Lesson # 37. Relationships Between Friends in a Group of Kabbalists - Practical Kabbalah

Part 1: Relationships Between Friends in a Group of Kabbalists

Selected Excerpts from the Sources

Purpose of Society

1. Rabash, Article No. 2, 1984 "Concerning Love of Friends"

...One must always remind oneself of the purpose of the society. Otherwise, the body tends to blur the goal, since the body always cares for its own benefit. We must remember that the society was established solely on the basis of achieving love of others, and that this would be the springboard for the love of God.

This is achieved specifically by saying that one needs a society to be able to give to one’s friend without any reward. In other words, he does not need a society so the society would give him assistance and gifts, which would make the body’s vessels of reception content. Such a society is built on self-love and prompts only the development of his vessels of reception, as now he sees an opportunity to gain more possessions by his friend assisting him to obtain corporeal possessions.

Instead, we must remember that the society was established on the basis of love of others, so each member would receive from the group the love of others and hatred of himself. And seeing that his friend is straining to annul his self and to love others would cause everyone to be integrated in their friends’ intentions.

Thus, if the society is made of ten members, for example, each will have ten forces practicing self-annulment, hatred of self, and love of others.

2. Rabash, Article No. 6, 1984 "Love of Friends - 2"

When they gather, each of them should think that he has now come for the purpose of annulling self-love. It means that he will not consider how to satisfy his will to receive now, but will think as much as possible only of the love of others. This is the only way to acquire the desire and the need to acquire a new quality, called “the will to bestow.”

And from love of friends one can reach love of the Creator, meaning wanting to give contentment to the Creator.

Each One Shall Help His Friend

3. Rabash, Article No. 4, 1984 "Each One Shall Help His Friend"

We must understand how one can help his friend. Is this matter specifically when there are rich and poor, wise and fools, weak and strong? But when all are rich, smart, or strong, etc., how can one help another?

We see that there is one thing that is common to all—the mood. It is said, “A concern in one’s heart, let him speak of it with others.” This is because with regard to feeling high-spirited, neither wealth nor erudition can be of assistance.

Rather, it is one person who can help another by seeing that one’s friend is low. It is written, “One does not deliver oneself from imprisonment.” Rather, it is one’s friend who can lift his spirit.

This means that one’s friend raises him from his state into a state of liveliness. Then, one begins to reacquire strength and confidence of life and wealth, and he begins as though his goal is now near him.

It turns out that each and every one must be attentive and think how he can help his friend raise his spirit, because in the matter of spirits, anyone can find a needy place in one’s friend that he can fill.

4. Rabash, Letter No. 37

The way is as one who goes to his friend’s occasion. He doesn’t think of himself—whether or not he is in a good mood—but must take part in his friend’s joy. He must not frown, but show a happy face. It is the same here: bonding among the friends should be such that each wishes to delight his friend, and precisely with corporeal things, since precisely here is the matter of “Buy yourself a friend.”

5. RABASH, Article No. 30 (1988), “What to Look For in the Assembly of Friends“

Each one should try to bring into the society a spirit of life and hopefulness, and infuse energy into the society. Thus, each of the friends will be able to tell himself, “Now I am starting a clean slate in the work.” In other words, before he came to the society, he was disappointed with the progress in the work of the Creator, but now the society has filled him with life and hopefulness.

Thus, through society he obtained the confidence and strength to overcome because now he feels that he can achieve wholeness. And all his thoughts—that he was facing a high mountain that could not be conquered, and that these were truly formidable obstructions—now he feels that they are nothing. And he received it all from the power of the society because each and every one tried to instill a spirit of encouragement and the presence of a new atmosphere in the society.

Prohibition on Slander

6. RABASH, Article No. 10 (1987), "What Is the Substance of Slander and Against Whom Is It?"

With slander, however, one has no consideration of the act itself when he slanders. Rather, his only thought is to humiliate his friend in the eyes of people. Thus, the only thought is one of hatred. It is a rule that one does not slander one he loves. Hence, it is specifically slander that causes hatred of others, which subsequently leads to hatred of the Creator. For this reason, slander is a very grave iniquity, which actually brings destruction of the world.

7. RABASH, Article No. 10 (1987), "What Is the Substance of Slander and Against Whom Is It?"

One who slanders causes the killing of three: 1) the one who tells, 2) the one who receives, 3) the one about whom it is said.

8. RABASH, Article No. 10 (1987), "What Is the Substance of Slander and Against Whom Is It?"

If he slanders his friend, by that, he relapses. Not only does he not engage in love of others, he does the opposite—engages in actions that cause hatred of others by slandering his friend. Naturally, one does not slander one he loves, for it separates the hearts. Therefore, we do not wish to slander one that we love so as not to spoil the love between us, since slander inflicts hatred.

