Lesson 5. The spiritual power inherent in authentic Kabbalah books
The lesson delves into the unique language of Kabbalah, known as the language of branches and roots. Discover the secret force within Kabbalistic texts and how study help our spiritual growth. We discover the four languages used to describe the spiritual worlds, understanding their differences and meanings.
- The language of Kabbalah - the language of branches and roots
- What is the secret of the “magic” or potency contained in the books of Kabbalah?
- How does reading and studying the writings of Kabbalah help a person to develop spiritually and realize their purpose of life?
- The four languages used to describe the spiritual world in the primary sources, the differences between them, and their meaning.
Root and Branch Law
According to the law of root and branch --
- each "branch" in this world has its own unique and special "root" from which it hangs down into this world.
- root = cause; branch = consequence.
- The world of the roots = the spiritual world
- The world of branches = the physical world.
The language of the branches that appears in the Kabbalah books describes the spiritual roots while using the names of the "branches" in our world.
When we come across words that are familiar to us from everyday life in the books of Kabbalah, we must remember that they are directed to the spiritual roots and not to what is happening in our world.
Lesson 5. The spiritual power inherent in authentic Kabbalah books
Slide 2
"Pleasure is only the equivalence of form with the Maker. When we equalise in every conduct with our Root, we sense delight."
- Baal HaSulam, Matan Torah [The Giving of the Torah]
Slide 3
"The Widsom of Kabbalah mentions nothing of our corporeal world."
- Baal HaSulam,The Freedom
Slides 4-6
"There is not an element of reality or an occurrence of reality in a lower world that you will not find its likeness in the world above it, as identical as two drops in a pond. And they are called “root and branch.” That means that the item in the lower world is deemed a branch of its pattern found in the higher world, which is the root of the lower element, as this is where that item in the lower world has been imprinted and made to be. That was the intention of our sages when they said, “You have not a blade of grass below that has not a fortune and a guard above that strikes it and tells it, ‘Grow’!”"
- Baal HaSulam, The Essence of the Wisdom of Kabbalah
Slide 7
If we live in the world of results, how can we change something here?
Slide 8
Which Kabbalah books do we know?
Please write examples in the chat.
Slide 9
"This wisdom is no more and no less than a sequence of roots that hang down by way of cause and consequence, following fixed, determined laws that interweave into a single, exalted goal described as “the revelation of His Godliness to His creatures in this world.”
- Baal HaSulam, The Essence of the Wisdom of Kabbalah
Slide 10
Four Languages in the Wisdom of Kabbalah
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The language of the Bible — its names and appellations.
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The language of Halakha (laws) — very close in structure and style to the language of the Bible.
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The language of legends (Aggadah) — far removed from the biblical style; it does not adhere to tangible reality. It uses unusual names and symbols and does not relate to concepts through the system of root and branch.
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The language of Sefirot and Partzufim — the most precise and technical language used to describe spiritual structures.
Slide 11
"The Torah, which is divine wisdom, has nothing physical in it."
- The Maharal of Prague, "Derech Haim", author's foreword
"The Torah is spirituality."
- Rabbi Nachman of Breslov, Likutei Moharan, I
Slide 12
"The secrets of the Torah clothe in parables and riddles in the Torah due to the extension of the Torah and its lowering from the highest degree down to this earthly world."
- The Ramak, Know the God of your Father, 14
Slide 13
"Rabbi Shimon said, woe unto one who says that the Torah comes to tell literal tales. However, all the words of the Torah have the superior things and uppermost meanings."
- Book of Zohar
Slide 14
"The Language of the Bible
“The language of the Bible is the primary, rudimentary language, perfectly suited for its task, as for the most part, it contains a relation of root and branch and is the easiest language to understand. This language is also the oldest, and attributed to Adam haRishon.”
- Baal HaSulam “The Teaching of the Kabbalah and Its Essence"
Slide 15
"The Language of the Bible
This language has two advantages and one disadvantage. Its first advantage.
1st advantage: It is easy to understand, and even beginners in attainments immediately understand all that they need.
2nd advantage: It clarifies matters more extensively and deeply than all other languages.
One disadvantage: It cannot be used for discussing particular issues or connections of cause and consequence because every matter must be clarified in its fullest measure...
Also, the language of prayers and blessings is taken from the language of the Bible."
- Baal HaSulam “The Teaching of the Kabbalah and Its Essence"
Slide 16
The Language of the Bible
“In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.”
This describes two forces at work:
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the will to bestow, and
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the will to receive (the ego).
The creature uses both forces together, not just one, in order to reach the level of the Creator.
Slide 17
"The Language of Halakha (Laws)
This language is taken entirely from the language of the Bible according to the roots of the laws presented there. It has one advantage over the Bible—it greatly elaborates on every matter and hence points to the upper roots more accurately.
However, its great disadvantage compared to the language of the Bible is that it is very difficult to understand."
- Baal HaSulam “The Teaching of the Kabbalah and Its Essence"
Slide 18
"The Language of Aggadah (Legends)
The language of legends is easy to understand through the allegories that perfectly fit the desired meaning. In superficial examination, it is even easier to understand than the language of the Bible. Yet, for complete understanding, it is a very difficult language as it does not confine itself to speaking in sequences of root and branch, but only in allegories and marvelous wit. However, it is very rich in resolving abstruse and odd concepts that concern the essence of the degree in its state, for itself, which cannot be explained in the languages of the Bible and laws."
