Local Meeting

"Disclosing a Portion, Covering Two"

In this week's article, we read from Baal HaSulam's clarifications around the study from authentic Kabbalistic texts.

As mentioned earlier, Baal HaSulam wrote extensively on the topic in order to assist students attain the purpose of creation without straying from the path.

First we will read some excerpts from the article and then try to understand what is going on in the text, followed by another reading and discussions on the topics together.

We also have an extra clip from Rav Dr. Michael Laitman as an important clarification of the article.

"Disclosing a Portion, Covering Two"

Rav Yehuda Ashlag, Baal HaSulam

There is an idiom among great sages when they come to disclose a profound matter: They begin their words with “I am disclosing a portion and covering two portions.” Our sages took great care not to utter words needlessly, as our sages instructed, “A word is a rock; silence is two” (Megillah 18a, “Introduction of The Book of Zohar,” Item 18).

This means that if you have a priceless word whose worth is one rock, know that not saying it is worth two rocks. This refers to those who utter needless words without pertinent content or use except to decorate the style in the eyes of the reader. This was strictly forbidden in the eyes of our sages, as is known to those who examine their words, and as I will prove in the following essays. Hence, we must be attentive to understand this common idiom of theirs.

Three Kinds of Concealment of the Wisdom

There are three parts in the secrets of the Torah. Each part has its own reason for being concealed. They are called by the following names:

1. Unnecessary,

2. Impossible,

3. The counsel of the Lord is to those who fear Him.

There is not a single fraction of this wisdom where scrutinies of these three parts do not apply, and I will clarify them one at a time.

1. Unnecessary

This means that no one will benefit from their disclosure. Of course, this is not such a great loss because there is only the issue of the cleanness of the mind here, to warn of those actions defined as “so what,” meaning “So what if I did this, there is no harm in it.”

But you should know that in the eyes of the sages, “so what” is considered the worst corruptor, since all the destructors in the world, those that have been and those that will be, are the “so what” kind of people. This means that they occupy themselves and others in needless things. Hence, sages would not accept any student before they were certain that he would be cautious in his ways, so as not to reveal what was not necessary.

2. Impossible

This means that the language does not compel them to say anything of their quality, due to their great sublimity and spirituality. Hence, any attempt to clothe them in words may only mislead the examiners and deflect them to a false path, which is considered the worst of all iniquities. Therefore, to reveal anything in these matters requires permission from above. This is the second part of the concealment of the wisdom. Yet, this permission, too, requires explanation.

Permission from Above

This matter is explained in the book The Gate to Rashbi’s Words by the ARI (in the portion, Mishpatim, The Zohar, 4:100, beginning with words, “Yochai’s son knew how to hide”): “Know that some of the souls of the righteous are of the surrounding light kind, and some are of the inner light kind. (You will find their meaning in my book Panim Meirot, Gate Makifin, Branch 48.) Those who are of the surrounding light kind have the power to speak of the secrets and concealments of the Torah by way of great covering and concealment so that only those worthy of it will understand them.

Rabbi Shimon Bar-Yochai’s soul was of the surrounding light kind. Hence, he had the power to clothe the words and teach them in a way that even if he taught them to many, only the worthy of understanding would understand. This is why he was given “permission” to write The Book of Zohar.

3. The Counsel of the Lord Is to Those Who Fear Him

This means that the secrets of the Torah are revealed only to those who fear His name, who keep His glory with their hearts and souls, so as never to commit any manner of blasphemy. This is the third part of the concealment of the wisdom.

This part is the strictest in regard to the concealment, as this kind of disclosure has failed many. From the midst of those stem all the charmers, whisperers, and “practical” Kabbalists, who hunt souls with their cunningness, and the mystics who use withered wisdom that came from under the hands of unworthy students, to produce bodily benefit for themselves or for others. The world has suffered much from this and is suffering still.

Know that the root of the concealment was only this part.

Clip #1

Workshop questions
(chosen based on flow of the meeting)

Why is it important for you to study the wisdom of Kabbalah correctly?

How do you see each of the concealments as part of our spiritual development?

How have you experienced the different language in the wisdom of Kabbalah?

Why is the deficiency important in attaining spirituality?

See You Next Week