Lesson 2 “Fortunate to be studying the wisdom of Kabbalah”

SOURCE OF LESSON

Fortunate to be studying the wisdom of Kabbalah

1. Noam Elimelech, Devarim

Through his complete work with great love, Abraham worked and imparted upon us a root of holiness so we, too, will be able to walk in his ways, to serve the Creator with love. This is the meaning of “descendant of Abraham, who loves Me.” He wishes to say that Abraham had sowed this love for all the people in the world.

2. Zohar for All, Nasso, “The Holy Idra Rabah”, Item 299

Everything is Godliness, above time, place, and change. All those degrees and corrections we discern in Godliness are only various concealments and covers toward the lower ones, since the ten Sefirot are ten kinds of covers of His Atzmut [self]. Likewise, all the imaginary images of time and place and actions are but various covers of His Godliness that seem that way to the lower ones.

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3. Zohar for All, VaYechi [Jacob Lived], “Jacob”, No. 116

Divinity is present only in a whole place, and not in a deficient place or a flawed place or a place of sadness, but in a proper place—a place of joy.

4. Baal HaSulam, “Introduction to the Book Panim Meirot uMasbirot”, No. 8

Come and see how grateful we should be to our teachers, who impart us their sacred lights and dedicate their souls to do good to our souls. They stand in the middle between the path of harsh torments and the path of repentance. They save us from the netherworld, which is harder than death, and accustom us to reach the heavenly pleasures, the sublime gentleness and the pleasantness that is our share, ready and waiting for us from the very beginning, as we have said above. Each of them operates in his generation, according to the power of the light of his teaching and sanctity.

Our sages have already said, “You have not a generation without such as Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.” Indeed, that Godly man, Rav [teacher/great one] Isaac Luria [the ARI], troubled and provided us the fullest measure. He did wondrously more than his predecessors, and if I had a tongue that praises, I would praise that day when his wisdom appeared almost as the day when the Torah was given to Israel.

5. Baal HaSulam, “The Teaching of the Kabbalah and Its Essence”

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. And I, too, have sworn by my teacher not to disclose, as did all the disciples before me. However, this oath and this prohibition apply only to those manners that are given orally from generation to generation, back to the prophets and before. Had these ways been revealed to the public, they would have caused much harm, for reasons known only to us.

Yet, the way in which I engage in my books is a permitted way. […] and this is what the Creator has given me to the fullest extent. We deem it as dependent not on the greatness of the sage, but on the state of the generation, as our sages said, “Little Samuel was worthy, etc., but his generation was unworthy.” This is why I said that my being rewarded with the manner of disclosing the wisdom is only because of my generation.

6. Baal HaSulam, “Introduction to the Book Panim Meirot uMasbirot”, Item 22.

One does not live for oneself, but for the whole chain. Thus, each and every part of the chain does not receive the light of life into itself, but only distributes the light of life to the whole chain.

7. RABASH, Article No. 1 (1984), “Purpose of Society – 1”

We gather here—to establish a society where each of us follows the spirit of bestowing upon the Creator. And to achieve bestowal upon the Creator, we must begin with bestowal upon man, which is called “love of others.”

And love of others can only be through revoking of one’s self. Thus, on the one hand, each person should feel lowly, and on the other hand, be proud that the Creator has given us the chance to be in a society where each of us has but a single goal: for The Shechina [Divinity] to be among us.

And although we have not yet achieved this goal, we have the desire to achieve it. And this, too, should be appreciated by us, for even though we are at the beginning of the way, we do hope to achieve the exalted goal.

8. Rav Yitzchak Safrin of Komarno, Heichal HaBracha, Akev, Item 7

In this last generation, one who does not engage in The Book of Zohar, in the Tikkunim [Corrections of The Zohar], and in the writings of our teacher the ARI, which are truly life for the soul, should know for certain that all the teaching he engages in is only superficial; he has no life, and no share in life.