We have to concentrate on our intentions before we begin our studies. What is an intention? We can perceive any property, law, event or phenomenon in our world only to the extent of our congruence to it. If our inner properties are equivalent to those that are outside of us, then we can perceive them. Our senses can perceive nothing on the outside unless they can reproduce the same inwardly.
All of our measuring devices are based on this equivalence. We never measure anything external - we only register the device's reaction to some influence; its effort to become similar to the property of that influence and balance it with its own.
Suppose I put something onto the scales. The device measures not the load, but the force of compression of the inner spring, which balances the load, its inner effort. All of our devices, from the simplest scales to the most complicated modern instruments, measure only their reaction to an outside influence.
It turns out that in order to feel or come into contact with some outside phenomenon, we have to enter into it. What does it mean, "to enter"? This means to create in oneself such inner prerequisites, conditions and sensations, as if we are already in this state.
If we succeed in doing that, then, depending on our efforts, we carry out a counterbalancing action. This is the same way that we measure our inner disturbances as we come into contact with something. If we wish to pick up some external influence then we make an effort to enter its state.
What should we achieve? What should we aspire to? All spiritual states are absolute. We can see this clearly in small children. On entering a toy store, a child suddenly sees something attractive and screams, "I want this!" The next moment its attention is diverted by another object and the child demands, "Now I want that!" Each time the desire is absolute.
Absolute longing for something particular is an indispensable condition of a spiritual desire. It is not enough "to want something a little". No matter which level we refer to, the desire should be absolute. This is the first condition.
According to the second condition, desire should be similar to the spiritual property of bestowal. It can be bestowal-oriented only if I try to work with it in our world through the Creator, meaning through the group of my friends. Only in this case can I somehow become similar to the spiritual. I want to achieve it together with my friends, because only by unifying with them I transcend my inner egotistical "I" and my egoism becomes equivalent to bestowal. Here, in the group, I have to concentrate my thoughts on becoming similar to the Creator, to be elevated and to merge with Him. This desire should include:
Me, my environment or the entire humanity;
The Creator; and
A complete, absolute desire to achieve this state.
There is nothing difficult in it, save for trying not to forget about it. What does it mean, "not to forget about it?" If you forget, it means it does not exist inside you. When a person really wants something, he cannot rid himself of this thought.
This means that in our preliminary efforts and thoughts before the lesson we constantly have to be in such states that would prepare us for the study; we have to realize that we are given a unique, special opportunity to establish contact with the Upper Force. The Upper Force can correct us and give us a true and absolute altruistic desire for the most vital thing of all.
Originally, such properties and motives are absent in me. However, after contemplating my spiritual condition and concluding that in the absence of such an inner Kli I will not be able to go beyond the limits of this small world's sensation, I begin to realize the necessity to ask for them.
All the changes in the Kli (man, desire) are made by the Light. We study that no force or action in the entire universe, in the worlds, originated directly from the Kli and not from the Light's influence. There are only two components in creation - the Light and desire, "the Ohr and the Kli." Nothing can ever be emanated by desire; the Light is always the first to act. Hence, only the attraction of this correcting, elevating and purifying Light depends on me at the moment. It can give me an understanding of what I should desire and give me a direction (i.e., provide me with both a vector and the vector's force).
I need to develop inside me such a focused desire for this Light of correction, that in the next moment it will transform me into the proper Kli. I need to get out of myself and become similar to the next spiritual level in order to feel it. That is the intention that I need to cultivate within me. I have to wait for the Upper Light's influence that will make me similar to the spiritual level! Inner spiritual properties will emerge within me the moment I can feel the first spiritual level; then I will pass from this world to the spiritual one.
As soon as I feel the first spiritual level, I will gradually accumulate my own impressions, Reshimot. I will know and see in accordance with the principle "Neshmat Adam Telamdenu" ("man's soul teaches him"). I will advance and improve in similarity to the higher spiritual states, and thus, I will continue ascending one level after another.
This is the preliminary inner action that we have to carry out prior to coming into any contact with any Kabbalistic materials. They were not written to give us knowledge; they were meant to help us attune ourselves to spiritual perception.
Already from the title of the article, we see that some knowledge is concealed from man. Why is it concealed? On the other hand, why should anything at all be revealed to man? For what reason should he know?
We proceed from the condition that man has a right to know everything. Why not? This is a completely wrong assumption. Every person should possess only as much knowledge as will be for his benefit and for the good of society. The Baal HaSulam writes about it in his "Introduction to the Book "The Tree of Life."" He says that the ancient sages (non-Kabbalists) opposed the indiscriminate divulgence of scientific knowledge to everyone who desires it. Aristotle also cautioned in his works against passing the science into the hands of unworthy people, who will trade it for other things.
Man gradually develops:
from bodily desires for food, sex and home
to desires for riches - the basest desires that are imposed by society;
for fame and power,
for knowledge,
and finally comes to the spiritual desire.
So first come desires dictated by my body, then the social desires dictated by my society. My body imposes on me such desires that I would have even if I were completely alone, for food, sex, family and home.
Afterwards, society dictates to me the desires for wealth, honour, fame, and knowledge. The next, higher level concerns the spiritual desires that refer neither to the body nor to society.
That is to say, a person should receive knowledge only in compliance with the level of his desires. If he wants money, he should only be exposed to such an amount of knowledge that will not harm other people.
If he has desires for recognition and fame, a little knowledge may be revealed to him to help him to advance in those desires. Unless he develops in them, he will not achieve his ultimate goal. His Goal is to acquire the spiritual desires and to become similar to the Creator. The spiritual desires are so enormous that they make us wish to be like the Creator.
Therefore, Aristotle warned against giving man more knowledge than he needs at the moment for the realization of his desires. This realization should not help man to gulp the entire world if he has a passion for wealth, nor let him rule over the world if he craves power and fame.
