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    Showing posts with label kabbalah. Show all posts

    The Kabbalistic Root of the Israel-Iran Conflict

    Sunday, June 22, 2025

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    The modern conflict between Israel (the Jews) and Iran (Persia) is not merely a geopolitical struggle over power, land, and nuclear ambitions. Beneath the surface lies a profound metaphysical drama—a reenactment of an ancient archetypal tension between Jacob and Esau, between Spirit and Flesh, between the inner light of divine consciousness and the intermediate psychic realm that resists its illumination.

    This is not a struggle between “good” and “evil” in simplistic moral terms. Rather, it is the collision of two states of consciousness, two inner realities that manifest on the world stage as opposing civilizations. To understand this conflict kabbalistically is to peel away the historical layers until we see the deep soul-forces at play.

    Jacob and Esau as Archetypes of Consciousness

    Esau represents the natural man—the body, physicality, impulsive passion, and the force of primal survival. He is the “hunter,” thriving in the field of instinct, blood, and appetite. Esau emerges first, as in human evolution where the body precedes the fully awakened mind.

    Jacob, by contrast, is the subtle mind—the inward aspirant, the weaver of dreams, the soul’s capacity to draw down and internalize divine wisdom. He is the metaphysical supplanter not through trickery, but through transformation. His journey away from Esau represents the long and necessary path of interior development, the mind climbing the “ladder” toward divine realization. In this schema, the Jews—descendants of Jacob—symbolize the inner striving for unity with the divine, the praise-born thought seeking to infuse the lower self with higher purpose.

    Persia as the Psychic Realm

    Persia, in its metaphysical archetype, stands not merely for a nation but for a consciousness caught between realms. The Persian soul operates primarily in the middle world—the nefesh behamit (animal soul) saturated with ruach (the psychic wind), yet not fully open to the neshamah (divine breath). This is the psychic layer of existence that perceives power, emotion, vision, dreams, mysticism, and intuition—but not yet devekut (cleaving to God in unity).

    Kabbalistically, this middle realm is unstable. It can either rise to integrate with the spirit or descend to magnify ego and separation. The psychic is easily seduced by illusion, by the grandeur of visions divorced from the anchoring of Chokhmah (wisdom) and Binah (understanding). When this realm seeks power without spiritual rectification, it becomes hostile to the pure light of the soul.

    Persia, then, as an archetype, represents the psychic resistance to the spiritual unification Jacob represents. While Jacob seeks integration and peace through divine ascent, Persia, when unrefined, cleaves to a vision of destiny that cuts, separates, and dominates.

    The Modern Conflict: A Clash of Evolving Souls

    In the modern world, Israel represents a vessel attempting to anchor higher consciousness into collective life—whether through Torah, innovation, mystical renewal, or cultural resilience. Iran, as Persia, manifests as a civilization that once carried immense spiritual brilliance (Zoroastrianism, poetry, mysticism) but now struggles under the distortion of its psychic energies turned outward as domination.

    The Jewish soul seeks tikkun—repair of the fractured self, reuniting body and spirit, elevating sparks, reconciling opposites. The Persian soul, when unaligned, becomes the Esau that still hunts—still resents the “birthright” taken by the subtle brother. Iran’s obsession with Israel is not political—it is metaphysical jealousy. Jacob received the blessing of inner connection to the Divine. Esau (Persia in this role) feels it was cheated, its potential spiritual inheritance stolen.

    This unhealed resentment festers in the subconscious of nations and peoples. Iran’s drive to erase Israel from the map is an outer enactment of the soul’s inner refusal to be integrated. It is Esau’s last rebellion against the mind that claimed dominion.

    But the kabbalistic story doesn’t end with rivalry—it ends with reconciliation.

    Toward Integration: From Conflict to Reunion

    Genesis 33—where Jacob and Esau embrace—is the prophecy of ultimate unification. In that scene, the body (Esau) and mind (Jacob) meet again, no longer in enmity, but in harmony. Jacob bows seven times, signifying that the mind must humbly guide and uplift the body through the seven lower sefirot—from Chesed to Malkhut—until both are aligned.

    For the Jews and Persians, this reunion will require the psychic realm to open to the spirit, and for Israel to transcend the fear of the physical world’s aggression and radiate instead the consciousness of netzach (eternal endurance), hod (glory), and yesod (foundation).

    Both nations must evolve past identification with past trauma. Iran must reclaim its ancient soul—not the empire of the Ayatollahs, but the luminous spirit of Hafiz and Zarathustra. Israel must not merely defend itself physically but complete its inner spiritual mission: to be a light to the nations—not by conquest, but by consciousness.

