Chapter 10 Sensing Reality through Kabbalah

Everything we know about our world is based on man-madestudy. Every generation studies our world and conveys itsknowledge to the following generation. Through it, eachgeneration comprehends the sort of framework in which heshould live, and what his position is in relation to other generations.In each era, mankind uses the world surrounding him.

The same process takes place in spiritualism. Every generationof Kabbalists from Abraham onwards studies anddiscovers the spiritual worlds. Just as in scientific research,they pass along the knowledge they have attained to futuregenerations.

In this world we have a general sense, called the desire toreceive, with five receptors, which are our five senses. When aperson undergoes a correction, he attains the sixth sense,known as the spiritual sense. This sense enables him to feel thespiritual reality. It is not in the same category as the other fivesenses whatsoever.

Scientists, too, use only their five senses. Any instrument—precise, advanced, technical, mechanical or otherwise—weregard as ‘‘objective.’’ But these instruments merely expandthe limits of our senses so that we may hear, see, smell, tasteand touch more intricately. Ultimately, it is man whoexamines, measures and assesses the results of research,through his five senses. Obviously, he cannot provide anexact, objective answer to what is accomplished by the senses.Kabbalah, the source of all wisdom, enables us to do this.

When starting to study reality, we discover that we cannotstudy or understand that which is beyond us since it isunknown and unrevealed to us. If we cannot see it or touch ortaste it, we may question whether it really exists. OnlyKabbalists, those who attain a higher abstract upper lightbeyond our senses, are able to comprehend our true reality.

Kabbalists tell us that beyond our senses there is only anabstract upper light, called the Creator. Imagine that we arein the middle of the ocean, within a sea of light. We cansense all kinds of feelings that seem to be incorporated intoit, as far as our ability to comprehend allows us. We do nothear what is happening elsewhere. What we regard ashearing comes as the response of our eardrums to externalstimuli. We do not know what is causing it. We simplyknow that our eardrum reacts from within us. We assess itinternally and accept it as an external event. We do notknow what is happening outside of ourselves; we merelycomprehend the reaction of our senses to it.

As in the example of hearing, so it is with our other senses:sight, taste, touch and smell. That means that we can neverexit our ‘‘box.’’ Whatever we say about what is happeningexternally is in fact the picture we paint inside us. Thisrestriction can never be overcome.

The study of Kabbalah can assist us in expanding theborders of our natural senses to achieve the sixth sense,through which we can become acquainted with the realityaround and within us. This reality is the true reality. Throughit, we will be able to experience the reaction of our sensesexternally. If we direct all of our five senses correctly, we willsee the true picture of reality. We need merely to internalizethe characteristics of the spiritual world.

It is like a radio that is able to tune into a certainwavelength. The wavelength exists outside of the radio,which receives and responds to it. This example applies to us,too. If we experience at least one tiny spark of the spiritualworld, we will begin to feel it within ourselves.

During his development, the Kabbalist acquires more andmore spiritual characteristics, thereby connecting to all thelevels of the spiritual world, all built on the same principle.When a person studies Kabbalah, he begins to understand,to feel, to assess and work with all realities, both spiritualand material, without differentiating between them. TheKabbalist reaches the spiritual world while encased in hisbody in this world. He feels the two worlds without anyborder separating them.

Only when a person experiences this true reality can he seethe reasons for what is happening to him here. He understandsthe consequences of his actions. He then begins to bepractical for the first time, living, feeling everything andknowing what he should do with himself and his life.

Prior to this recognition he does not have the ability toknow why he was born, who he is and the consequences of hisactions. Everything is enclosed within the borders of thematerial world, and the way he enters it is also the way heleaves it.

In the meantime, we are all at the level called ‘‘ThisWorld.’’ Our senses are equally limited; therefore, we arecapable only of seeing the same picture. Baal HaSulam writes,‘‘All upper and lower worlds are included in man.’’This is thekey sentence for anyone interested in the wisdom of Kabbalahand living the reality around him. The reality around usincludes upper worlds as well as this world; together, they arepart of man.

For the time being, we understand this world throughmaterial, physical elements. However, we add several elementswhen we study, through which we discover additionalelements. It allows us to see things we cannot see today.

At first our level is very low, as we are located diametricallyopposite the level of the Creator. But then we start to risefrom this level by correcting our desire. We then discoveranother reality surrounding us, although no change actuallyoccurs. We change within ourselves, and following thechange, become aware of other elements surrounding us.Later, these elements disappear and we feel everything is duesolely to the Creator, the Almighty. The elements we begin togradually discover are called worlds.

We should not try to imagine spiritual reality, but shouldsense it. Imagining it merely distances us from its reach.Kabbalists reach the upper worlds through their senses, just aswe reach out to the material world. The worlds stand betweenus and the Creator, hiding Him from us. As Baal HaSulamwrites, it is as if the worlds filter the light for us. We can thensee reality surrounding us in a different way. In fact, we willdiscover that there is nothing between us and the Creator.

All these disturbances, these worlds between us, hide Himfrom us. They are masks placed on our senses. We do not seeHim in his true form; we see only fractured elements. InHebrew, the origin of the word Olam (world) is ‘‘alama’’(concealing). Part of the light is transmitted, and part ishidden. The higher the world, the less hidden the Creator is.Those in this world paint different pictures of realitydifferently. Logic dictates that reality should be uniform toeveryone. Nevertheless, one hears one thing, another hearssomething else, one sees one thing, and another sees itdifferently.

Baal HaSulam illustrates this by using electricity as anexample: We have in our homes an electric socket thatcontains abstract energy which cools, heats, creates a vacuumor pressure depending on the appliance using it, and on theability of the appliance to utilize the electricity. Yet theenergy has no form of its own, and remains abstract. Theappliance reveals the potential found in the electricity.

We can say the same about the upper light, the Creatorthat has no form. Each person feels the Creator according tothe level of his correction. At the beginning of his studies, aperson can see only that his reality exists, and is unable tosense any higher force.

He gradually discovers, through using his senses, the true,expanded reality. At a more advanced stage, if he corrects allhis senses according to the light around him, there will be noseparation between himself and the light, between man andthe Creator. It will be as if there is no difference between theircharacteristics. The person then achieves godliness in the realsense. Godliness is the highest level of spirituality.

How can a beginner master this science when he cannoteven properly understand his teacher? The answer is verysimple. It is only possible when we spiritually lift ourselves upabove this world.

Only if we rid ourselves of all of the traces of materialegoism and accept attaining spiritualvalues as our true goal.Only the longing and the passion for spirituality in ourworld—that is the key to the higher world.