Lesson 2
Topics examined in this lesson:
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The Goal of Creation
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Inanimate, Vegetative, Animate, Speaking
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Comprehending the Spiritual Laws
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Delight
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Two Steps in Comprehension
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Receiving and Giving
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The Spiritual Shame
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Hitlabshut and Aviut
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The Bitush Pnim uMakif
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Five Parts of Adam Kadmon
Man was created for receiving unlimited and absolute Delight. But to reach such a condition man needs to know how the system of worlds operates.
The laws of this world are issued from the spiritual worlds. There our souls were before our birth, and there our souls return after life.
We are interested only in this particular time period when we are in our physical body and how Kabbalah can teach us the best way to live this life.
Kabbalah tells us how to use to its fullest everything that happens to us. To ascend spiritually, man needs to know everything and use absolutely all the possibilities he is offered.
We have to grasp the nature of our world: inanimate, vegetative, animate and speaking. We need to understand our soul, as well as the laws that describe its development.
According to the law of spiritual development, man has to reach the highest spiritual degree in this life. Man will be given many opportunities, if not in his present life then in the next one, and so on, until he reaches the required level.
Kabbalah helps us to accelerate this process. The Creator designed a very interesting system: either man accepts to ponder the meaning of life without awaiting any sufferings, or such sufferings will be sent to him so that he may be coerced into asking himself questions.
In other words, no matter whether man progresses towards the goal of Creation voluntarily or by force, Kabbalah assists him to advance by his own will. This is the optimal way and man may enjoy it while advancing.
There are those who pose the question: Can Kabbalah help cover a mortgage loan, assist one in business, to be successful in family matters, and so on?
Actually, Kabbalah does not give an unambiguous answer on these questions. Kabbalah teaches us how to use our entire world, in the most effective way, for the achievement of the goal of creation. This is the direction in which the Creator pushes us, using all these troubles.
Kabbalah explains what spiritual load a man must take out of his life. Not how to solve our problems, but how to find a solution to the very problem for which all our everyday problems are sent to us. Suffering is just put in our way to bring us to our spiritual ascent.
When man discovers all the laws of the spiritual worlds, he knows what is sent to him from above and why, how to use these challenges in the most optimal way and how to behave correctly.
We basically do not grasp what to do when something befalls us – where to run, who to call? Solving our daily problems straightforwardly, trying to escape them as we are used to doing, will not advance us to the goal but will create new difficulties. These will only disappear when their purpose is fulfilled by drawing us closer to the goal of creation.
By knowing the spiritual laws, we are enabled to see all the causes and consequences. We observe everything through the correct perspective, we see all the links.
This way each of our steps becomes a conscious one. Life changes and no longer seems to lead to a dead end. We join together all our conditions prior to birth, during our present lifetime, and after we leave this world. We reach a completely new level of existence.
Currently, many people are beginning to think about the meaning of life and other spiritual matters. This happens because of the past experiences that have accumulated in their souls during their previous lifetimes.
The Creator sends suffering in order to allow man to meditate on the essence of these sufferings and their origin. Thus, man is able to call upon the Creator, still without understanding it. The Creator expects us to cultivate the desire to bond with Him.
However, when man takes the correct guidebook in his hands, he may progress through assiduous study, without being coerced by sufferings.
By choosing the correct path, man feels the same suffering as pleasure; he progresses more quickly and gets ahead of it, while comprehending its purpose and origin.
Thus the Creator turns into a source of delight rather than, as previously, being the source of suffering. The pace of our advancement along this path depends solely on us.
The Creator created delight for us, but in order to make us use it correctly, he has to urge us on. Striving for a pleasure that cannot be reached makes us suffer. We are ready to run after it, wherever it is.
In other words, suffering is the absence of satisfaction. But no chase after delight will bring anything good. The moment we receive it, we lose interest in it and we jump over to something else.
Delight vanishes the moment we receive it. It is impossible for suffering to be filled with delight in our world. We sense delight only on the edge between suffering and delight, when the first sensation is felt. The pursuit of satisfaction increasingly tarnishes delight.
This method of being satisfied is perverted and unfit. In order to receive eternal delight, we need to learn how to give to somebody. Knowing that the Creator wants to delight us is our only reason for experiencing it, so that we can please Him and not seek self-satisfaction.
We need to receive for the sake of giving.
It is difficult, almost impossible to speak about this process for the lack of words. Proper understanding comes only when the Creator reveals Himself.
People begin to sense the Creator after crossing the Machsom – the Barrier between our world and the spiritual worlds. That comes 6,000 steps before Gmar Tikkun – Final Correction. Each spiritual step presents a degree of the Creator’s unveiling.