A person should receive just enough knowledge to further his development. Meaning not for the fulfillment of these desires, but on the contrary, in spite of this knowledge, to let him see their insignificance and move forward to the higher ones.
Can we ever satisfy our appetites for riches, honor and fame? No we cannot. We will simply discover that these desires are inferior and defective, and that there is something better and higher. Hence, by simple realization of their insignificance we will achieve more exalted desires. So, from the bodily desires to the aspirations for wealth, fame, honor and knowledge we proceed to the spiritual desires.
Based on the understanding of man's development at these levels, a person should not be given more knowledge than necessary; this will harm him. He has to receive a sufficient amount of it to realize quickly that these desires can never be fulfilled and to proceed to the higher, real desires for eternity and perfection.
Hence, there is nothing strange in the name "Conditions of Revealing the Kabbalistic Knowledge." Even non-kabbalistic knowledge should not be revealed to man for no particular reason. There are scores of colleges and universities in the world today. Any knowledge can be found on the Internet where anyone can visit and take as much as he wants.
Unable to understand how detrimental such a development is, humankind advances toward the goal through suffering. Not only the Kabbalistic, but also conventional knowledge rather harms man than helps him. This happens because with the help of knowledge he tries to satisfy his craving for money endlessly and spends 10 to 20 lifetimes while attempting to realize that desire.
Instead, within a few months he can receive the knowledge about his desire for wealth and realize that it is corrupt and limited and that it can never be fulfilled. If a person could receive at least some idea about the impossibility to realize his desire for wealth, he would quickly move forward to the next desire.
In other words, a person needs a correctly measured amount of necessary knowledge. If we had wise men, who would gradually give us (as with little children) their wisdom "by the spoonful," they would correctly guide us from one realization of our desires to another. We would advance quickly and wisely, while stopping only to realize that higher desires are preferable to the lower ones.
That is why such ancient wise men as Aristotle (see his famous letter to Plato) as well as Kabbalists considered it as an extremely important law to restrict the dissemination of knowledge.
And what do we see today? You can come to a scientist and order some poisonous stuff. You say: "I need to destroy something. Sell it to me!" and if he has received knowledge without going through the intermediate desires for wealth, honor, fame and power, he will sell his knowledge in return for one of the above.
It turns out that those who want knowledge can receive it, and those who want money and power can receive it too and use it for their selfish ends. That is to say, while being at the lower level, a person uses the power and knowledge that refer to the higher level. That is what happens in our world.
This defect is very ancient. It started at the time of the Renaissance. Prior to that period practically all sciences had been concealed. Scientists had realized that knowledge should be safeguarded. They had lived and studied in the cells of monasteries. Their teachers had been unknown sages. The knowledge they had accumulated was hidden from strangers. Over thousands of years here and there scientific knowledge was used for arms production and other unseemly purposes.
Kabbalah was concealed for many centuries until now because man was insufficiently developed. Kabbalists waited until man would go through all the previous states, from bodily desires to wealth, fame, power, honor and knowledge. When he gets disappointed in all those desires and sees that they cannot give him fulfillment, he will feel an aspiration for the spiritual.
In the absence of genuine fulfillment and being disillusioned in their previous aspirations, the world will begin to plunge into drug abuse and depression. This is what happens today. At this point, Kabbalah can be revealed to people because they are now really ready to use it correctly. While knowing that all the previous methods are fallacious and impractical, they will apprehend the spiritual with its help.
If humankind in its development had been able to acquire conventional knowledge in the same way it reveals it in Kabbalah (in micro-doses, only to realize the fallaciousness of every desire and to move forward), the entire history of countless wars, famine and other calamities could have been quite different.
We would have advanced, by quickly passing from the realization of evil in one of our desires to the next, and would have arrived at the most vital aspiration of all. Only upon completing the work with all the inferior desires and reaching the ultimate aspiration only for the Creator, do we understand that it is the only desire that can be truly realized.
We can fill none of the previous desires. If we could, we would stop developing. All of our desires, save for the aspiration to the Creator, ultimately remain empty, and their emptiness compels us to leave them behind and proceed to others.
Such development is called the path of suffering because I realize that all of my efforts to fill a desire are futile. This realization of evil (lack of fulfillment) forces me to move on. If I could fulfill it, I would have stopped advancing.
So what do I have to do? At every stage of my development, I only have to realize that I will not be able to fill myself. If I could instantly realize the impossibility of satisfying such desires, because they do not relate to the Creator, I would quickly pass them one-by-one. Education of young and underdeveloped people, who are still trying to realize their desires for money, fame, honor and knowledge, should be based on this principle.
How can we quickly lead them to the ultimate, spiritual desire? Now is the time for humankind to make that move. However, many people still do not have the experience of those who have already reached the ultimate state. How will they come to the same realization? They will understand that their desires cannot be fulfilled because they will be together with us in one Kli.
The world is gradually turning into a village. We all are included in one desire, one common realization. People who live in different parts of the world today have the same desires and thoughts. Therefore, the sensation of fallaciousness of modern development, the impossibility to achieve comfort, pleasure, peace of mind and perfection, will help man to go through all of the inferior desires quickly.
Thus, we have arrived at the conclusion that all knowledge (particularly spiritual) can be detrimental to humankind. It has led us along this dead-end path of thousands of years, the fallaciousness of which we begin to understand only now.
And what about Kabbalah? How is the Kabbalistic knowledge revealed? It was originally concealed from the masses and those who knew kept silent, as if this wisdom were non-existent.
There are three reasons for concealment of the Kabbalistic knowledge:
no need to disclose
impossible to disclose; and
the Creator's personal secret.
All three of the aforementioned bans are simultaneously imposed on every slightest detail (knowledge, fact, and discovery) in Kabbalah and no permission to disclose the knowledge is received, unless all three conditions are met. If such conditions emerge, these three bans are lifted and the knowledge can be revealed because it will be for people's benefit. If this knowledge is used prematurely, it will cause harm and, instead of the path of Kabbalah, people will move along the path of suffering.
