Your First Course in Kabbalah – Episode 3

Two Paths

Lesson 3 of 5

Lecture running time: 25 min
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What is in this lesson?

• In our original state, we are in equivalence of form with the Creator, experiencing unbounded fulfillment, eternity and perfection.
• We are destined to return to our original state, and there are two paths leading there: (1) the path of pain, and (2) the path of light and transformation.
• The path of pain is our unconscious development. Humanity’s entire history to date has been via the path of pain, where we are unaware of how we are being developed. On the path of pain, we experience suffering through our lack of awareness, our lack of equivalence with the force that is guiding us.
• The path of light is the path by which we discover our own nature and the nature of the force that is guiding us. We come to understand what it is, where we came from, where we are headed, and learn from this force in order to move toward the source of pleasure and alleviate suffering.

 

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Your First Course in Kabbalah – Episode 2

Perception of Reality

Lesson 2 of 5

Lecture running time: 25 min
Lecture Transcript (doc)
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What is in this lesson?

• Our five senses block us from perceiving the true, eternal reality.
• The program that runs our five senses is called “egoism.”
• In order to know the greater reality that surrounds us, we need to develop an additional sense, what Kabbalists call “the sixth sense.”
• All of our thoughts and actions are motivated by the desire to receive pleasure (or, “the will to receive”).
• We evolve individually and humanity evolves as a whole through five sets of desires: (1) food, sex, shelter; (2) wealth; (3) honor, pride, power; (4) knowledge; (5) spirituality.
• Human nature is a will to receive (egoism) and the nature of the Creator is a will to bestow, unconditional altruism.
• The law of equivalence of form states that we are created in order to become equivalent to the Creator, i.e. to acquire altruistic qualities.

Anthony Kosinec explains how our five senses block us from perceiving the true, eternal reality, and how we can use what Kabbalists have discovered, to break through our limitations, and achieve the complete, eternal perception of reality.

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Your First Course in Kabbalah – Episode 1

Kabbalah: A Basic Overview

Lesson 1 of 5

Lecture running time: 25 min
Lecture Transcript (doc)
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What is in this lesson? 

• 3 reasons why Kabbalah is called “the hidden science.”

1. Purposeful concealment of the science by Kabbalists themselves.
2. Kabbalists wrote all their texts in a special language: “the language of branches.”
3. Kabbalah studies what is hidden from our inborn perception. 

• The 11 most popular misrepresentations of Kabbalah, and why Kabbalah is not any of these:

• Jewish Mysticism
• Religion
• Mysticism
• Magic
• That you have to be Jewish to study Kabbalah
• That you have to had mastered preliminary wisdom before studying Kabbalah
• Holy water
• Amulets
• Red strings
• A means for protection
• The same as Eastern teachings

• The only requirement for studying Kabbalah is a sincere desire to discover the meaning of life.
• Kabbalah studies how our life and our world has been created, and how to achieve connection with our life’s source, the totality of reality.

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 Wisdom of Kabbalah – 15th Tevet, 5771

Kabbalah for the Student

Kabbalists Write about the Wisdom of Kabbalah.

    Had my people heeded me in this generation, when heresy is increasing, they would have studied The Book of Zohar and the Tikkunim (corrections), and contemplated them with nine-year-old children.

–Rav Yitzhak Yehudah Yehiel of Komarno,
Notzer Hesed (Keeping Mercy), Chapter 4, Teaching 4

SOURCE:

Daily Kabbalah Lesson – Video

Kabbalah Moments A video clip from Dr. Michael Laitman’s daily Kabbalah Lesson. Watch The Video»

 

Daily Zohar Lesson – Video

Unlocking The Zohar A video clip from Dr. Michael Laitman’s daily Zohar Lesson. Watch The Video» Download The Daily Zohar Lesson Text»

The Wisdom of Kabbalah – 14th Tevet, 5771

Kabbalah for the Student

Kabbalists Write about the Wisdom of Kabbalah.

    Let not the eunuch say, “For I am a dry tree, and who am I to approach the holiness within, in the books of Kabbalah?” This is because all the righteous have already agreed that today this is the counsel of the inclination and a lie. And although he does not understand everything, still, the words of the Holy Zohar have power for the soul, and are approachable for every soul of Israel, small or great, each according to one’s understanding and the root of one’s soul.