Final Correction follows the correction of all man’s desires.
The first stage in studying Kabbalah consists in reading as many pertinent books as possible and “digesting” as much knowledge as possible.
The next stage is group work, when the student’s and group’s desires merge. The student’s Vessel enlarges proportionately to the number of group members.
Man starts feeling outside of his individual interests. In our case it is the group that symbolizes the Creator, since everything located outside man is the Creator. Nothing exists except for the Creator and oneself. Basically, all spiritual work both starts and ends within the framework of a group.
Throughout time, Kabbalists have had groups. Only within the framework of a group and based on the mutual ties fostered by its members can students advance in their understanding of the spiritual worlds.
Gmar Tikkun is the condition when all of mankind turns into one single Kabbalistic group.
There is still a long way to go, although every day it becomes more realistic. In any event, at the highest spiritual levels everything is ready for this attainment – all the roots, all the forces.
In general we study two stages: (i) the descent of the created being from above, while it develops from the very idea, as conceived by the Creator, up to the level of our world and (ii) the ascent of man from our world all the way to the highest degree. We do not mean any actual physical movement, because our body remains on this material plane, but in a spiritual way, as a result of our efforts and development.
In the Partzuf shown above (in Figure 4) there are two conditions: (i) when it receives Light and enjoys, this Kli (Vessel) is called Hochma, (ii) when the Kli wants to give and also enjoys, then it is called Bina. These two Vessels are opposite.
In fact there also exists a third condition, the mixed one. This is where the Vessel receives a portion for the Creator’s sake but still remains partly empty. Such a condition is called Zeir Anpin. Here we have 10% of the Light of Hochma and 90% of the Light of Hassadim.
If there is Light of Hochma in the Vessel, such a condition is called Panim (Face). It is small or big, depending on the quantity of the Light of Hochma.
The final stage, Malchut, is the genuine desire to receive - the created being - because it is eager to receive the Light of Hochma.
The Light therefore completely fills Malchut. This condition of Malchut is called Ein Sof, the World of Infinity, i.e., unlimited receiving.
Afterwards, Malchut, still willing to receive the Light, decides not to use this will. It understands that desire to receive for its own sake moves it away from the Creator. Therefore it makes its First Restriction and pushes the Light away and remains empty.
By giving the Light away, Malchut likens its attributes to the Creator’s.
The delight of giving away is felt as absolute and complete. The delight does not disappear because the giver endlessly feels the receiver while giving to him and thus sending him pleasure. While doing so the Kli is able to endlessly feel the delight with regards to both quantity and quality.
It is understood that when the Creator created Vessels, He organized them in such a way that they progressively absorbed the Light’s attribute of giving relentlessly and thereby became similar to the Light.
One may pose the question, how can Malchut be similar to the Light and still receive delight?
We stated previously that Malchut puts an anti-egoistic Screen on all its desires. One hundred percent of Light-Delight is placed in front of it, according to Malchut’s desire to receive, e.g. 100 kg. Using a Screen of 100 kg (the force that counteracts its wish to receive Delight), Malchut pushes away all the Delight and decides to receive as much Light as necessary to please the Creator.
Such receiving of Light is equal to giving without restraint.
The Light which comes to Malchut is called Ohr Yashar (Straight Light). All the Light which is reflected is called Ohr Hozer (Returning Light). The twenty percent of the Light which enters inside is called Ohr Pnimi (Inner Light).
The greatest part of the Light left outside is called Ohr Makif (Surrounding Light). In the lower part of Malchut, where Ohr Hochma has not entered, there is Ohr Hassadim .
From the condition of Malchut in the World of Ein Sof, there remains a Reshimo. This Reshimo is composed of: (i) Dalet de Hitlabshut (information about the quality and quantity of Light) and (ii) Dalet de Aviut (information about the force of desire).
Using these two kinds of memory, Malchut carries out the calculation in its Rosh that it is able to receive the first twenty percent of Light for the sake of the Creator.
In order to feel the spiritual shame resulting from receiving, without giving in return, it is necessary first of all to perceive the Creator, His properties, to feel Him as the Giver, to see His glory. Then the comparison between His properties and one’s egoistic nature will bring about the feeling of shame.
But in order to arrive at this perception, one has a lot to learn. As the glory of the Creator gradually unfolds, a desire to do something for Him appears.
To give to the Superior is like receiving. We may also observe this in our world. If someone has the opportunity to do a favor to a great person, he will do it with pleasure and enjoyment.
The aim of all our work is the revelation of the Creator: His Glory and Might. Once this level is reached, what we witness will serve us as the source of energy in order to do something for the Creator’s benefit.