Part 2. The Structure of the Upper Worlds

Items 56-64 from the "Preface to the Wisdom of Kabbalah" >>

The Second Restriction [Tzimtzum Bet], Called the Restriction of NHY of AK

56) We have thoroughly explained the first restriction [Tzimtzum Aleph], carried out on the vessel of Malchut, which is phase four, so it would not receive the upper light within it. We have also explained the matter of the screen and its coupling by striking with the upper light, which raises reflected light. This reflected light became new vessels of reception instead of phase four.

Also explained was the refinement of the screen of the Guf, made in the Gufim [plural of Guf] of each Partzuf by the clash of surrounding light and inner light, which produces the four discernments Taamim, Nekudot, Tagin, Otiot of the Guf of each Partzuf and raises the screen of the Guf to be considered the screen of the Rosh. It qualifies it for a coupling by striking with the upper light, on which another Partzuf is born, one degree lower than the previous Partzuf. Finally, we have explained the emergence of the first three Partzufim of AK, called Galgalta, AB, SAG, and the order of their clothing on one another.

57) Know that in these three Partzufim, Galgalta, AB, and SAG of AK, there is not even a root for the four worlds ABYA, since there is not even a place for the three worlds BYA here. This is because the inner Partzuf of AK extended down to the point of this world, and the root of the desirable correction, which was the cause for the restriction, has not been revealed. This is so because the purpose of the restriction that occurred in phase four was to correct it, so there would be no disparity of form in it as it receives the upper light (see Item 10).

In other words, to create Adam’s Guf from that phase four, and with his engagement in Torah and Mitzvot in order to bestow contentment upon his Maker, he will turn the force of reception in phase four to work in order to bestow. By this he will equalize the form of reception with complete bestowal, and that would be the end of correction, since this would bring phase four back to being a vessel of reception for the upper light, while also being in complete adhesion with the light, without any disparity of form.

Yet, thus far, the root of this correction has not been revealed, as this requires Adam to be incorporated also with the higher phases, above phase four, so as to be able to perform good deeds of bestowal. Had Adam emerged from the state of the Partzufim of AK, he would have been completely in the state of vacant space since then all of phase four, which should be the root of Adam’s Guf, would have been below the Raglaim [feet] of AK, in the form of a vacant and empty space, devoid of light, as it would be of opposite form from the upper light. Thus, it would be considered separated and dead.

Had Adam been created from it, he would not have been able to correct his actions whatsoever, since there would be no sparks of bestowal in him at all. He would be deemed a beast that has none of the form of bestowal, and whose lives are only for themselves, like the wicked who are immersed in the lust of self-reception, and “even the grace that they do, they do for themselves.” It is said about them, “The wicked in their lives are called ‘dead,’” since they are in oppositeness of form from the Life of Lives.

58) This is the meaning of our sages’ words (Beresheet Rabbah, end of Portion 12): “In the beginning, He contemplated creating the world with the quality of judgment [Din]. He saw that the world could not exist and brought forward the quality of mercy [Rachamim] and associated it with the quality of judgment.”

Explanation: Every “first” and “next” in spirituality refers to cause and consequence. This is why it is written that the first cause for the worlds, meaning the Partzufim of AK that were emanated before all the worlds, were emanated in the quality of judgment, that is, in Malchut alone, called the quality of judgment. This refers to phase four, which has been restricted and departed as a vacant and empty space and the Sium of the Raglaim of AK. This is the point of this world, below the Sium Raglaim of AK’s, in the form of a vacant and empty space, devoid of any light.

“He saw that the world does not exist” means that in this way, it was impossible for Adam, who should be created from this phase four, to acquire acts of bestowal, so that through him the world would exist in the desired measure of correction. This is why he “associated the quality of mercy with the quality of judgment.”

Explanation: The Sefira of Bina is called the quality of mercy, and the Sefira Malchut is called the quality of judgment, since the restriction was made on her. The Emanator raised the quality of judgment, which is the force of Sium made in the Sefira of Malchut, and raised it to Bina— the quality of mercy. He associated them with one another, and through this association, phase four— the quality of judgment —was incorporated with the sparks of bestowal in the vessel of Bina (see Item 5).

This qualified Adam’s Guf, which emerged from phase four, to be incorporated with the quality of bestowal, too. Thus, he will be able to perform good deeds in order to bestow contentment upon his Maker until he inverts the quality of reception in him to work entirely in order to bestow. Thus, the world will achieve the desired correction for which the world was created.

59) This association of Malchut in Bina occurred in Partzuf SAG of AK, and prompted a second restriction in the worlds from it downward. This is because a new Sium on the upper light was made on it in the place of Bina. It follows that the ending Malchut, which stood at the Sium Raglaim of SAG of AK, above the point of this world, ascended and ended the upper light at the place of half of Bina of the Guf of SAG of AK, called Tifferet, since KHB of the Guf is called HGT. Thus, Tifferet is Bina of the Guf.