    The Inner Battle in Every Soul

    This conflict is not “out there.” Every human being carries both Jacob and Esau within—the hunger for immediacy and the longing for transcendence. Persia and Israel war within our own psyche: the psychic forces that want to dominate and the soul-forces that seek unity.

    When we recognize this, the war ceases to be a tragedy of history and becomes a call to awakening.

    The future will not be written by bombs or borders, but by which part of the soul humanity chooses to nourish: the Esau that hunts, or the Jacob that dreams and climbs the ladder.

    The Temple will be rebuilt—first in the mind, then in the heart, and finally, on the Earth—when both Israel and Persia remember that the ladder to heaven is within them both.

    Our Multi-Dimensional Soul

    Friday, January 8, 2016

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    There are 5 dimensions to the human soul (i.e. Yechidah, Chayah, Neshamah, Ruach and Nefesh). Our material existence is called Nefesh and is the biological physiology which we self-identify with on our linear space-time experience. Therein is embedded the senses of “self” of the ego which is called Nefesh Bahamit (Animal Soul). It is the meat-body of the Nefesh that the Higher Soul called Neshamah utilizes for its own distinctive purpose of self-actualization by undergoing experiential existence in the physical world. However, the Neshamah (Higher Soul) is not “directly” connected to the lower self- the Nefesh. The connection between the two (higher and lower selves) is through an interface called the Ruach (Spirit). The Ruach (Spirit) is the personification of the Neshamah which becomes produced by the association with the lower body (Nefesh). It is the Ruach that becomes the individuation of our own distinctive personality and that which transcends the physicality of the Nefesh and represents the particular of the Neshamah’s (Higher Soul’s) development in each particular incarnation.  How does the Ruach develop and come to attach the Higher Self of transcendence to the lower self of experiential immanence? The Ruach is the conscious Spirit (containing the sechel of the Neshamah and the middot of the experiential) which exists in scientific terms as a compound waveform structure that is made of pieces of electromagnetic wave energy, which are photons of Light. The Ruach is the emergent Consciousness phenomenon that arises when electromagnetic wave energies are built into that particular kind of compound waveform structure. That structure of electromagnetic energy is consciousness.

    The energetic structure that is consciousness is generated by patterns of neuron firings in our brain. That conscious “thing” (Ruach), that is made of electromagnetic wave energy is the individual human Spirit. The Ruach which is made of electromagnetic energy is contrasted to our Nefesh (Physical body) which is comprised of atomic matter. The electromagnetic wave energy (Spirit) is embodied within the atomic matter (Body) creating a human being which is a conscious biological intelligence.
    Our Ruach (Spirit) and our Nefesh (Body) are made of two different kinds of “stuff”: energy and matter. They are causally related to and causally interact with each other, but our physical body (Nefesh) and our electromagnetic essence (Ruach) are nonetheless two separate “things,” not one blended “thing.”

    There is no “additional” thing within us called a “Soul.” The concept of the soul is a pre-scientific attempt to understand the relationship between a human consciousness and the human body. The soul is usually conceived as some form of blend of body and spirit, whereas the Kabbalists and research from modern Neuro-physics give credence to the concept that our conscious being is derived from immaterial electromagnetic wave energy and our body/brain is made of physical atomic matter and energy.

    Our body is an exquisitely sensitive sensory receptor and transmission system that provides finely nuanced electrical information to our consciousness, information about the body itself and its interactions with physical and social reality. This kind of "felt" sensory body information corresponds to emotional aspect (middot) of our Spirit (Ruach).

    Sensory perception is how the Ruach (and subsequently the higher Neshamah) experiences the sense of self-being in the physical world. Felt-body information is our conscious connection to the physical reality that we are in as embodied Spirits.


    Let me try and break this down another way: The Universe is composed of one single state of energy called electromagnetic background energy. This energy is Light that emanated from the Singularity at the beginning of existence. As the Singularity expanded the Light filled the void and subsequently after the gestation of matter and the physical existence that electromagnetic energy was the un-perceived Light which exists from one edge of the universe to the other. In other words the Universe is completely filled with this Light. This Light utilized the mechanism of the biological matter of our bodies through the pathways and firings of our own neural pathways to create consciousness in what would be otherwise dead matter. The enlivening of the physical bodies creates a new form of consciousness that identifies as a “self-awareness” and this sense of self is the “I” that comprises each of us and our personalities.