The first ban, "No need to disclose," can be lifted only if it is for the obvious good of humanity. Very specific conditions are set again: if it is for the benefit of people, reveal it; if not, conceal it. We suffer because we know too much. The conditions created in society do not allow us to live comfortably and peacefully. They are favorable for an uncontrolled production of weaponry. All evil comes from excessive knowledge, not from lack of it.
Kabbalah asserts, "He who accumulates knowledge accumulates sorrow" (these are the words of prophets). If knowledge gets into the hands of unscrupulous and immoral people, it can be used to the detriment of society.
The desire for knowledge is the most elevated one. If a scientist seeks only knowledge, he will not sell it for money or for fame; he will resist the temptation. However, if he needs money to conduct his experiments and advance in research, a problem arises. He will trade his knowledge for money and will not be concerned with the consequences of its misuse (e.g., conquering other lands).
With all that in mind, what is the meaning of Aristotle's ban and of the Kabbalistic condition of concealing knowledge? Knowledge and power can be given to man only if they correspond with his moral standard. Otherwise, he will apply them to the detriment of people and, consequently, to himself. That is why the Greek scholar warned that if knowledge got into the hands of unscrupulous and immoral people, it could be used to the detriment of society.
We see the results of an uncontrolled divulgence of knowledge in our troubled life, in the threat of destruction and in terror. The reason for this lies in the fact that most people act thoughtlessly and irresponsibly. They unnecessarily circulate knowledge which is not vitally important.
We are hardly any happier in our apartments than we were in caves. Anything that man has in excess harms him. Aspiration to the spiritual and satisfaction of all our basic earthly needs is the most efficient, optimal existence. Instead of pointlessly lingering on for a number of years as intelligent animals, our life will be directed to the purpose of creation.
People who reveal unnecessary knowledge are the source of most suffering in the world. Therefore, Kabbalists accepted only those students who could keep it secret and refrain from disclosing it needlessly.
What does it mean to keep knowledge secret? Do I have to make an oath or am I simply a secretive person? No, that is impossible. This means that a person should have such a high level of responsibility, as regards other people, that he treats them exactly as we treat little children. We do not give them sharp objects lest they will harm themselves. A Kabbalist's attitude towards humankind is similar; he cannot share his knowledge with them now, because it will harm them.
We know it from the history of the creation of the atom bomb. When the scientists came to their senses and saw what they had done and into whose hands their product would fall (they wrote about it), they lived through inner tragedies! Look what falls into the hands of today's power-hungry politicians!
Therefore, the first condition is "No need to disclose." Knowledge is not to be revealed without an urgent need. This particularly refers to the Kabbalistic knowledge.
The second ban, "Impossible to disclose," stems from limitations of the language that is unable to render subtle spiritual notions, since all verbal attempts are doomed to fail and lead to erroneous conclusions.
Only if I previously had the same experience in my life as somebody else, can I tell him about the nuances of my impressions. Since he experienced something similar, he will be able to reproduce it within him and to understand me.
Our language and communication are based on the commonality of sensations. Unless I lived through what another person experienced, I cannot understand him and therefore say; "That's nonsense!" However, when the same event happens to me, I recall his words: "Yes, he told me about it, but I could not believe it was like this."
Every person has to accumulate a certain amount of impressions during his life. And for this reason we say that someone is wise and has a broad life experience. Such a person can really understand others. Hence, the more inner images a person accumulates inside, the better he will be able to understand what other people feel, what states they go through. However, unless we experienced a certain state, we cannot understand another person.
I remember how we were recording some Kabbalistic music and there was a huge cat lying at our feet. We were laughing and crying, overwhelmed with emotions and frustrations. I could not remember and express what my teacher had felt and wanted to convey in music.
Our cat peacefully slept while we were playing loudly. The animal could not share our excitement. It all was lost on the cat. Only when it was getting too noisy, it would move an ear.
Thus, the condition "Impossible to disclose" comes from our inability to feel and understand the Upper World. What use is it for us if Kabbalists write hundreds of books for us? What will we understand in them? We will get confused, because it is impossible to convey the images of the Upper World and inner sensations, reactions they arouse in a person. This is the true meaning of the ban "Impossible to disclose."
Since all of our attempts are doomed to fail and lead to erroneous conclusions, it is forbidden to reveal something that cannot be adequately described and explained. Only a Kabbalist, who attained a high spiritual level and acquired a special property to reveal clearly and comprehensibly the supernal wisdom, may do so.
This special property is described in the works of the great Kabbalist Ari: "Know that the souls of great Kabbalists are filled with the outer (Surrounding) light or with the Inner (filling) light. The souls filled with the Surrounding light have the gift to expound the Kabbalistic knowledge by investing it in clear words so that only those who attained this level can understand it."
The soul of the great Rashbi was filled with the Surrounding light, hence he had the power to explain things in such a way that, when he spoke before the Great Assembly, only those who deserved to and were at the level from which he revealed this knowledge, understood him.
Therefore, he alone received the divine permission to write "The Book of Zohar." We know that Rashbi did not write the book by himself; he dictated it to his disciple Rabbi Abba, who expounded the words of his great Teacher.
It is written in the Zohar, that Rabbi Abba could express Rashbi's words in a very special allegorical way. The Zohar is written in the language of parables and stories allegedly describing our world. He used the so-called language of branches and only a person, who had already attained the spiritual world and experienced similar states, could understand the text.
We see that this condition depends not on the Kabbalist's level, but rather on the properties of his soul, on his ability to express his sensations.
Only due to this ability does a Kabbalist receive permission to disclose a certain part of Kabbalah in a special style. This is because Kabbalists want people to advance in small steps (like a child) in the right direction, with minimum harm and with maximum effect.
