Birth in Spirituality

Therefore, as there is the birth of an individual, in relation to the construction of the bodies, there is the birth of the collective.

This is done by the renewal

of the spiritual force,

meaning development of the concepts

is birth for the collective

For in the spiritual

the disparity of form divides

the worlds from one another

This birth means

arriving at the world of correction.

Baal Hasulam

Introduction to The Book of Zohar

As an object of study, our teachers bring us the only creationthe only thing that exists besides the Creator– man’s self, or “I,” and research it.

This study breaks down the self into parts

and explains the structure

and properties of each part

and the purpose of its creation.

It explains how every aspect of man’s self, called “the soul,”

can be changed so that one would reach the goal of creation

the state desired by both

the Creator and man himself

Provided he realizes it.

There is not a science in the world

that can describe,

either graphically

or analytically

through the use of formulas

our sensations and desires

and how diverse and

multifaceted they are.

That is how inconstant

unpredictable

and absolutely distinct

they are in everyone.

This is because our desires surface

in our mind and sensations in a gradual order

 in a certain sequence

 so we may acknowledge

and correct them.

Our self is our essence,

the only thing

that characterizes

an individual

The Creator is the source of Light. Those who draw near Him sense Him as such.

Such people,

who draw near the Creator and sense Him,

are called Kabbalists (from the word Lekabel – to receive the Creator’s Light) .

One can draw near the Creator

only through the equivalence of desires.

The Creator is incorporeal,

and can only be sensed with our hearts.

By “heart”

it means the center of man’s every sensation.

However

It is ever-changing and what remains is merely

an external

animate shell.

This is why it is said that every moment man is born anew.

Yet, if this is so how should

we regard one another

and how should we perceive ourselves?

How can we possibly “stabilize” anything within and outside of us if we are constantly changing, and all that we perceive is a function of our inner state?

However

one cannot sense the Creator

with just his heart

but only with a small point in it

And to feel this point

man must develop it himself

When one develops and expands this point

the sensation of the Creator

His Light can enter it.

Our heart is the sum of our egoistic desires,

and the small point within it is part of the spiritual,

altruistic desire implanted from Above

by the Creator Himself

It is our task

to nurture this embryo of a spiritual desire

to such an extent

that it will determine

all of our aspirations.

At the same time

the egoistic desire of the hear

will surrender

contract, wither

and diminish.

After being born in our world,

one is obliged to change his heart from egoistic to altruistic

while living in this world.

This is the purpose of his life,

the reason behind his appearance in this world

and it is the goal of all creation.

A complete replacement of egoistic desires

with bestowing ones

is called “the End of Correction.”

Every individual

and all of humanity

must attain it in

this world together.

Until one achieves this

he will continue to be born into this world

One can change his desires only

if one wishes to change them

Man is created an absolute egoist

He can neither

adopt different desires from other people or from the surrounding world – as his surroundings are just like him – nor does he have any link to the spiritual worlds since such a link is possible only through mutual properties.

The Spiritual

can only be perceived

in desires to bestow

Hence, an individual in our world

has no chance of transcending the boundaries of this world on his own.

This is why we were given the Torah and it’s most effective part, Kabbalah – to help man acquire the desire for the spiritual world.

In order to create man in remoteness to Himself so that man would realize his insignificance

and would come independently to the desire to ascend, the Creator created all creation as degrees descending from Him.

The Creator’s Light

descended along these degrees

and at the lowest degree

 created our world and

man in it.

 Having realized his insignificance and wishing to ascend to the Creator

man (to the extent that he wishes to approach the Creator)

ascends along the same degrees

by which his initial descent took place.

In all,

there are

ten degrees

therefore,

to draw near the Creator by one degree

the lowest one above our own properties

we must acquire the properties of that degree.

To acquire similar properties

means to have

the same desires.

As soon as our desires coincide with the desires of that degree,

its concealment fades,

and we seemingly exist on it,

and only nine degrees separate us from the Creator.

And

all the subsequent degrees

are degrees of drawing

closer to the Creator. 

