Hevruta - Following Lesson 20 - Opens the Gates of the Wisdom of Kabbalah to the World
Hevruta - Following Lesson 20 - Opens the Gates of the Wisdom of Kabbalah to the World
Opens the Gates of the Wisdom of Kabbalah to the World
Hevruta - Meeting Following Lesson 20
We see that Kabbalists call for the opening of the Wisdom of Kabbalah to everyone. On the one hand, however, they themselves kept it hidden for many years so what has changed? Why is Kabbalah being revealed today, and what does this tell us about our own development and the future of society?
A Call for Opening the Wisdom
"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. That is, until now, the ways by which it is possible to publicly engage and to fully explain each word have not been revealed to any sage."
Baal HaSulam, "The Teaching of the Kabbalah and Its Essence"
"It is the great expansion of the wisdom of truth … we need first, so we may merit receiving the benefit ... Consequently, the expansion of the wisdom and the coming of our Messiah are interdependent.
Therefore, we must establish seminaries and compose books to hasten the distribution of the wisdom throughout the nation."
Baal HaSulam, ”Introduction to the Book Panim Meirot u-Masbirot", No. 5
"Not only are these secrets not forbidden to disclose, but on the contrary, it is a great commandment to disclose them.
And one who knows how to disclose and discloses them, his reward is plentiful. This is because by disclosing these lights to many, particularly to the many, depends the coming of the Messiah, soon in our days, Amen."
Baal HaSulam “Introduction to The Study of the Ten Sefirot”, p. 30
Why was Kabbalah Hidden
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:
- Unnecessary,
- Impossible,
- 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."
- Baal HaSulam “Disclosing a Portion, Covering Two”
**"Interpretation: If you have a precious word in your mouth that is worth a sela (a coin), know that remaining silent about it is worth two sela."**
The sages said specifically to be silent. Baal HaSulam explains a bit of this for us in the introduction to the book "Panim Meirot uMasbirot," where he also brings the words of Plato and Aristotle. That one should not reveal the wisdom, since people who are not yet ready for the wisdom, to use it only for the correct purpose, will begin to use it for the sake of their desire to receive.
Only after a person understands that all the wisdom before him is intended solely for the correction of creation, and that it was given only for this purpose—that he builds himself as a human being by using this wisdom in order to resemble the Creator—then he is permitted to reveal the wisdom. And before that, it is better for him to live in caves and be a wild man, until he attains wisdom. Because if he develops by using the wisdom for different needs of his ego, then this is the path of suffering, and not the desirable path.
We see that nevertheless, the wisdoms have developed, from ancient Babylon until our times. And this is in order to reveal the worthlessness and lack of benefit in all the development of wisdom for the sake of the person. Or, as a result of proper scrutiny at the end of the path, which a person will do out of the suffering, he will come to the decision that all the abilities within him, all the preparations and wisdoms within him, he needs only in order to correct his nature and to rise above nature. And not in order to use the wisdoms, and all the more so the wisdom of Kabbalah, for the sake of his nature, for the sake of his ego.
If so, why is there wisdom in the world? So that according to a person's incorrect use of his wisdoms, that is, for his egoistic purpose, to fill his ego with something, there will be, alongside this, wisdom, in order to show a person that this use does not bring him benefit, and that there is another way to use the intellect and the wisdoms. Since "wisdom" is called that which fills a person's intellect.
(From a talk with Rav. Dr. Michael Laitman)
**"And the matter is, that there are three parts in the secrets of the Torah, and in each and every part there is a special reason for its concealment, and they are called by these names: 1. Not Necessary, 2. Impossible, 3. The Secret of the Creator to those who fear Him. And there is not a single detail in this wisdom in which explanations are not conducted according to these three parts, and I will explain them one by one."**
In contrast to the wisdom of Kabbalah, all the other wisdoms of this world, a person attains them through research within his desires, within what is called "nature." However, from the study of the perception of reality, we understand that all of nature is, in fact, what is expressed within our desires.
For the things that a person attains within his own nature, he does not need any special protection, because he has already discovered them within his corporeal nature. However, when one reveals, or wishes to reveal, the spiritual nature, then the spiritual nature that is revealed does not become revealed in our senses and corporeal desires, meaning, for ourselves. Rather, it is in intentions of bestowal, in equivalence of form with the Creator. Because the spiritual nature is called “the nature of the Creator,” and when one investigates it, one investigates the quality of bestowal.