When someone writes and publishes a book, it is put on sale everywhere and no one knows in whose hands it will fall. Hence, only a limited amount of knowledge can be revealed in a certain way, to let those who attain the Upper World take from the book what is necessary for their advancement.
Think about these limitations! A book is published, but it is written in such a way that only to the extent of his correction a person can receive the knowledge that is concealed in it. This explains why there is not a single fundamental composition on Kabbalah before the appearance of the Zohar.
Small Kabbalistic treatises represent what is available to us. "The Book of Zohar" was written in the 2nd century A.D. but, twenty centuries earlier, Kabbalah had been known by the first compositions. "Sefer Yetzira" ("The Book of Creation") was written in 18th century B.C.
There is no fundamental Kabbalistic work before The Book of Zohar. All pre-Zohar books on Kabbalah contain only some vague, inconsequential hints. Only the Ari, in the 16th century, systematically expounded the Kabbalistic knowledge at a totally different level.
A major downfall into egoism took place in the time of Rashbi, meaning that our common egoistical world Kli was revealed. Rashbi lived in the period of the second Jerusalem Temple's destruction, in the time when egoism (the AHP of the common Kli) started emerging. The next stage is the Ari's period, when the AHP was fully manifested and the time of its correction began. Our time is characterized by the period of the final realization of evil of this AHP and the beginning of its complete correction.
Hence, in the period between Rashbi and the Ari, there were no serious Kabbalistic sources. Only fourteen centuries after Rabbi Shimon Bar-Yochai was the Ari allowed divulging the Kabbalistic information at a different level.
His books are very different from the Zohar. They are expounded in a clear, precise scientific language; using a great number of Kabbalistic terms and diagrams. We consider both Rabbi Shimon and the Ari great teachers, although the Kabbalists who lived in the period between the two knew more.
The properties of the Kabbalist's soul determine his ability to write a text from which everyone will receive knowledge only to the extent of his correction. That is why we regard Rashbi and the Ari such outstanding Kabbalists.
They are great because they could correctly expound the material for our benefit. Others could have probably written much more and their attainments could have been incomparably greater, but they could not have given us this knowledge in such a coded form.
Hence, Kabbalists were extremely careful of writing more than a few hazy remarks. Their writings bear an appropriate name of "Megilat Setarim" ("Secret Scrolls"). That is why from the time of the Ari, all genuine Kabbalists have stopped using other books and only study his works and "The Book of Zohar."
The third ban, "The Creator's personal secret" means that Kabbalistic knowledge is only revealed to those who selflessly dedicate themselves to the idea of similarity to the Creator. In other words, the Creator's personal secret means the following: "I, the Creator, reveal Myself only to those who wish to be like Me".
Therefore Kabbalists of the past always selected only those students who whole-heartedly aspired to learn in order to attain the equivalence of form with the Creator. The true aspiration for learning means that I want nothing else but this.
I need this knowledge only to become similar to the Creator. The third ban, "The Creator's personal secret," is lifted in this case. Since only those who longed for the Creator were accepted as disciples, Kabbalah was concealed from the masses.
Many frauds passed themselves off as Kabbalists (without even knowing what Kabbalah is) saying: "We know Kabbalah. Come and learn with us, it is not expensive." They made a profit out of soothsaying, making amulets, "saving" people from the evil eye and selling many other "miracles" by luring simpletons.
To this very day, there are scores of such "kabbalists" and customers of their "divine" mascots, red bracelets, holy water, etc. They sell instructions how to succeed in life, business, etc. They seek not those who wish to become like the Creator, but people who want wealth, power, recognition and knowledge.
Naturally, people were ready to pay substantial amounts of money for such knowledge and powers. Unable to find many truly committed disciples, Kabbalists sat quietly and waited. Over the centuries they had occasional students and formed tiny groups. At the same time, on entering any bookstore, we discover an enormous number of mystical books.
Why do I need to learn Kabbalah? The Baal HaSulam writes about it in paragraph 155 of his "Introduction to the Study of the Ten Sefirot." Kabbalists wrote their books for other Kabbalists in order to exchange impressions and information, to help each other and join their souls into one common Kli. Today, they offer these books to us. Why?
Our aspirations and desires cannot help us because desire per se does not correct itself. It can be corrected only under the influence of the Upper Light. You can attract the Light only if you establish contact with the higher level, where this Light exists. It is considered Inner with regard to you.
If you draw this Light upon yourself, it will be called the outer, Surrounding Light and it will start changing you, in accordance with your desire to become similar to it and to the level from which it descends. That is why Kabbalists write their books for us.
People originally did not have these desires because all of humankind moves from the bodily desires to wealth, fame, honor and knowledge, and only afterwards comes to spirituality. There was no need to reveal the Kabbalistic knowledge during the long history of humankind because it could have harmed it.
It is said in the Kabbalistic sources that both philosophy (lit. "love for knowledge") and our general attitude towards knowledge originated in Kabbalah. The ancient Jewish prophets (a. 8th century B.C.) were in contact with other nations (mostly with Greeks) and wanted to pass the basics of Kabbalah to them, so that this knowledge could manifest sooner and in the correct form.
They failed at that time. However, the little knowledge that the Greeks could absorb (they were quite intelligent, but the matter was concerned with the inner readiness of the soul, desire) has become the foundation for the development of philosophy.
We know the name of Philo of Alexandria, who was a Kabbalist and a philosopher at the same time. Moses is considered a founder of Hermetic Kabbalah. In other words, all knowledge was received by way of the Kabbalistic information "leak." In our time, we will see how all knowledge will be gradually included in Kabbalah again because this science contains in itself the bulk of knowledge about the entire universe including our world.
