Ohr Makif

Very good lecture. In Russian

http://toldot.ru/audio/lessons/lessons_11773.html?template=83

This is how this blog looks with Worldly

Many commentaries were written about this word. In fact whole books were dedicated to it. Our sages taught us that this one word encompasses full act of Creation. We won’t be able to explore the full depth of this word, but let’s just get a bit of taste of what spiritual depths it conceals.

Bereshit starts with the letter Beit. Zohar therefore states:

רבי יונה בשם רבי לוי אמר: למה נברא העולם בב’? אלא מה ב’ סתום מכל צדדיו ופתוח מלפניו — כך אין לך רשות לומר מה למטה, מה למעלה, מה לפנים, ומה לאחור; אלא מיום שנברא העולם ולהבא.

Rabbi Yona said in the name of Rabbi Levi: Why was the world created with the letter Beit [the first letter of the story of creation in Genesis 1]? Just as the letter Beit is closed on all sides with an opening facing forwards, so you have no right to say what is below, what is above, what is before and what is behind, except from the day when the world was created and onwards.

Thus we can see that we can have no comprehension whatsoever to what happened before the Creation, we’re only allowed to explore the Creation itself and what happened after it.

I was always puzzled by a commentary that the word Bereshit essentially describes the whole Creation process, until I found commentaries by Rabbi Arie Kaplan on the book of Bahir – Kabbalistic book that proceeded the book of Zohar.

From there we derive that Beit is associated with Sfira Chochma, and we already know that Tav, the last of Hebrew letters is associated with Malchut, thus the word Bereshit describes the Creation of 9 Sefirot – from Chochma till Malchut as well as 4 olamot (spiritual worlds) – Atzilut, Beriya, Yetzira, Asiya.

Sefer Bahir points out that Beit is always associated with sustanance, and now we can understand why, as Beit brings Ohr Chochma to lower Sefirot. Light of Sustenance, Light of Life. And even though we cannot receive Ohr Chochma directly after the Tzhimtzum Beit (second tzimzum), we receive this Light in levush (garment) of Chassadim (Mercy) – sometimes Baal HaSulam uses the term He-arat Chochma – the shadow of Light of Chochma to denote that even though we cannot receive the Light of Chochma directly, we must have at least a tiny ray of it that will sustain our lives. If this ray were G-d forbid to interrupt for only a micro second, no trace of Creation would remain. Therefore Bahir uses allegory that describes Creator as “constantly blowing at our world”, i.e. sustains it with Ohr Chocma.

Now you’re probably asking why does the word describe 9 Sefirot and not 10. Great question! The answer (one of them at least) is already given above. Keter preceded Chochma – it’s the root of everything, part of the Creator Himself. Keter (crown) is always placed above head of person and thus symbolizes that this Sefira is above our comprehension. It is also a clear warning as the word KeTeR can be also rearranged to read KaReT – spiritual death, complete separation from holiness forever.

This is only a tiny bit of this word, with G-d’s help we will explore more in the future…

Chanuka 1989

Since there are so many people who are interested in Kabbalah, but can’t read Hebrew and thus unfortunately come to places that merely squeeze money out of them, I would like to point to a book written in English by well-renowned  Rabbi on the one of the oldest books of Kabbalah – Bahir.

From introduction:

The Bahir is one of the oldest and most important of all classical Kabbalah texts. Until the publication of the Zohar, the Bahir was the most influential and widely quoted primary source of Kabbalistic teachings. It’s quoted in every major book on Kabbalah the earliest being the RAVAAD’s commentary on Sefer Yetzira and it’s sited numerous times by RAMBAN in his commentary on the Torah.  It’s also quoted many times in Zohar.

And something that I specifically wanted to share on the topic of Tzimtzum from the book:

There is however more difficult paradox involved in the tzimtzim. Since G-d removed His Light from the vacated space, it must be empty of his essence. Still G-d must also fill the space, since there is no place empty of Him. This is a most basic paradox and it’s closely related to the dichotomy of G-d’s imminence and transcendence. The main point brought out of this paradox is the fact that this space is only dark and vacated in respect to us, the “Lamp of Darkness” mentioned in the Zohar is Darkness to us, but with relation to G-d it too is a lamp. With respect to G-d, there is actually Light since for Him it’s as if the Tzimtzum never took place. The reason for the Tzimtzum was so Creation could take place and this is required for us, but nor for G-d. Close study indicates that this is precisely the question and answer found in the opening statement found in the Bahir.

Book can be purchased here:  http://www.amazon.com/Bahir-Illumination-Aryeh-Kaplan/dp/0877286183/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1275187634&sr=8-1

I only recently bought the Talmud Eser HaSefirot set published by Rabbi Gotlib and can’t hold my excitement. Besides the original text of Baal HaSulam, the book includes key comments of RABASH that were translated from his lessons + many charts that make the learning much easier. I highly recommend the set for anyone who wants to study the material in depth – they have free International shipping and the books arrive from Israel within only few days.

http://www.kabbalah-source.com/product.asp?productid=4

Here is one shot that I made from the book – has bunch of my handwriting. I picked this specific chart as it summarizes the key aspects of Kabbalah that was taught by Baal-HaSulam. Click on the image to enlarge

I have been asked many times about authentic literature in English. Unfortunately besides BB & KC books, one without Hebrew will be lost.

Here is one book that I would like to recommend that comes from reliable source:

What is my essence? Do I have a soul? If I do, why can’t I experience it? Why do I feel alienated? It is with these deeply personal questions that Rabbi Ashlag opens his Introductions. Moving easily from the experience of the individual to the role of humankind in Creation and back again, he teaches the interplay of light with its vessel. It is this dynamic that makes up the drama of the Creator in relationship to the creation. Evil, suffering, compassion and joy, are shown to each have their place as the path unfolds from concealment of the Source to the full experience of Divine love. Rabbi Ashlag teaches Kabbalah, not as an esoteric study limited to the mystically inclined, but as a universal pathway of the spirit. There are many books available now about Kabbalah. This book is Kabbalah itself. Its uniqueness lies in that it contains authentic texts of Kabbalah, yet it is accessible to the general reader as a result of the clarity of the translations and the easy style of the explanations.

You can acquire the book here with free International shipping:  http://www.kabbalah-source.com/product.asp?productid=86