Reading Without Understanding

Q: Lately I’ve been going through a “cooling off period.” At first, I was reading your books and I understood everything. Later on, various thoughts began to appear in my mind during my studies. Then, I had to make substantial efforts in order to follow the text. Later still, when I tried to understand what was written, I began to fall asleep over and over while reading the same line.

How do I overcome this obstacle? Should I continue reading without understanding and wait for this to go away, or must I change something?

A: First, I assume that since you’ve written to me, a lot of things have changed. Even the fact that you could write shows that you are not yet at the bottom of the spiritual drop, or that you have already passed it. You must make an effort to keep reading. That is precisely the effort that will carry you to salvation, to a higher degree. It may be a good idea for you to try listening to audio lessons.

Efforts in circulating Kabbalah help a lot, and will accelerate the changes more than anything. Things will change anyway; the only question is how long the process will take: a day, a month, your entire life? The next degree is right around the corner, and it is in your power to soar to it right now! It depends on you alone and no one else!

It’s been said of such situations that “Whatsoever thy hand attaineth to do by thy strength, that do.” Therefore, go and search for all sorts of acts relating to Kabbalah.

If you cannot study, translate. If you cannot translate, listen to cassettes or audio lessons, try and explain Kabbalah to someone else, try to start a group, spread books. Those are the most effective things you can do.