The initial concealment of Kabbalah was intended to prevent people from selling the Kabbalistic knowledge in return for such various forms of fulfillment as fame, power and wealth. Therefore, the true Kabbalists took upon themselves an obligation to subject their disciples to very stringent tests. This explains why only few people in every generation were granted permission to study the wisdom of Kabbalah and to reveal a portion of it, on condition that all three above-listed bans are lifted.
Bans are subject to change in each generation. This is because people are developing; humankind is ascending and coming closer and closer to the revelation of its genuine desire for spirituality. The realization of evil becomes increasingly greater. This is the real meaning of progress.
However, natural progress is slow. Since knowledge is necessary only if it can help to realize evil and understand the urgent need for the spiritual development, Kabbalists revealed some of it to guide people in the right direction.
The fact is that when "a point in man's heart" awakens, he aspires to attain the properties of the Upper World and the similarity to the Creator. Only such a person can be taught Kabbalah.
Those in whom this point in heart is still dormant, whose desires remain at the lower levels, must not receive the Kabbalistic knowledge. The same restriction applies to the conventional knowledge, which should not be revealed unless people know how to use them correctly.
The rest are just eager to learn "magic actions for controlling destiny and manipulating others." Of course, all they produce is a psychological effect, which, apropos, can sometimes really "work wonders".
People tend to think: "Since I started learning Kabbalah I have a cquired strength and self-confidence." This is pure psychology. We understand that it has nothing to do with Kabbalah, because Kabbalah cannot be used for making a person stronger or more self-confident.
On the contrary, the students of Kabbalah feel less confident and strong. They realize their insignificance and smallness with regard to the higher level, because the descending Light shows them what the spiritual is in comparison with an ordinary person's state.
Therefore, until today there are two kinds of wisdom: "Kabbalah for consumers" and "the science of Kabbalah". The first serves for the benefit of sellers of amulets; the second is for those who truly aspire to discover the spiritual. So everything depends only on what man wants.
One should not think that these three bans imposed on divulgence of the Kabbalistic knowledge divide Kabbalah into three parts. No, every part, word, notion and definition falls under these three interdictions. No bit of this knowledge, no Kabbalistic fact can be revealed, unless these three bans - no need to disclose, impossible to disclose, and the Creator's personal secret - are lifted.
If someone who needs this knowledge comes to me, I can pass it on to him in such a way that he will perceive it correctly. If his true desire is to become similar to the Creator, then I reveal this knowledge to help him (like to a small child so as not to harm him). This is called the correct Kabbalistic education.
That is to say, a person has to have "a point in his heart," an aspiration for the Creator. He should go through suffering and finally understand that never in his life will he be truly content. He should realize that there is nothing for him to do here except to attain the Creator from this world. He ought to have some inner understanding, sensation, accumulation of his own states for me to be able to talk with him, to convey to him some of the spiritual notions and sensations, and to pull him up. It is possible to work with a person, only if he (like a child) wants to grow and is able to use what is given to him for his benefit.
However, a question arises: if this science was so thoroughly concealed, how did all the Kabbalistic compositions appear? We have many books of genuine Kabbalah. Another question is why this science starts revealing itself in our time? Today, we know the books of the Baal HaSulam and Rabash. Many other Kabbalists speak about the need to circulate this knowledge unrestrictedly.
What does it mean, "to circulate unrestrictedly"? Can we disseminate the wisdom of Kabbalah today without the risk of harming anyone? In fact, even today the knowledge that is offered to the masses is still rather limited and adapted. It is taken from Kabbalah in such volume and style so as to be correctly understood and used by the person who seeks spirituality.
The others will receive nothing from it. They will neglect these books. While seeing nothing in them, they will at best find some temporary peace of mind. The genuine Kabbalistic books are written for those in whom "a point in heart" has awakened and leads them forward.
The fact is that the first two bans - no need to disclose, impossible to disclose - differ from the third one - the Creator's personal secret. The last ban is the strictest, while the first two are subject to change. With the development of society, the ban "No need to disclose" turns into the command "There is a need to disclose," as in the cases of the Ari, Rashbi and, to a lesser extent, other Kabbalists.
In our time, the prohibition "No need to disclose" is practically lifted; hence there is a need to reveal Kabbalah. Humankind has sufficiently developed; therefore the Kabbalistic books begin to appear. The ban "Impossible to disclose" also becomes repealed.
In reality, it is impossible to explain spiritual notions. Nevertheless, our impressions of the incognizable world in which we live and of science make man more receptive to abstract ideas.
Ordinary people become more and more prepared to hear about Kabbalah. Through modern science and the information about the surrounding world they already can comprehend the Kabbalistic terms and notions.
In our time, the prohibition "No need to disclose" turns into the instruction "There is a need to disclose;" hence the science of Kabbalah is revealed to the entire humanity. However, in spite of this revelation, everyone will receive it only in accordance with his inner genuine desire for similarity to the Creator as opposed to his other desires. Only if the person wishes to apply this knowledge correctly, will he be able to come into contact with the science of Kabbalah.
Therefore, we can reveal Kabbalah to all; open study groups, circulate books and give lectures. Already during the life of my Teacher, I started giving lectures in Tel-Aviv. All kinds of people used to attend them. Rabash was always interested to know the result of the lecture. Occasionally, he would even call me during the lecture. I brought him around 40 students from Tel-Aviv in 1983. They all were in their twenties. A period of general revelation of Kabbalah began at that time.
Although Kabbalah can be revealed to all, every person will perceive it in accordance with the condition "There is a need to disclose," when he really aspires to interpret correctly the images that say: spirituality is bestowal; the Creator is absolute altruism; and so on.
"The Creator's personal secret" ceases to be a secret, when the desire to become similar to the Creator is burning in the person's heart. If he has this aspiration, he sits at the lesson and learns Kabbalah. Unless these three conditions are present in him, he studies some abstract wisdom and not Kabbalah.