It follows that if a person wants to approach the revelation of the spiritual nature, he needs several special conditions, so that he can be certain that he truly is beyond his desire to receive, which is on the other side. That his investigation is indeed directed toward the Creator, and not toward what appears within his own desires. Therefore, both from the side of the person who reveals the wisdom, and from the side of the person who uses the revelation of someone else, there must be prior conditions. It must be clear that they are using the revelation, the research, the application of the quality of bestowal, which is called “the Creator.”
The means that can bring a person to this state is called “the wisdom of Kabbalah.” He can choose this means now, and thus spare himself additional suffering that awaits him along the way. And if he does not have the strength to choose this means now, he should know that he will suffer further blows until he is compelled to choose this means.
Therefore, the kabbalists, since the time has come and, more or less, in general, despair is beginning to be revealed in humanity, they are revealing this method of correction to everyone. In addition to revealing the method and explaining the reason for its revelation, they also explain how it is revealed, for in their revelation there is a kind of key, a code, a cipher. And to the extent that a person does not open this cipher, if he does not enter with the correct key, then for him it remains sealed, and he will not know what is written, nor how to use it and benefit himself by rising to the new reality. He will remain to suffer in his current state and will suffer even more.
Therefore, in “Not Necessary,” “Impossible,” and “The Secret of the Creator is for those who fear Him,” Baal HaSulam does not simply explain and say, “Don’t worry, I am not opening for you what is not relevant, not needed, and so on.” Rather, he explains to us to what degree of preparation we must bring ourselves, so that we can enter with our key precisely into his lock. Otherwise, this wisdom will not be before us, and we will not be able to use it.
A person must reach a state where he opens only what is truly “necessary for him.” He must reach the point where the honor of the Creator, and the greatness of the goal itself, are above his own life. Otherwise, he will seemingly use this knowledge for his own life. And this is impossible, because by doing so he will again enter some whirlpool, a cycle of suffering. And “impossible” means that a person will know that in any other way, he is unable to enjoy this wisdom in any way, except in the correct form.
(From a talk with Rav. Dr. Michael Laitman)
Question: Baal HaSulam says that in our time, “the face of the generation is like the face of a dog,” and there is no concern about an unworthy student.
“The face of the generation is like the face of a dog” - this is an initial condition. That is, people despair from their ego, which is the greatest, but cannot bring them, even in the slightest, fulfillment, calm, or any pleasure. This means that the generation is ready. People fall into despair, into drugs, suicides, divorces, depression, all kinds of things. These are signs that people are discovering that no method can help them fill themselves. But this is still not correction, only despair from the method. Give them another method and maybe they will be fulfilled by it.
But this general despair passes from one to another, and from generation to generation, so that people already despair from filling themselves with anything. The main occupation today in human reality is how to block the lack—not to feel it. People no longer think about pleasures, but about some form of existence in which they suffer less. People no longer think they will live better, or that their children will have any addition to life, a life of light and prosperity. Therefore, they do not even want to bring children, because they will gain nothing from it.
But this is only preparation. Now, we need to give them the code—how to receive the revelation that the kabbalists are preparing for them, so that it will truly be the revelation they mean, and there will be no mistake here. Because many people study from these books, but few are able, through the study, to discover what the kabbalist is conveying to them in all these thousands of words, especially in all the confusions he creates. They need to be given how to properly screw themselves into all this, in order to connect to that “revelation of a tefach” (a handbreadth), found within “concealment of two tefachim.” Covering upon covering.
(From a talk with Rav. Dr. Michael Laitman)
The Unnecessary - Meaning, that no benefit will grow from their revelation. And obviously, there is no real loss in this, because it is only a matter of purity of mind.
‘Not necessary’ means that it is possible to reveal, and seemingly it is also possible not to reveal. And still, it is a prohibition. Because if the revelation is not for immediate benefit, it is forbidden to reveal. There are many aspects to this. Also, from the side of the confusion it brings to the person receiving things that are not relevant, that he does not need at the moment, and also from the side of the receiver to whom the revelation does not come, if it is ‘not necessary’, and how he gives and acts with it. Thus, each time, it is lowered gradually only as needed for correction (tikkun).
