Tens Course - Lesson #28

Opening the Heart for the Lesson: Working with Authentic Kabbalah Texts

Selected Excerpts from the Sources

1. RABASH, Article No. 2 (1986), “Lend Ear, O Heaven”

"If a person is rewarded and is given a thought of engaging in the secrets of Torah, although he does not understand a single word that is written there, it is still a great privilege that now he is adhered to the study of the internality of the Torah.

In other words, he believes that they speak only about Godliness and he has room to delve in his thought, since “everything I’m learning is of the holy names, so I must be very fortunate. Therefore, all I need to do is thank and praise the Creator."

2. Baal HaSulam, "Introduction to The Study of the Ten Sefirot", Letter 156.

"There is a strict condition during the engagement in this wisdom not to materialize the matters with imaginary and corporeal issues. This is because thus they breach, “You shall not make unto you a statue or any image.”

In that event, one is rather harmed instead of receiving benefit."

3. Zohar for All. Toldot [Generations] He called – I Do Not Know the Day of My Death” #125

"One should engage in the Torah for the name of the Creator. Divinity is called “Name” because anyone who engages in the Torah and does not exert for her name is better off not being created.

[...] one should engage in the Torah with the aim to extol the Creator and make Him respected and important in the world.

He tells us the meaning of Torah Lishma [for her name], which is highways in their hearts: to aim one’s heart so his engagement in the Torah will draw abundance of knowledge for him and for the whole world. Thus, the name of the Creator will grow in the world, as it is written, “And the earth shall be filled of the knowledge of the Lord.” Then the words, “And the Lord shall be king over all the earth” will come true."

4. The Will of RIBASH and Upright Guidance

"When learning, one should settle within him before Whom he is learning, for sometimes, he distances himself in his learning from the Creator. For this reason, he must settle himself at each time and at each hour."

5. Baal hasulam, Introduction to The Study of the Ten Sefirot, item 18

"The Creator, Who created it and gave the evil inclination its strength, evidently knew to create the remedy and the spice liable to wear off the power of the evil inclination and eradicate it altogether.

And if one practices Torah and fails to remove the evil inclination from himself, it is either that he has been negligent in giving the necessary labor and exertion in the practice of Torah, as it is written, “I did not labor and found, do not believe,” or perhaps he did put in the necessary amount of labor, but has been negligent in the quality.

This means that while practicing Torah, they did not set their minds and hearts to draw the light in the Torah, which brings faith to one’s heart. Rather, they have been absent-minded about the principal requirement demanded of the Torah, namely the light that yields faith. And although they initially aimed for it, their minds went astray during the study."

6. Baal HaSulam, Shamati 68, Man's Connection to the Sefirot

"One cannot correct one’s thought, but should only aim the heart—make one’s heart straight to the Creator. Then all of his thoughts and actions will naturally be to bestow contentment upon his Maker. When he corrects his heart to be a heart and desire of Kedusha, the heart will then be the Kli in which to place the upper light. And when the upper light shines in the heart, the heart will grow stronger and he will add and supplement continuously.

Now we can interpret our sages’ words, “Great is the learning that yields action.” It means that through the light of the Torah he is led into action, as the light in it reforms him. This is called “an act.” This means that the light of the Torah builds a new structure in his heart."

7. Rabash, Lishma and Lo Lishma

"One must try to remember the goal while studying Torah, so it will always be before his eyes what he wants to receive from the study, that the study will impart greatness and importance of the Creator."

8. RABASH, Article No. 22 (1985), "The Whole of the Torah Is One Holy Name"

"During the study we must always pay attention to the purpose of the study of Torah, meaning what we should demand from the study of Torah. At that time we are told that first we must ask for Kelim, meaning to have vessels of bestowal, called “equivalence of form,” by which the restriction and concealment that were placed on the creatures are removed. To the extent that this is so he begins to feel the holiness and begins to have a taste for the work of the Creator. At that time he can be happy because Kedusha [holiness] yields joy, for the light of doing good to His creations shines there."

9. RABASH, Article No. 12 (1988), "What Are Torah and Work in the Way of the Creator?"

"While learning Torah for the sake of learning Torah, he should still distinguish with which intention he is learning. Is it to observe the commandments of the Creator, as it is written, “And you shall reflect on Him day and night,” or is he learning in order to receive the light of Torah because he needs the light of Torah in order to cancel the evil within him, as our sages said, “I have created the evil inclination; I have created the Torah as a spice”? It turns out that he is learning in order to obtain the spice, as our sages said, “The light in it reforms him.”

10. Baal hasulam, Introduction to The Study of the Ten Sefirot, item 17

"Hence, the student pledges, prior to the study, to strengthen himself in faith in the Creator and in His guidance in reward and punishment, as our sages said, “Your employer is liable to pay you the reward for your work.” One should aim one’s labor to be for the Mitzvot of the Torah, and in this way, he will be rewarded with enjoying the light in it, and his faith will strengthen and grow through the power in this light, as it is written, “It shall be health to your navel, and marrow to your bones” (Proverbs 3:8).

Then one can be certain that from Lo Lishma he will come to Lishma, in a way that even one who knows about himself that he has not been rewarded with faith still has hope through the practice of Torah, for if he sets his heart and mind to attain faith in the Creator through it, there is no greater Mitzva than this. It is as our sages said, “Habakkuk came and stressed only this: ‘A righteous shall live by his faith’” (Makkot 24)."

11. RABASH, Article No. 12 (1988), "What Are Torah and Work in the Way of the Creator"

"If in the beginning of his study, when a person comes to study, there is no desire to thereby achieve complete faith, which he can achieve through the light in the Torah by wanting to adhere to the one who wears it, who is clothed in the Torah and gives the light of Torah and none other, it follows that he is learning Torah, which is the clothing of the Creator. Through it, he wants to achieve complete faith, adhere to the one who wears it, who is the giver of the Torah.

Here there is unification of three discernments: 1) the Torah, which is the clothing of the Creator, 2) the Creator, who is clothed in the Torah, and 3) Israel, the person who is learning Torah with the above intention. This is called “unification,” called “the Torah and the Creator and Israel are one.”"

12. Baal HaSulam, Shamati, Article No. 99, "He did Not Say Wicked or Righteous"

"A person has the choice of going to a place where there are righteous. One can accept their authority, and then he will receive all the powers that he lacks by the nature of his own qualities. He will receive it from the righteous. This is the benefit in “planted them in each generation,” so that each generation would have someone to turn to, adhere to, and from whom to receive the strength required to rise to the degree of a righteous. Thus, they, too, subsequently become righteous."