Before the lesson, we have to tune ourselves to the fulfillment of these three conditions: "There is a need to disclose," "possible to disclose," and "the Creator's secret is revealed." The Creator reveals Himself because I wish to be like Him.
If I attune myself correctly, then instead of "intricacies" I will really study Kabbalah, i.e., attract the Creator's Upper Light, which corrects and elevates me, makes me equal to Him. This is the genuine meaning of Kabbalah.
Question: When you were talking about Kabbalists, who can pass the knowledge correctly, such as Rashbi and the Ari, you mentioned the phrase: "...the souls filled with the Surrounding Light." What does it mean?
There are two sorts of souls. The entire creation is comprised of a single desire that went through certain stages of development as a result of the Light's influence upon it. Later on it broke into tiny particular desires called "souls". Although we exist in a body and associate ourselves with it, in reality there is a spiritual particle in each of us. A soul is a desire, an aspiration to the Creator.
While being in the body, we feel an aspiration to other things. These are our animate and social desires. The animate desires are what our body wants, the social desires appeared in us under the influence of the environment: for wealth, fame, power, honor and knowledge.
If we prefer the aspiration and similarity to the Creator to these earthly, bodily and social desires, then the divine soul, the particle from above speaks within us. We have to develop it and, to that end, we will need the science of Kabbalah. We need the Upper Light that will develop this desire within us.
How can I attract upon myself the Upper Light? For that I need to establish contact with the higher level, from where this Light can descend upon me. At the moment I am completely unconnected with it. The only thing I can do is to read about it. Well, I read about it. What is next?
The fact is that if I read about what happens at the higher spiritual level and wish to become similar to it, in accordance with the intensity of my desire, I seemingly pull myself up towards it; expose myself to that level's influence. The most important thing is my desire, but it can be practically achieved by way of reading (i.e., by connecting with the higher level).
To receive spiritual power from the text and to expose myself to the Upper Light's influence I need a special Kabbalist, whose spiritual level is superior to mine. He wrote his book in such a way that by reading it I will draw upon myself the Light from his level.
How is it possible? Is there any special energy or spiritual power in words? A common typesetter printed them in an ordinary printing-house. Our choices are limited; we print where the prices are lower. So what is this power?
The surrounding Light is a force, a property within a person, with which he can accumulate spiritual energy; not just inside, but also outside of himself. That is to say, through his soul he can connect with other souls and, by way of such an external contact (through sounds, letters, music or some images), communicate with them spiritually. If they are willing to unite with him, he can influence them.
A soul per se is a desire that is filled with the Light to the extent o f its correction. Only one soul exists and it has a special property. It is not closed in itself, but, like Bina that attaches other souls to itself, it can be in contact with others.
This soul occasionally descends to this world in different generations to guide us. It manifested for the first time in Adam Rishon, then appeared in Abraham, Moses, Rashbi, the Ari and, finally, in the Baal HaSulam. The Zohar tells us about this soul.
This is a very special Kli that is not related directly to this world, but descends here when it is necessary to compose such Kabbalistic works through which we can connect with it and attract its Light. We have to perceive this soul as the property of Bina that comes down to our world. The Baal HaSulam writes that everything that he achieved was because the Ari's soul incarnated in him. The same soul passed from Abraham to Moses, to Rashbi and to the Ari.
One and the same spiritual particle is repeatedly sent to this world. Each time it incarnates in a person, who formulates a new Kabbalistic method for his generation. He writes new books that guide us during a certain historical period.
Question: It turns out that we appeal not to the next level, but a lot higher?
Your question may be rephrased this way: "do we need a mediator between the Creator and us?" This is not a mediator; it is the Creator's property that descends to our world and, shows, us the path. You cannot establish contact with the absolute property of Bina. Instead, you should contact the higher level through some objects and expressions that both you and this level have in common.
One way or another, the Upper Force is obliged to be vested in man, who will give you knowledge, impressions, sensations that you are able to understand. Guided by them, holding on to them, you will be able to begin ascending. Nothing can be done without a mediator. Unless Kabbalists were able to incarnate in our world's material bodies, we would never get hold of the rope's end to be elevated to the spiritual realm.
Question: Yet, the world of Atzilut is the rope's end; it is very far away.
This does not matter at all. A great Kabbalist can descend to any level. In a letter about his prophecy, the Baal HaSulam writes that he asked the Creator to diminish his level so that he would be able to write "The Study of the Ten Sefirot." So the higher level can vest itself in any lower levels, while remaining at its own height. All the worlds resemble filters, which the Upper Force builds between us and itself, to enable us to perceive and understand its influence.
Question: We say that knowledge should be measured out or else it may cause harm. Why then was the Kabbalistic knowledge received thousands of years ago and not just now, when it is necessary?
The first Kabbalistic knowledge was given around 5700 years ago to a man named Adam. He was one of many people who lived on earth. He felt a spiritual desire and attained the Upper World. Abraham was the next man who started searching for answers and also apprehended the spiritual Worlds.
Why did such people appear? Why can't someone appear today and give us all this knowledge? Such people appeared in various generations because this wisdom had to be revealed in different forms.
It is a mistake to think that Kabbalists have done nothing in the course of history of humankind. They have accomplished tremendous work on themselves and on their attitude towards the world. Furthermore, they have been improving their method from generation to generation.
A person cannot appear out of the blue and start preaching divine wisdom to us. Kabbalah had to come to the world of today from the ancient times. People in different generations had to adapt themselves to it, so that a group of Kabbalists (called the Jewish nation) could appear and later on be dispersed among other peoples.
We even do not know where this Kabbalistic group is today. At present, we say that it is a part of one of the 12 biblical tribes. If we make a correct calculation, the nation of three million that lived in ancient Egypt, should number eight to nine billion people today. These lost tribes should exist somewhere, shouldn't they?