Also, the coupling Malchut, which stood at the Peh of the Rosh of SAG of AK, ascended to the place of Nikvey Eynaim [pupils] of AK, which is half of Bina of the Rosh. Then, a coupling for the MA of AK, called “the world of Nekudim” was made there, at the Nikvey Eynaim.

60) This is also called the restriction of NHY of AK, since SAG of AK, which ended equally with Partzuf Galgalta of AK, above the point of this world, ends above the Tabur of the inner AK through the association and the ascent of Malchut to the place of Bina, at half the Tifferet, which is half the Bina of the Guf of the inner AK. This is so because the ending Malchut ascended to that place and detained the upper light from expanding from it downward.

For this reason, a vacant and empty space was made there, devoid of light. Thus, the TNHY [Tifferet, Netzah, Hod, Yesod] of SAG became restricted and devoid of the upper light. This is why the second restriction is called “restriction of NHY of AK,” since through the new Sium at the place of Tabur, NHY of SAG of AK were emptied of their lights.

It is also considered that the AHP of the Rosh of SAG departed from the degree of the Rosh of SAG and became its Guf, since the coupling Malchut ascended to Nikvey Eynaim and the ten Sefirot of the Rosh emerged from the screen at Nikvey Eynaim and above. Also, from Nikvey Eynaim down it is considered the Guf of the Partzuf, since it can only receive illumination from Nikvey Eynaim and below, which is considered Guf.

The level of these ten Sefirot that emerged at the Nikvey Eynaim of SAG of AK are the ten Sefirot called “the world of Nekudim.” They came down from the Nikvey Eynaim of SAG to their place below the Tabur of the inner AK, where they expanded with Rosh and Guf. Know that this new Sium, made at the place of Bina of the Guf, is called Parsa. Also, there is internality and externality here, and only the external ten Sefirot are called “the world of Nekudim,” while the ten inner Sefirot are called MA and BON of AK itself.

61) Yet, we should understand that since the ten Sefirot of Nekudim and the MA of AK were emanated and emerged from the Nikvey Eynaim of the Rosh of SAG, they should have clothed the SAG from its Peh of the Rosh and below, as with the other Partzufim, where each lower one clothes its upper one from the Peh of the Rosh downward. Why was it not so? Why did they descend and clothe the place below Tabur of AK? To understand this, we must thoroughly understand how this association came about, when Bina and Malchut connected into one.

62) The thing is that during the emergence of Partzuf SAG, it ended entirely above the Tabur of the inner AK, as has been explained concerning Partzuf AB of AK. They could not expand from the Tabur down, since the governance of phase four of the inner AK begins there, in its ten Sefirot of Sium, and there is nothing of phase four whatsoever in the Partzufim AB and SAG (see Item 54).

Yet, when the Nekudot of SAG of AK began to emerge, after the screen of SAG, which is phase two of coarseness, has been refined through the clash of surrounding light in it, and came to phase two of clothing and phase one of coarseness, the Taamim of SAG departed. Then, the level of Nekudot emerged on the coarseness that remained in the screen, in VAK without a Rosh.

This is so because the ten Sefirot that emerge on phase one of coarseness are the level of ZA, lacking GAR. Also, there is no phase of Bina at the male level, which is phase two of clothing, but only nearly that, which is considered VAK of Bina.

Hence, this level of Nekudot of SAG has equalized its form with the ten Sefirot of Sium below the Tabur of AK, considered VAK without a Rosh, too (see Item 52). It is known that equivalence of form unites the spirituals into one. Hence, this level descended below the Tabur of AK and mingled there with ZON of AK, where they were as one, since they are of equal level.

63) We might wonder at the fact that there is still a great distance between them with respect to their coarseness, since Nekudot of SAG come from the coarseness of phase two and have nothing of phase four. And although they are the level of ZA, it is not like the level of ZA below the Tabur of AK, which is ZA of phase four. Thus, there is a big difference between them.

The answer is that the coarseness is not apparent in the Partzuf during the clothing of the light, but only after the departure of the light. Hence, when Partzuf Nekudot of SAG appeared at the level of ZA, descended, and clothed at the level of ZON from Tabur of AK downward, phase two and phase four were mingled together and caused the second restriction. This created a new Sium at the place of Bina of the Guf of that Partzuf, and also caused a change in the place of the coupling, making it the Peh of the Rosh instead of the Nikvey Eynaim.

64) Thus, you find that the origin of the association of Malchut in Bina, called the second restriction, occurred only below Tabur of AK, by the expansion of Partzuf Nekudot of SAG there. Hence, this level of ten Sefirot of Nekudim, which comes from the second restriction, could not expand above Tabur of AK, since no force or ruling can appear above its origin. And since the place of the forming of the second restriction began from Tabur and below, the level of Nekudim had to expand there, as well.