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.
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
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