We do not know how the first Kabbalists mingled with the rest of mankind but I assure you, that one day we will discover the true origin of American Indians and Blacks, Australian Aborigines and Hindus.
The knowledge that is revealed today was concealed in the midst of humankind. This revelation is a gradual process. No technical, moral and/or scientific progress could have been possible without it. As a matter of fact, everything develops from this very point in heart.
In reality, only the desire to become similar to the Creator pushes us forward. Although we have many other desires on our path to the Creator, all of our love songs, works of art and aspirations should be directed only to Him. Subconsciously, we seek only Him because the Kabbalistic knowledge has spread and permeated all of humankind.
Kabbalists in every generation develop a proper method and influence the entire world by their inclusion in the common Kli. Indeed, when we look at people, we perceive them as bodies. We should try to remember how inseparably our souls are interconnected.
Whether we want it or not, we are an integral part of one general system. You can imagine how positively a Kabbalist who appears in this world (i.e., descends to the lowest level) influences this system and how he pulls all of humanity forward.
Therefore, Kabbalists are indispensable in every generation. There is a need for them to develop the Kabbalistic method that is appropriate for each specific generation because their work has a dramatic impact on it.
That is why Rabbi Shimon appeared at the period of the destruction of the Second Jerusalem Temple and the enormous growth of universal egoism. The roots of all religions could not have emerged at that time without the influence of Kabbalah. Judaism, Christianity and Islam have risen on the ruins of Kabbalah. They all are the consequence of the shattering of the common screen.
No progress would have been possible without Kabbalah. In fact, the wisdom of Kabbalah is a life-giving force of Bina that penetrates into Malchut. Since it is constantly working inside Malchut, it propels humankind; pulls it through the realization of evil. Sufferings befall us because we cannot realize evil in time. If we could, we would be skipping from one realization to another, from one desire to the next, and thus, we would reach the Goal quickly.
In the total absence of Kabbalists in the world, we would completely turn into animals, because the point of Bina, the spark that is concealed within our egoism, pulls it forward and entirely determines its development. So the question, "why gradual and not instantaneous revelation was necessary?" becomes irrelevant.
All of the previous generations would have been at the zero level unless the spark of Bina had been pulling us toward the Creator. The presence of this spark, of Bina inside Malchut, separates man from the rest of the animate world.
Question: How can we be sure that our desire is for the Creator and not for egoistical fulfillment?
This is the right question: where can I get a device that will enable me to analyze three conditions ("No need to disclose," "Impossible to disclose," "The Creator's personal secret") correctly?
First of all, there are no restrictions today. Secondly, what is the meaning of a "secret" and why does it exist? We understand that knowledge can cause harm; the world clearly demonstrates that to us. Say, a person holds a machine-gun in his hands. Millions of people, over hundreds of generations, worked to devise such a thing.
"A secret" does not mean that knowledge that can harm a person should be concealed from him. It stems from a prohibition to reveal the true meaning of altruism to a person; he will run away from it scorched by its fire.
The Baal HaSulam had four sons and I knew three of them well. The eldest was my Teacher; the second son came to visit us occasionally, during celebrations. The third studied with us. He had died shortly before my Teacher passed away. Rabash had two sons. The first one was the Baal HaSulam's eldest grandson. Once, when the boy was around 15, his grandfather took him for a walk. He started asking questions and the Baal HaSulam answered him. When the teenager heard and felt what he was being told, he said only one phrase: "This is impossible!"
The conclusion that a person cannot change so drastically remained with him for the rest of his life! The Baal HaSulam gave him such a vivid picture of the spiritual world that he saw how completely opposite it was to our nature.
He studied Kabbalah all the same and knew "The Study of the Ten Sefirot" very thoroughly. There was no one among the students who could match his knowledge of that wisdom. However, he studies Kabbalah merely as a science. Spiritual work was something that he always shunned. I used to know him during the last 15 years of his life. This impression remained in him his entire life. That is why the ban exists.
The prohibition exists because we are absolutely opposite to the Upper World. Seeing it now will turn into a catastrophe. There is nothing more hateful and abhorrent than the Creator. Can you understand that?
We speak about a gradual adaptation and accumulation of inner images. Understanding, acceptance, necessity and desire develop very slowly.
First, Bina enters into Malchut for Malchut's good, for egoism's benefit. Then it begins its gradual work inside egoism, while showing it that it contains something better and greater, and that egoism will profit by being connected with Bina and acquiring the property of bestowal.
This transformation is very long and slow; it takes thousands of years. This is the reason of concealment. Actually, there is nothing to conceal. Yet, if the true picture is revealed to people, they all will fall into a depression and will be unable to move.
This is exactly what happens to us: we can either be overly enthusiastic and ready for everything or fall into indifference, so that we cannot even stir a finger. We should be careful to avoid such low states.
Question: Can we cause harm today?
No we cannot. It is a different level of development today; our knowledge cannot do any harm.
I am speaking about Kabbalists who really possess this power. They are obliged to give it to people who will only benefit from it. Otherwise, it will develop into an endless depression.
I gave you an example of the Baal HaSulam's grandson, who continued studying because he knew that there was nothing else worth doing in life. However, his answers to all questions clearly indicated that the man was a complete materialist with nihilistic views and no purpose in life.
He simply knew that there was no way out of this world. All his life he existed with a very unenviable feeling. Kabbalists should be on their guard against such a state.
In fact, how can one hide such things? On the contrary, everyone is screaming with pain today, while demanding to be elevated higher with the help of Kabbalah?
Question: Is there history of human development described by Kabbalists?
What history of humankind should we describe? It is pretty clear as it is: man's desires are constantly growing, both in quantity and in quality. They become more and more progressive and give rise to human development.
You may take the scale of these desires from zero to the highest level and superimpose human history on it. You will then see everything that happened and will happen. All is explained by our desire. Nothing would ever change unless man existed in this world.
