The Holy One, blessed be He,
said to Moses,
“I have a precious gift
in My treasure house,
called the Sabbath,
and desire to give it to Israel;
go and inform them.”
(Babylonian Talmud, Tractate Shabbath, 10b)
Courtesy of: Judaica Art & Judaica Artist/Elena Flerova
“Have a wonderful
Shabbat!”
Lecture running time: 25 min
Lecture Transcript (doc)
Download this Video (wmv)
Note: When you finish this entire “Your First Course in Kabbalah” series, you can continue these video lessons at Kabbalah TV, by going to the category on the right side of the page titled “Kabbalah Revealed – Full” – and starting from #6, “The Screen.”
Anthony Kosinec introduces “what Kabbalah is” and “what Kabbalah isn’t” in this overview of some of its basic concepts, and the difference between authentic Kabbalah and how Kabbalah is popularly viewed. He speaks from the perspective of “practical Kabbalah,” as taught today by Rav Michael Laitman, PhD.
Essentially, this is the process of how to reveal Kabbalah’s hidden aspect: the Upper Worlds—what is hidden behind our five senses. Kosinec explains that understanding the Kabbalistic “language of branches” is the key to starting a practical application of Kabbalah. He also puts across that a misunderstanding of this language is the reason Kabbalah has been misinterpreted in myriad ways—as religion, mysticism, magic, and many others—and that the key to start applying Kabbalah practically is to first understand that its language only describes the Upper Worlds: higher levels of consciousness completely removed from everything we receive through our five senses.
From this basis, one can begin learning what one can do in order to attain these higher levels of consciousness.
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The merit of contemplating the words of the Living G-d in The Book of Zohar and all that accompany it, and the words of the wisdom of truth, is immeasurable and priceless. It is especially so with the clear words of the Ari.
And even if one has not yet come to understand the heart of the matter through in-depth scrutiny, through constant engagement, the gates of Light and doors of wisdom will appear to all who walk on the path of G-d in wholeness, whose soul craves nearing the King’s Hall. Hence, blessed will be all who volunteer to engage in the wisdom for even an hour or two a day, every day. The Creator adds an act to a good thought, and it will be regarded as standing, always and everyday, in the Lord’s Court and His Abode, in the secrets of the Torah.
–The Rav Raiah Kook,
Who Love Israel with Holiness, 232
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“The L-rd desires for the sake of Israel’s righteousness to make the Torah great and glorious” (Isaiah 42:21). G-d did not leave anything in His world which does not involve a mitzvah for Israel. Humans wear clothing, so G-d commanded to attach tzitzit to their garments.
— Midrash Rabbah Numbers 17:7.
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A great person is one who can lower himself to the level of the lowest person and elevate him.
(R’ Avraham of Sachachor)
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Three guys are about to be executed and are asked what they wish to have for their last meal. The Italian responds, Pepperoni Pizza, which he is served and then is executed. The Frenchmen requests a Filet Mignon, which he is served and then executed. The Jew requests a plate of strawberries. “STRAWBERRIES????” asks the executioner….”But they are out of season!” “So,” he responds, “I’ll wait . . .”
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I heard from my master (the Baal Shell Tov) a simple adage that encompasses everything: If you wish to belittle any creature, belittle yourself. And if you wish to praise anyone, praise G-d all the more.(Toldos Yaakov Yosef, Vayeishev)
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Why then did the Kabbalists obligate each person to study the wisdom of Kabbalah? Indeed, there is a great thing in it, worthy of being publicized: There is a wonderful, invaluable remedy to those who engage in the wisdom of Kabbalah. Although they do not understand what they are learning, through the yearning and the great desire to understand what they are learning, they awaken upon themselves the Lights that surround their souls.
This means that every person from Israel is guaranteed to finally attain all the wonderful attainments that the Creator has calculated in the Thought of Creation to delight every creature. One who has not been rewarded in this life will be rewarded in the next life, etc. until one completes the Creator’s Thought of him.
–Rav Yehuda Ashlag (Baal HaSulam),
“Introduction to The Study of the Ten Sefirot,” Item 155
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Free Kabbalah Course
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G-d told Abraham: “You told the king of Sodom, ‘Neither from a thread to a shoe strap, nor will I take from whatever is yours’ (Genesis 14:23). I swear that as a reward I will give your children the mitzvah of the tzitzit thread.”
— Midrash Rabbah Genesis 43:13.
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You are wherever your thoughts are. Make sure your thoughts are where you want to be.
(Rebbe Nachman)
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Back in 1889, Sid and Leah’s bull took sick and died. Sid couldn’t leave the farm. So Leah was the one to go to the auction in town and buy a new one. If she was successful they would borrow their neighbor’s wagon and pick up their newly purchased bull. The bidding was furious at the livestock auction. Leah put a bid on the last bull, and finally she was the successful bidder. She only had ten cents left and the train home was fifty cents. She ran to send her husband a telegram, but each word cost ten cents. She thought a bit and then wrote: “COMFORTABLE.”