–Rabbi Tzvi Hirsh Horovitz of Backshwitz,
Hanhagot Yesharot (Upright Guidance), Item 5

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Daily Kabbalah Lesson – Video

Kabbalah Moments A video clip from Dr. Michael Laitman’s daily Kabbalah Lesson. Watch The Video»

 

Daily Zohar Lesson – Video

Unlocking The Zohar A video clip from Dr. Michael Laitman’s daily Zohar Lesson. Watch The Video» Download The Daily Zohar Lesson Text»

The Wisdom of Kabbalah – 13th Tevet, 5771

Kabbalah for the Student

Kabbalists Write about the Wisdom of Kabbalah.

    Concerning the rule to not roam in the PARDESS, unless one has filled one’s stomach with meat and wine, it should be said to one who comes to do only what the Torah commands by law. But one who craves and yearns to learn the inner things, to know His truthfulness, is under the rule, “one should always learn Torah in the place one’s heart wishes.” And one should be very strong in one’s way and know that he will learn and succeed… and make one’s soul’s craving to adhere to knowing His Name permanently. And if one should see that the majority of the students are not so, he should know that this is right for them, so they will not destroy the sanctity until they walk by gradations. This has nothing to do with ostentation and boasting, only divisions in the soul’s nobility.

–The Rav Raiah Kook,
Orot HaTorah (Lights of the Torah), Chapter 9, Item 12

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Daily Kabbalah Lesson – Video

Kabbalah Moments A video clip from Dr. Michael Laitman’s daily Kabbalah Lesson. Watch The Video»

 

Daily Zohar Lesson – Video

Unlocking The Zohar A video clip from Dr. Michael Laitman’s daily Zohar Lesson. Watch The Video» Download The Daily Zohar Lesson Text»

The Wisdom of Kabbalah – 12th Tevet, 5771

Kabbalah for the Student

Kabbalists Write about the Wisdom of Kabbalah.

    Even if we find people who are great in the Torah, in fear, and in wisdom, yet who are not interested in the secrets of the Torah because of the sublimity of their degree, because they have many possessions with which to occupy their spirit in the treasures of the revealed Torah and wisdom, let it not droop the heart of one who feels an inner sensation, a pressure of the soul’s craving for the way of secrets. For even if we decide that this yearning came to him due to his lack of skills in the revealed matters, so what? In the end, this is one’s share, and one should be happy with one’s lot, for the Lord is near to all them that call upon Him in honest truth.

–The Rav Raiah Kook,
Orot HaTorah (Lights of the Torah), Chapter 10, Item 4

SOURCE:

Daily Kabbalah Lesson – Video

Kabbalah Moments A video clip from Dr. Michael Laitman’s daily Kabbalah Lesson. Watch The Video»

 

Daily Zohar Lesson – Video

Unlocking The Zohar A video clip from Dr. Michael Laitman’s daily Zohar Lesson. Watch The Video» Download The Daily Zohar Lesson Text»

Kabbalistic Quote, 30th Tishrei, 5771

The science of Kabbalah is unique in the way it talks about you and me, about all of us. It doesn’t deal with anything abstract, only with the way we are created and how we function at higher levels of existence.

Today’s Kabbalistic Quote

A necessary condition for spiritual elevation is a continuous quest for a bond with the Creator.
(Rambam, Ilchot Yesodot Torah)

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Daily Kabbalah Tip, 30th Tishrei, 5771

The most outstanding Questions and Answers, excerpts, examples, illustrations, definitions, and advice from the Daily Kabbalah Lesson of Dr. Michael Laitman and Bnei Baruch.

Daily Kabbalah Tip Tips and Advice in the daily Kabbalah lesson is recommended, practical tasks for advancing spiritually.

Instead of Him, You are at Fault

What is the correct relation to a bad quality that I see in a friend?

“He who finds fault in others, finds it within himself,” and I need to see if these things are in my favor or not. If it seems to me that a friend, for example, is showing off, then it’s a sign for me. It’s the way I see things and then I need to think why I am shown these things specifically.

I need to see it on two planes, both for the criticism and also to check myself. I can’t waive the criticism since I must relate to the society as I see it, and on the other hand, the faults I see are my own. This is to say that on the one hand, I need to correct the society and on the other hand, I need to check within me where the disturbance that I see in my friend exists in me since otherwise I wouldn’t see it.

– from the 1st part of the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 10/07/10 (minutes 36-39)

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Writings on Kabbalah and Torah 30th Tishrei, 5771

Everyone has different abilities depending on the tribe they represent. Let us all unify and work together in the battle against the Sitra Acher.

WISDOM CAN ONLY BE LOWERED TO A CERTAIN POINT – IF YOU DON’T UNDERSTAND IT READ IT OVER TWO THREE TIMES AND THINK ABOUT IT.

