics as a science that no one understands, although many use it correctly. Is the situation similar to the wisdom of Kabbalah?

Does that mean that although your students often complain that they don’t understand TES, they can still use it somehow?

Answer: No, they cannot use this study unless they ascend the spiritual levels and are above the normal comprehension of the corporeal body.

While reading the Talmud Eser Sefirot, my students do not understand what is written there. This is just a study of techniques to develop new senses in people.

When one reads and studies while being willing to comprehend what is written, the internal momentum of the desire to grow develops attributes that have not yet been revealed, and one gradually begins to understand and feel what it is about.

In general, it is similar to the way people advance in this world. When we are born, we don’t understand a thing. We are driven by curiosity, envy, and a sense of competition. This is how we develop without having any idea where we head.

A child automatically repeats what adults say without understanding the meaning of the words and unconsciously copies the movements adults make. So it is with Kabbalah.

Question: In fact, as Professor Feynman says, physicists don’t understand the roots of physical laws but only use them. Can Kabbalists teach physicists physics, the basis on which it stands?

Answer: The simplest things, at the same time the most complex, are at the basis of the whole creation.

I believe that in the future the connection between Kabbalah and all the other sciences, methods, and theories that humanity uses will be established. Kabbalah, as the science of the general perception of the universe, of creation, can be the foundation for all the other sciences based on their existence.

But I cannot say when this will happen, because I don’t know how to get in touch with scientists to determine the general framework between the wisdom of Kabbalah and science. We should try to understand each other.
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From KabTV’s “Kabbalah and Science” 10/7/15