However, the last, lowest degree differs from all the others:

as soon as one ascends out of our world and onto the first degree,

he already begins to sense the Creator.

And all the subsequent degrees are degrees of drawing closer to the Creator. 

Only the very last degree, at which we presently exist

conceals the Creator completely,

whereas all of the Higher Degrees

only distance Him.

Everything in reality good or bad

and even the most harmful in the world has a right to exist and must not be destroyed and eradicated from the world.

We must only mend and reform it

because any observation of the work of creation

is enough to teach us about the

greatness and perfection of its Operator and Creator. 

 Therefore,

we must understand and be very careful when casting a flaw on any item of creation,

saying it is redundant and superfluous,

as that would be slander about its Operator.

Yehuda Leib Ha-Levi Ashlag (Baal HaSulam)/Peace in the World

It is common knowledge

that the Creator did not complete

creation when He created it

And we can see in every corner of reality

in the general and in the particular,

that it abides by laws of gradual development,

from absence

to completion of growth.

For this reason, when the fruit tastes bitter in the beginning of its growth

we do not consider it a flaw in the fruit

since we all know the reason:

The fruit has not completed 

its development.

We must know that the above-mentioned

law of development,

which is spread over the whole of reality

is certain to reform all the evil and useful, and acts through the power of the government of heaven above

meaning

without asking permission

from the people,

dwellers of the earth.

According to

the above-mentioned law

of gradual development

one must go through many degrees

which tend to come heavily

and very slowly

and lengthily

 and stretch over a very long

time before one reaches the end.

Because

the objects we are discussing

are evolving, sensing, and living beings.

They too, must suffer great agony and paints

in those states of development,

since the compelling force that exists in those degrees

in order to raise a man from a lower degree to a higher one

And this is but a pushing force of pain ant torments

that he accumulated in the lower degree. And that can no longer be tolerated.

Because of this,

they must leave the degree

and rise to a higher one

It is as our sage said,

The Creador place over them a King

whose decrease is as harsh as Haman’s,

Israel repents,

and He reforms them”.

Therefore, the end is certain to come to Israel

by the law of gradual development

and is called “In its time”

meaning tied to the chains of time.

And Israel’s guaranteed end
by taking the development of their qualities under their own authority is called

“I will hasten it”

 Meaning:

completely independent of time. 

Yehuda Leib Ha-Levi Ashlag (Baal HaSulam)/ Rewarded
I Will Hasten It; Not Rewarded – in Its Time.

His

Guidance

Is Purposeful

Guidance

By observing nature’s systems we understand that any being of the four type —still, vegetative, animate, and speaking—

as a whole and in particular

are under purposeful guidance,

meaning a slow and gradual growth by way of cause and effect,

as a fruit on a tree,

which is guided well toward its final outcome of becoming a sweet and fine-looking fruit.

It is about such matters that we say,

“There is none so wise

as the experienced.”

Only one who is experienced has the opportunity to examine creation in all its phases of development,

all the way through its completion,

and can calm things down so as not to fear those spoiled images

that creation undergoes in the phases of its development

but believe in its fine and pure end.

The reason for this gradual order

that is mandatory for every being

is thoroughly explained in the Wisdom of Kabbalah,

and there is nothing more to add here.

Yehuda Leib Ha-Levi Ashlag (Baal HaSulam)/Articles The Essence of Religion and Its Purpose

Two Paths:

A Path of Pain and

a Path of Torah

We have shown that the Creator is the absolute good. He watches us in complete benevolence
without a hint of evil and in a purposeful guidance.

 This means that His guidance

compels us to undergo a series of phases,

by way of cause and effect,

preceding and resulting,

until we are qualified to receive the desired benefit.

 At that time,

we will arrive at our purpose as

ripe and fine-looking fruit.

By this

we understand

that this purpose is guaranteed

for us all,

or

else you doubt His guidance,

saying it is insufficient

for its purpose.

Yehuda Leib Ha-Levi Ashlag (Baal HaSulam)/Articles The Essence of Religion and Its Purpose