Slides 19-20
The language of the book of Zohar
“Rabbi Elazar went to see Rabbi Yosi, son of Rabbi Shimon, son of Lakunia, his father-in-law, and Rabbi Aba was with him. A man was driving their donkeys, meaning leading their donkeys…
…‘Driving’ means stinging, since it is an alias to the donkey driver because of his custom to sting the donkeys with a needle so they will walk faster. Rabbi Aba said, “Let us open the doors of Torah, for now is the time and the hour for our ways to be corrected.””
- The Book of Zohar with the Sulam [Ladder] Commentary, Introduction of the Book of Zohar, "The Donkey Driver," Item 74
Slides 21-22
The Language of the Wisdom of Kabbalah
"The language of Kabbalists is a language in the full sense of the word—very precise, both in terms of root and branch, and concerning cause and consequence. It has the unique merit of being able to express subtle details in this language without any limits. Also, through it, it is possible to approach the desired matter directly, without the need to connect it with what precedes it or follows it.
...However, it is almost impossible to attain it, except from a Kabbalist sage, and from a sage who understands with his own mind. This means that even one who understands the rest of the degrees from below upward and from above downward with his own mind, he will still not understand anything in this language until he receives it from a sage who has already received it from his teacher face to face."
- Baal HaSulam “The Teaching of the Kabbalah and Its Essence”
Slides 23-25
The Language of the Wisdom of Kabbalah
“We must remember that the entire wisdom of Kabbalah is founded on spiritual matters that do not take up time or space. They are not subject to change or absence and all the changes that are spoken of in this wisdom do not imply that the first form becomes absent and is replaced by a different form. The above change rather implies an additional form, while the first does not move from its place, as absence and change are corporeal conducts…
…It is difficult for beginners, for they perceive matters by means of corporeal boundaries of time, space, change and exchange. However, the authors only used those as signs to point to their upper roots.
For this reason, I will make an effort to give every word its spiritual identity, detached of space, time and change.
It is upon the readers to memorize the meaning of these words thoroughly, for it is impossible to repeat them every time.”
- Baal HaSulam, The Study of the Ten Sefirot, Part 1, Ch. 1, Inner Light
Slides 26-27
“Thus, Kabbalists have found a set and annotated vocabulary sufficient to create an excellent spoken language. It enables them to converse with one another of the dealings in the spiritual roots in the upper worlds, by merely mentioning the lower, tangible branch in this world, which is well defined to our corporeal senses. The listeners understand the upper root to which this corporeal branch points because it is related to it, being its imprint.
- Baal HaSulam, The Essence of the Wisdom of Kabbalah
Slide 28
The Language of the Wisdom of Kabbalah
The Ten Sefirot:
- Keter
- Hochma
- Bina
- Hesed
- Gevura
- Tiferet
- Netzach
- Hod
- Yesod
- Malchut
Slides 29-31
The Language of the Wisdom of Kabbalah
"The Study of the Ten Sefirot, Inner Observation, chapter 2:
That which emerges in the coupling by striking (Zivug de-akaa) in the Rosh is discerned only in the Guf. The expansion to Malchut is regarded as being from Peh to Tabur, and the rejection from Malchut is considered to be from Tabur down.
Item 16. You must understand here that we have no perception in the ten Sefirot of the Rosh. It is so because they are the state of Ein Sof, and everything we discern in the ten Sefirot of the Rosh is only their expansion into the Guf, and the upper one is studied from the lower one.
We say that the upper light expanded up to Malchut and the screen in the vessel of Malchut struck the light and did not let it enter the vessel of Malchut and pushed it back, and this reflected light clothed the ten Sefirot of direct light.“
- Baal HaSulam, The Study of the Ten Sefirot, Part 4, Inner Observation, Chapter 2, Item 16
Slide 32
“I am glad that I have been born in such a generation when it is permitted to disclose the wisdom of truth. And should you ask how I know that it is permitted, I will reply that it is because I have been given permission to disclose.[...]
We deem it as dependent not on the greatness of the sage, but on the state of the generation.”
- Baal HaSulam "The Teaching of the Kabbalah and Its Essence"
Slide 33
Attaining the Worlds Beyond: A Guide to Spiritual Discovery
Late in the evening in September 1991, a notebook was passed to Michael Laitman containing the transcripts from one of the greatest Kabbalists of all time. For thousands of years the secrets of Kabbalah have been guarded from the eyes of strangers and only to be revealed at certain times. The time has come to unveil the secrets that provide the answer to the question all men in all times have asked themselves: What is the meaning of my life?
Slide 34
Kabbalah Revealed: A Guide to a More Peaceful Life
Kabbalah Revealed: A Guide to a More Peaceful Life is a clearly-written, user-friendly guide to making sense of the surrounding world while achieving inner peace.
Each of the six chapters in this book focuses on a different aspect of the ancient wisdom of Kabbalah, shedding new light on a teaching that has too often been shrouded in mystery and misconceptions.