Regarding what happens when one reaches the end of physical space

• Know that there are different universes: Asiyah, Yitzirah, Biriyah, and Azilut.
• The physical world is in the lower parts of Asiyah.
• When one travels to the end of physical space, meaning after all stars and Galaxies he would be warped to a higher dimension.
• This would happen gradually as he got closer.
• Getting to this point would take millions of light years. In meditations one can get there very fast.
• There are parts of the soul that stretch through all the worlds. If one can elevate his conscious awareness to this point, he can then interact with it.

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Kabbalistic Quote, 29th Tishrei, 5771

The science of Kabbalah is unique in the way it talks about you and me, about all of us. It doesn’t deal with anything abstract, only with the way we are created and how we function at higher levels of existence.

Today’s Kabbalistic Quote

A person’s highest spiritual potential is to reach the level of maaseh merkavah (“the act of rule”). He is able to correct himself to such an extent that Divine Providence over the world can be executed through that person.
(Talmud, Suka)

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Daily Kabbalah Tip, 29th Tishrei, 5771

The most outstanding Questions and Answers, excerpts, examples, illustrations, definitions, and advice from the Daily Kabbalah Lesson of Dr. Michael Laitman and Bnei Baruch.

Daily Kabbalah Tip Tips and Advice in the daily Kabbalah lesson is recommended, practical tasks for advancing spiritually.

Spiritual Necessity

The advice of the Kabbalists must be a necessity for us

The souls of Kabbalists that already went through correction received orders from nature, from the Creator, to be in connection with us and to give us a method of how to work and how to organize a correct environment. We must use this advice since to progress according to nature will take a lot of time and a great deal of energy for each and every act.

Kabbalists’ advice must be a necessity for us. If we don’t carry out what the Kabbalists write about, then we won’t progress. We must relate to their words with absolute seriousness and not have any illusion that it is possible to succeed in any other way.

– from the 1st part of the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 10/05/10 (minutes 27-31)

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Writings on Kabbalah and Torah 29th Tishrei, 5771

Everyone has different abilities depending on the tribe they represent. Let us all unify and work together in the battle against the Sitra Acher.

WISDOM CAN ONLY BE LOWERED TO A CERTAIN POINT – IF YOU DON’T UNDERSTAND IT READ IT OVER TWO THREE TIMES AND THINK ABOUT IT.

Regarding the location of the ten tribes

• During the reign of Rechovam the kingdom split in two.
• The tribes of Yehuda and Binyomin remained under the house of Dovid. The remaining ten tribes, under the kingdom of Ephraim.
• Sanchariv eventually exiled the ten tribes long before the remaining two.
• Here is what happened to these tribes….

1. -There were members of all ten tribes living in the land of Yehuda. In addition many escaped there during the war.
2. -Yermiyah the prophet, brought back members of the tribes unifying them with the rest of the nation.
3. -Jews who were exiled to areas close to Bavel eventually regrouped with Yehuda.
4. -There were groups that lost their tradition and intermarried. These were the descendents of the biggest sinners, those responsible for the exile.
5. -There were groups that lost their tradition but only married amongst themselves. These are the groups claiming to belong to the tribes, some have customs loosely resembling Judaism.
6. -The rest were placed behind the Sambatyon, a mystical river in the subterranean earth. Sancherev knew one of the openings. This group retains full knowledge of the kabalistic mysteries.

• Most Jews are descendents of Yehuda, Binyamin, Cohanim and Leviem. There are also a number from all ten tribes.
• In addition, now a days, yichus and mahus (lineage and essence) are separated, one might have the essence of a tribe that he does not descend from.

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Kabbalistic Quote, 28th Tishrei, 5771

The science of Kabbalah is unique in the way it talks about you and me, about all of us. It doesn’t deal with anything abstract, only with the way we are created and how we function at higher levels of existence.

Today’s Kabbalistic Quote

It is forbidden to study Kabbalah for any purpose other than spiritual elevation.
(Talmud, Sanhedrin)

SOURCE:

Daily Kabbalah Definition, 28th Tishrei, 5771

The most outstanding Questions and Answers, excerpts, examples, illustrations, definitions, and advice from the Daily Kabbalah Lesson of Dr. Michael Laitman and Bnei Baruch.

Daily Kabbalah Definition Definitions in the daily Kabbalah lesson guide a precise, spiritual approach to terms, and disqualify materialized corporeal definitions.

The Left Line

What is the meaning of the left line?

The left line is the egotistic desire in which I want only to enjoy, only to receive, and only to fill myself. As a result of its operating is this manner, it helps me by awakening me in an incorrect way, and then it’s called “the left line.”