If a person exists in this world, he changes and transforms his environment. He changes because his desires change. And why do desires change? This happens because the Reshimot have to unfold according to a certain cause-and-effect sequence. This is what determines humankind's entire history.
Question: Why did your Teacher allow it to happen to his son?
There was nothing he could do. The Baal HaSulam inadvertently revealed to the boy a little more than he should have. Why did he act that way? Of course, it was unintentional. This is just an example of what can be done. There is no simple explanation for it all. I just give you this fact as an example.
Question: So it turns out that all those stupid books written by all sorts of frauds are also useful?
Certainly, there is a lot of positivity in negativity. Of course, we would have been better off without that stuff, but nothing can be spoiled any more than it is. We have come to the homestretch. The appearance of all books is the Creator's desire, no doubt - albeit an indirect one.
Question: You say that if a person craves for money, he should be given a certain level of knowledge for this particular desire, so that he will realize its futility and advance to the next. It turns out that it is still pointless to speak about the aspiration to the Creator with a person who craves for money? Does it mean that he should be pushed towards the next level of desire - for power?
No, a person should not be pushed towards any other desires but for the Creator. Actually, it is also useless to push him towards the Creator if he "is stuck" in the desire for money. Why would I speak with him about the Creator? Should I give him some knowledge of Kabbalah in this world and in our time? The answer is yes, because our interconnection is determined by the development of our common desire; the entire world is being revealed as one general system. If I give the Kabbalistic knowledge to all, they will hardly aspire to the Creator; everyone will pursue his own goals of that moment.
Yet, everyone will realize this level and pass from it to the next and so on, even if he just hears about the knowledge that we circulate.
As a matter of fact, it is not Kabbalah. Try to understand what we circulate. We circulate some knowledge about the structure of the spiritual world. All of this has started spreading since the Ari. At the same time the Hassidim began circulating their books. Many so-called "kabbalistic" books penned by various authors started to appear.
Unless we give the basics of the general structure of the universe and of the soul to humankind, there will be no acceleration of their d evelopment and no advancement from one desire to the next.
A great number of people today are living in the desire for money; they represent an overwhelming majority of the Earth's population. However, unless they have some aspiration to the Creator, they will not be able to get out of this desire for a very long time. Like a donkey, man will remain in his desire, if he is not pulled towards the next one.
The Ohr Makif has to act. Kabbalists have acted this way over generations. Today, although we still have the desires for wealth, honor, fame, power and knowledge, Bina and Malchut are so mixed in us that we can rest upon the point of Bina in every desire. We can pull it up from all existing desires in the world and let it determine the development of Malchut in every soul. Humankind has reached the state of interfusion of Bina and Malchut, hence we can tell everyone about Kabbalah.
Question: Is the realization of evil in a person who craves for money, honor, etc. and in someone who studies Kabbalah the same?
The realization of evil is the awareness of fallaciousness of desire. No matter in what state you may be; say, you want to give up smoking, but fail, or you become enslaved by other desires (for sex, wealth and/or power); if you feel its harm, then it can be characterized as the realization of evil. Ultimately, this realization should become so intense that it would suppress the aspiration to fulfill the desire.
Say, I look at a picture that shows my prospective horrible state. Unless I give up the harmful habit of smoking, my future will be quite grim. In fact, it is so horrible that I perceive this picture as the present and not as the future. My impression is so intense, that the pleasure that I receive from smoking becomes completely suppressed, and it costs me no effort to give it up.
The most important thing for us is to imagine, at every moment, a better future state and the defective present condition. The group that depicts these future states for me, speaks about the Creator's greatness - about the importance of the Goal. Actually, it becomes the source of my advancement.
Question: What comes first: feeling or knowledge?
In our time, knowledge is primary and feelings are secondary. There are people in whom feelings prevail and whose rational analysis comes afterwards, but they are a minority today. This depends on periods of historical development. The Baal HaSulam writes about it in his article, "On Completion of the Book of Zohar." He explains that there was a period when people were "pulled by the head" and there was another period when people were "pulled by the body (heart)": "Derech Mocha" and "Derech Liba."
In accordance with this, every person differs from others in something. However, in general, in our time the path lies through science. People realize that Kabbalah is a science - that it conflicts with nothing and explains everything. It speaks about me and its knowledge is confirmed by other earthly sciences, which people trust. Thus a person enters into it and begins to feel it. Some people (although there not many of them) are driven by feelings.
Such is the characteristics of the today's souls.
Question: Is the realization of evil in each desire a necessary condition for entering the spiritual realm?
To enter the spiritual a person has to realize evil in everything else. You are not obliged to be a Rockefeller or Rothschild to give it all up. You do not have to be Casanova and accumulate his experience in order to renounce your old habits, or Alexander of Macedon to relinquish your passion for power. You just have to come to a state when you clearly and unmistakably see that all other desires are insignificant and transient, and that they are given to you only to prefer the spiritual.
Question: I realize that these desires are good-for-nothing, but what can I do to relinquish them?
What you actually say is this: "I understand that I need nothing of it, but it is so pleasant to be in these desires for a while and finally to understand what is so bad about them. Let me thoroughly enjoy wealth and then I will decide!"
The Light does everything! Of course, the best thing would be for a person just to touch every desire, realize its evil and quickly pass over to the next. Every coming image is superseded by the next, only under the intense influence of the Light.
That is practically what our development is all about. We are obliged to go through all of these images. We have to feel and renounce, feel and renounce all of these tempting baits (intermediate and seemingly attractive desires) for the sake of the Creator.
We really have to race through them all. A moment's delay throws us back onto the path of suffering.
Question: What should we do to make these states change faster?
Only study under the right guidance in the group can accomplish it. There is nothing else. Naturally, we have to continue circulating. If we do it with proper intensity and intention, we will be pulled forward, and that is all we really need.