This revelation of the Creator, it should be emphasized, will occur only when a man has already acquired a definite desire to use it only for altruistic purpose, i.e., for attaining the altruistic attributes.
The first Partzuf that received a portion of the Light is called Galgalta. After Bitush Pnim uMakif i.e., being struck by both Lights, Ohr Pnimi and Ohr Makif, on the Screen at the Tabur (Navel), the Partzuf realizes that it will not be able to resist the delights of the Light that presses from outside.
The Partzuf decides to push the Light away. In the current state this decision does not pose any problem because none of the delights are felt by the Partzuf.
After the forcing out of the Light, the Screen rises, weakens and joins the Peh (Mouth) of Rosh (Head). This action is called Hizdakchut (Refinement).
When, on the contrary, under the effect of the Light the Screen goes down, its Aviut (coarseness) increases.
After the forcing out of the Light from the first Partzuf, there remained Reshimot: Dalet de Hitlabshut (information about the quality and quantity of Light) and Gimel de Aviut (information about the force of desire). One measure of Aviut disappeared, because the Partzuf realized that it is impossible to work with the former degree of Dalet.
According to Aviut Gimel, the Screen descends from Peh de Rosh to the level lower than that of Aviut Dalet. If the level of Dalet is Peh of the Partzuf of Galgalta, then the level of Gimel is its Hazeh.
Once again the Light presses the Screen from above, the Screen pushes it back, but afterwards, under the influence of the Reshimot (plural of Reshimo) it decides to accept the Light up to the Tabur of Galgalta but not beneath.
However, not even the Partzuf of Galgalta was able to receive the Light under its Tabur. The second Partzuf, which is now spreading out, is called AB.
Again the action of Bitush Pnim uMakif occurs, i.e. the forcing out of the Light, and new information, Reshimo, now fills the Partzuf.
This is Gimel de Hitlabshut (Light of the third level, not the fourth, as in AB) and Bet de Aviut (again the loss of one level of Aviut owing to Bitush Pnim uMakif).
That is why the Screen, which ascended initially up to the Peh of AB when the Light was pushed away, now descends to the level of Hazeh of AB.
At this point a new Partzuf is formed by a Zivug (Coupling) on the Reshimot of Gimel-Bet (3,2). The new Partzuf is called SAG.
Further on a new Bitush Pnim uMakif makes the Screen rise up to the Peh de Rosh of SAG with the Reshimot of Bet-Alef (2,1).
Then, according to the Reshimot, the Screen descends to the Hazeh of SAG, from where the fourth Partzuf, MA, comes out. Next, the fifth Partzuf, BON is formed on the Reshimot of Alef-Shoresh.
Each Partzuf consists of five parts: Shoresh (Root), Alef (1), Bet (2), Gimel (3) and Dalet (4). No desire may appear without them. This formation is a rigid system which never changes.
The last stage, Dalet, feels all the four previous desires, with whose help it was created by the Creator. Dalet gives a name to each desire, and it is those names which describe how Dalet sees the Creator at each moment.
This is why Dalet itself is called by the name of the Creator: “Yood-Hay-Vav-Hay” – Y-H-V-H. These letters will be studied comprehensively further on. It is like the skeleton of a man, it may be big or small, standing or sitting, but it remains the same thing.
If a Partzuf is filled with the Light of Hochma, it is called AB, but if it is filled with the Light of Hassadim, we call it SAG. All the names of the Partzufim are based on the combination of these two Lights.
All that is described in the Torah is nothing more than spiritual Partzufim, filled with either the Light of Hochma or the Light of Hassadim in different proportions.
After the birth of the five Partzufim: Galgalta, AB, SAG, MA and BON, all the Reshimot disappear. All the desires that could be filled with the Light, for the benefit of the Creator, have been exhausted.
At this stage, the Screen completely loses the ability to receive Light for the Creator and can only resist egoism without receiving anything.
We see that after the First Restriction, Malchut can consequently receive five portions of the Light. The birth of the five Partzufim is called the World of Adam Kadmon. Malchut has completed its five Reshimot.
We see that Malchut of the World of Ein Sof is completely filled with Light. After the First Restriction, with the help of the Partzufim, it will only fill partially up to the level of the Tabur.
The task for Malchut is now filling its last part for the sake of the Creator as well. This part is called Sof (End) and spreads from the Tabur to Sium Raglin (Conclusion of Legs).
The Creator wants to fill Malchut with unlimited delight. All that is needed to achieve this is to create the conditions so that Malchut will have the desire and the power to fill the remaining part or in other words: to send the delight back to the Creator.
In the next chapter we shall see how this process takes place.