But if I know how to work with it correctly, then I discover that it is really counter help since in all situations it always turns me, always pushes me, and always pulls me. Thus, if I identify it correctly and if I am very sensitive to it, always suspecting, asking why it suddenly awakens in some places, and to where it is pulling me, and why I suddenly want something or think this way or another, then in this, I am already using it in order to advance.

– from the 1st part of the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 10/05/10 (minutes 40-43)

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Writings on Kabbalah and Torah 28th Tishrei, 5771

Everyone has different abilities depending on the tribe they represent. Let us all unify and work together in the battle against the Sitra Acher.

WISDOM CAN ONLY BE LOWERED TO A CERTAIN POINT – IF YOU DON’T UNDERSTAND IT READ IT OVER TWO THREE TIMES AND THINK ABOUT IT.

Regarding the reason why there is less Anti Semitism in America

• Know, that all people divide into seventy archetype groups, these are the seventy nations
• Every nation had rights to certain land, as things manifest over time these lands might change.
• The people in the US don’t have the right to be there either.
• Meaning the fact that they ended up there shows they have some connection, but technically it is not their land either.
• In Europe it is their land and we have no right to be there.
• Meaning in Gulus (diaspora) we might end up there but it comes with the package.

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Kabbalistic Quote, 27th Tishrei, 5771

The science of Kabbalah is unique in the way it talks about you and me, about all of us. It doesn’t deal with anything abstract, only with the way we are created and how we function at higher levels of existence.

Today’s Kabbalistic Quote

The lower a person feels, the closer he comes to his true state and to the Creator.
(Talmud, Sota)

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Daily Kabbalah Tip, 27th Tishrei, 5771

The most outstanding Questions and Answers, excerpts, examples, illustrations, definitions, and advice from the Daily Kabbalah Lesson of Dr. Michael Laitman and Bnei Baruch.

Daily Kabbalah Tip Tips and Advice in the daily Kabbalah lesson is recommended, practical tasks for advancing spiritually.

To Give with Your Soul

To give to the needy or not to give….that’s the question

Baal HaSulam said that as long as there is one needy person in the world, we need to continue to worry about equality, balance and distribution of righteousness in the world, but this can’t come without correction.

If you need to give something to someone who really needs it and there is no choice since he can not be without, then it is necessary and you must give. But afterward, he must stand on his legs by himself, and usually that doesn’t happen. People get used to receiving more and more. We need to advertise the wisdom of Kabbalah so that as many people as possible will understand what is really good for the world. It is imposed upon us to give the method of correction to the world. And so, giving help to the needy remains with the gentle souls.

– from the 4th part of the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 10/03/10 (minutes 22-26)

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Writings on Kabbalah and Torah 27th Tishrei, 5771

Everyone has different abilities depending on the tribe they represent. Let us all unify and work together in the battle against the Sitra Acher.

WISDOM CAN ONLY BE LOWERED TO A CERTAIN POINT – IF YOU DON’T UNDERSTAND IT READ IT OVER TWO THREE TIMES AND THINK ABOUT IT.

Had the Jews finished the song of vengeance Rome would have been destroyed

• The day the temple was destroyed was the first day of the week.
• Due to the confusion the leviem started singing the fourth song, “Lord of vengeance is G-D, lord of vengeance appear”.
• There was hand to hand battle only feet away from them. The leviem had to meditate, block out all their senses and concentrate only on the song.
• When the leviem would sing shira they would bind the various names of G-D that can be permuted from the words.
• Had the leviem been able to finish, and reach the words, “Yatsmisam” binding the names of the Angels together, a mighty spirit of vengeance, Midas Hadin, would have come down.
• The Romans would have never have been able to conquer the temple.
• They would have easily been defeated by the Jewish warriors.
• The roman leaders knew the power of the Jews was dependent on the service.
• They therefore made it their priority to stop the shira.
• The temple was the last battle, the Jewish resistance put all their remaining energy to protect it.
• Due to our many sins we couldn’t hold them off.
• The Romans stopped the leviem on the second to last sentence.Meaning, the reason why they confused the song was to give them a chance, had the people repented they would have completed it.
• May G-D avenge the blood of his nation

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Kabbalistic Quotes, 26th Tishrei, 5771

The science of Kabbalah is unique in the way it talks about you and me, about all of us. It doesn’t deal with anything abstract, only with the way we are created and how we function at higher levels of existence.

Today’s Kabbalistic Quote

When a person, by means of his studies, reaches the level at which he wants nothing but spiritual elevation and at which he accepts only the bare necessities of life in order to sustain his physical existence, not for pleasure’s sake, this is the first step of his ascent to the spiritual world.
(Talmud, Psachim)

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