Baal HaSulam explains that The Book of Zohar is the most powerful and revealing Kabbalistic work ever written. Why? Because it wasn’t written by just one person—it was created by ten great Kabbalists who were able to unite as one vessel (Kli). Together, they reached the level of the ten Sefirot, the state of final correction (Gmar Tikkun), and rose through all 125 spiritual degrees that every soul must pass to reach its ultimate correction.

From that lofty state of final correction, they revealed and recorded what they saw. That’s why the book is called The Zohar, which means “radiance”—the highest kind of spiritual illumination (Zeira Ilaa).

The Zohar is actually written as a commentary on the five books of the Torah. It gathers everything the greatest Kabbalists revealed from the time of the First Temple through the Second Temple, presenting it all from the perspective of final correction. And the way it was written is unique: Rabbi Shimon spoke, Rabbi Aba wrote it down, and the rest of the group shared their revelations. This gives the book a richness of voices and perspectives, making it suited for all souls in every generation—anyone who wishes to correct themselves by means of the Light that Reforms.

The history of the book is both special and tragic. For centuries it was hidden. It first resurfaced in 11th-century Spain, thanks to Rabbi Moshe de Leon, but then went through more periods of concealment and partial revelation—until the 20th century, when Baal HaSulam appeared.

That era also marked the return of the Jewish people to the land of Israel, and Kabbalists began to sense that the time had come for The Zohar to be realized—for souls to begin their correction and for humanity to move from final exile toward final redemption. That’s why Baal HaSulam was granted permission to write his commentary, the Sulam (“Ladder”).

Without guidance, The Zohar is like a book locked behind a thousand gates, sealed with countless keys. You can buy it, flip through it, even read the words—but you wouldn’t know how to use it properly. Through his four introductions to the book and his Sulam commentary (which earned him his name, “Baal HaSulam”), he gave us the key. He explained how to approach it, how to open it, and how to actually work with it.

From that point on, we can truly say we’ve been given The Zohar for real use—for realization. It’s no longer a closed mystery but a living source of great spiritual Light, available to us every single day.