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In the winter, at times he would even break the ice in order to immerse in a nearby stream.(Sippurei Baal Shem Tov)
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The study of The Book of Zohar is above all studies and is a great correction to the soul. Since the whole of the Torah is the Names of the Creator, it is nevertheless clothed in stories, and one who reads the stories thinks of the literal. However, in The Book of Zohar, the secrets themselves are revealed, and the reader knows that they are the secrets of the Torah, although it is not understood because of the smallness of the attaining, and the depth of the attained.
–Pointing with the Finger, item 44
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A Torah scholar must be proficient in the laws of tzitzit.
— Talmud Chulin 9a.
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Prayer serves as the key to a Heavenly vault of blessings. With proper concentration and pure intent, words of prayer unlock treasures from Above that descend to earth.
(Arvei Nachal)
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A passenger jet was suffering through a severe thunderstorm. As the passengers were being bounced around by the turbulence, a young woman turned to a Lubavitcher chassid sitting next to her and with a nervous laugh asked, “Rabbi, you are a man of G-d, can’t you do something about this storm?” To which he replied, “Lady, I’m in sales, not management…”
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The Baal Shem Tov once remarked: Dancing brings joy to the Supernal Family [the Creator and the Ministering Angels] and blessings to the Jewish people, together with happiness, mercy, and great kindness.(Zera Baruch, Hosafos)
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At the time of the Messiah, evil increases and impudence and vice will be led by the heads of the mixed multitude. Then the Hidden Light will appear from the Heaven—The Book of Zohar, followed by the writings of the Holy Ari. And this learning will root out the evil in his soul. He will be rewarded with cleaving to the Upper Light, and he will be rewarded all the virtues in the world. It is for this reason that this Light appeared.
And the essence of your study in the internality of the Torah will be to attain illumination and G-dly liveliness in your soul during your study and through the rest of the day. The Ari said that at that time the hidden will become revealed, and learning the secrets of the Torah and revealing the secrets to everyone from Israel gives joy to the Creator.
–Heichal HaBrahch (The Hall of Blessing),
Devarim (Deuteronomy) 208
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Free Kabbalah Course
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Start a self-study course now or enroll in the |
It is dangerous to study The Book of Zohar with a desire that is not ripe yet, meaning a desire that still hasn’t exhausted itself in this world. This kind of desire still doesn’t understand that there is nothing to be done in this world other than to ascend from it to the world of correction.
A person can only reveal Kabbalah if he looks for the meaning of life and has to find what to live for. However, if he still does not have this question, then he begins to interpret Kabbalah egoistically and to adapt it to his own benefit, deceiving himself by thinking that he is correcting himself. He starts selling it and using it as a weapon for his ego. Instead of using it against egoism, he uses it to conquer things for the ego, and that’s how he turns it from the elixir of life into a deadly poison for himself and for others.
That is why Kabbalists feared revealing the science of Kabbalah and invented many prohibitions, such as first reaching the age of 40, the need to first learn the whole Torah, as well as total observance of the commandments. They even scared people off by saying that you can go crazy. All of this was done because egoism was still undergoing the process of its development.
The Book of Zohar itself states that it is destined to be revealed only at the end of days. Then this wisdom would be revealed for the correction of the world, which is now ready for correction. That is when Kabbalists come out, telling us that the time has come!
That is why Rabbi Shimon cried about how to write The Book of Zohar in such a way that even if it were to become revealed at the wrong time, it wouldn’t cause harm. This is why he wrote it with the help of Rabbi Abba in a special, secret code. We read The Book of Zohar without understanding where Rabbi Shimon is concealed behind Rabbi Abba, who wept so much about the revelation of the great secret.
Rabbi Shimon used Rabbi Abba as a "shield," an external shell, an opportunity to write in a concealed manner. A person can reveal the secret that was hidden by Rabbi Shimon only on the condition that he penetrates inside Rabbi Abba’s protective shell. Then he can accept Rabbi Shimon’s secret message, but he is unable to read it before that time.
From the 4th part of the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 12/14/10, “A Handmaid that is Heir to Her Mistress”
Related Material:
Rabbi Shimon’s Cry
Permission To Reveal Kabbalah
A Dual Action With A Single Purpose
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Daily Kabbalah Lesson – Video
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Kabbalah Moments A video clip from Dr. Michael Laitman’s daily Kabbalah Lesson. |
Daily Zohar Lesson – Video
|
Unlocking The Zohar A video clip from Dr. Michael Laitman’s daily Zohar Lesson. |
Free Kabbalah Course
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Start Your Kabbalah Study Here Start a self-study course now or enroll in the upcoming live course. |
“This is my G-d and I will beautify Him” (Exodus 15:2). Be beautiful before him with mitzvot … a beautiful tallit.
— Talmud Shabbat 133b.
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Aryeh's Sharings 