It turns out that ‘not necessary’ is the initial condition, seemingly the easiest of all. Both from the side of the receiver, who filters from his words what to reveal, and from the side of the one who wishes to connect to Hochma, understanding that without the condition of ‘not necessary’, he cannot aim himself, from his own side. And not from the side of the receiver, the kabbalist, who lowers to him only the things that are necessary.
The rest of the things, if they are in the aspect of ‘not necessary’ for the person, only for his correction, meaning, towards acquiring the quality of bestowal (hashpa’ah) alone, he simply leaves them. Because this is truly ‘not necessary’ for him. That is, it is about the sharpness of his intention toward the goal. Both from the side of the Upper One who lowers to him the Hochma, and from the side of the lower one who aims himself to receive it.
(From a talk with Rav. Dr. Michael Laitman)
And therefore, the sages would not accept any student before they attained assurance from him that he would be careful in his dealings not to reveal what is not necessary.”
‘They would not accept’ does not mean that they would sit and wait, hoping such a person would come. Rather, they would prepare their students until they reached the implementation of this condition, that they understand it from within themselves, as a result of study and the influence of the Light (Ohr). And then, when a student enters into this condition, it is called that he can already be a ‘student’. From this condition onward, he will engage only in matters necessary for attaining the goal, and everything will be directed to that, and he will not allow himself to descend to ‘what difference does it make’, then it can be said that he enters the category of ‘student’.
(From a talk with Rav. Dr. Michael Laitman)
Clarification of what is called ‘necessary’
How can a person decide about something in the future, which he does not yet know or understand? How can he understand what is called ‘necessary’ and ‘not necessary’, and so on? He realizes this within the society. All our corrections (tikkunim) are within the society. And we have no way of understanding to what we should be drawn.
A person does not know what the quality of bestowal (hashpa’ah) is. He needs to understand that his goal is to be included with all of humanity ‘as one man with one heart’. In this, he comes to the realization of the state of being similar to the Creator. This realization can only be carried out in him by the Upper Force. The person himself is not able to do this. And the Upper Force will come to him on the condition that he truly desires it.
To desire this, he can only do so on the condition that he understands the importance of connection, of everyone uniting into one body. And this can be brought to him by the society, in which there is that same force that can influence him. Then he must perform certain preliminary actions in order to be included, to surrender himself before the society, so that they, as great ones, will be able to influence him, and so on.
This entire process that a person builds is called, in the end, clarifying for himself what is called “necessary.” And only to this point does he want to tie himself. That all the time, it will be before him like a red rag before a bull—he sees nothing else but this. That is all. Everything else can burn. He can take other things into account only on the condition that they bring him closer to this red rag. This is called “necessary.” But these things are clarified only within the society, and this already belongs to the free choice of the person.
(From a talk with Rav. Dr. Michael Laitman)
Baal HaSulam “The Writings of the Last Generation”
"There is an allegory about friends who were lost in the desert, hungry and thirsty. One of them had found a settlement filled abundantly with every delight. He remembered his poor brothers …
What did he do? He began to shout out loud … perhaps his poor, hungry friends would hear his voice, approach him, and come to that settlement that is filled with every delight.
So is the matter before us: We have been lost in the terrible desert along with all of humanity, and now we have found a great, abundant treasure, namely the books of Kabbalah in the treasure. They satisfy our yearning souls and fill us abundantly with lushness and contentment; we are satiated and there is more.
Yet, we remember our friends, who were left hopeless in the terrible desert. There is a great distance between us, and words cannot bridge it. For this reason, we have set up this horn to blow out loud so that our brothers might hear and draw near and be as happy as we are."
Baal HaSulam “Building the Future Society”
In every person, even secular, there is an unknown spark that demands unification with the Creator. When it sometimes awakens, it awakens one to know the Creator, or deny Him, which is the same…
There is no existence for the world without it, all the more so in a time of atom-bombs.
Dissemination: If done diligently, can also replace proof. Hence, people must be hired to disseminate the above words in the public.
All in all we see Kabbalah must to be open to world, but once we found it, we must also make an effort to open it to ourselves.
Q&A