    Discussing Kabbalistic Wisdom

    Thursday, December 31, 2015

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     Quite a while back I had a discussion wherein a man named Yoel HaLevi wanted to discuss the veracity of the Wisdom of Kabbalah. I forgot about this exchange until recently when I opened up a file containing the dialogue and figured it would make a good posting on this blog. The arguments and counter-point will provide some good material to think and contemplate upon. Yoel’s assertions are in bold font and my responses are in regular font…



    “First, Kabalists are not sure if Ein Sof is God, or even if there are any actual discussions about God at all.”

    In reference to “God,” we have to clarify one thing in particular- God is simply a subjective term wherein every individual posits their own definitions and frame an individualized persona or Divine effigy that is mentally constructed in their own image. This is the source of religious frustration in dialogue. How can two people have a productive dialogue when they each have a fundamentally differing perception on the identity of God. In the Hebrew there is not an equivalent to the term “God” and to impose the subjective term into the Biblical text is erroneous and leads to a complete misunderstanding of the entire Hebrew narrative. The Hebrew Bible uses very specific terms to relate very specific concepts within the context of the narrative wherein they appear. All of the terms that are generically translated as “God” reveal qualities and characteristics of how the Divine Transcendence relates to and reveals certain qualities within the context of finite existence. The Kabbalist’s see these occurrences of Divine “Names” not as Deity proper rather as a glimpse of Divine quality within the limited finite sense. For example, does the term “Elohim” refer to a transcendent “God” in a proper sense? The Kabbalist’s (as outlined in the Zohar) say “no” because the grammatical structure of the first verse of Genesis can be interpreted or translated to read Elohim as the product of Creation not its progenitor.

    The Kabbalist’s understand that any finite representation of “God” is distinctly finite and since God “proper” is Transcendent then no finite depictions are adequate to ascribe qualities and characteristic as the nature of Transcendence supersedes qualities of human recognition. The human mind itself is not capable of objective thought process and can only see reality in the context of subjective perceptions that have been accumulated throughout one’s life which frame an individual context of interpreting their reality around them. The Bible is a work which itself attempts to convey objective ideals but does so in a subjective context as it could be no other way. This is why the writers of the Biblical narrative explain the process of Divine revelation in terms that are anthropomorphic. In other words, it is written concerning the Divine that it has human attributes such as a hand, arms, eyes, expresses human emotions such as hate, love, jealousy, etc. None of these anthropomorphisms are literal rather they are used as analogies and allusions to depict archetypes and inner qualities of human experience.
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    Opulence of the Soul: Chapter 1

    Tuesday, December 8, 2015

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    CHAPTER 1

    THE LAW OF SPIRIT

    וַיִּיצֶר יְהוָה אֱלֹהִים אֶת-הָאָדָם, עָפָר מִן-הָאֲדָמָה, וַיִּפַּח בְּאַפָּיו, נִשְׁמַת חַיִּים; וַיְהִי הָאָדָם, לְנֶפֶשׁ חַיָּה

    “Then the LORD God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul” (Genesis 2:7).

    The Law of the Spirit can be seen in an evolving process of the very widest scope. We can follow it up from the intelligence of spirit subsisting in initial atoms, to the collection of atoms into molecules, molecules into tissues, tissues into organs, and organs into the conscious identity of the individual. But there is no reason why this law should cease to operate at this point or at any point short of the Infinite whole. The test of the soundness of any principle is it can operate as effectively on a large scale as on a small one. If, therefore, we continue to follow up the law we have been considering, it leads us to a unit of intelligence as far superior to that of the individual man as the unity of his individual intelligence is superior to that of the intelligence of any single atom of his body. Now since the relation of man to the lower modes of the spirit is that of superior intelligence, what must be his relation to the higher modes?

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    Opulence of the Soul (Introduction)

    Monday, December 7, 2015

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    INTRODUCTION

    There is an inner פְּנִימִי and an outer side חִיצוֹנִי to everything; and the quality of the superficial mind which causes it to fail in the attainment of Truth is its willingness to rest content with the externality of things only. So long as this is the case it is impossible for a man to grasp the means and importance of his own relationship with all things, and it is this relationship which constitutes all that is signified by the word “Truth.” When a man fixes his attention only upon the superficial it is impossible for him to make any progress in knowledge, for he blinds himself to reality by failing to understand all that he sees as the outside of things can result only from a germinal principle hidden deep within the inner-most-center of its being.

    What then is this “germinal principle” which is at the inner-most-center of all things? It is Life. But not life as we recognize it in particular forms of manifestation; it is something more interior and concentrated than that. It is that “unity of the spirit” which is unity simply because it has not passed into diversity. This unity is called yachad יָחַד and designates oneness or aloneness and is the root word from whence we derive the term yechidah יחידה which is the fifth level and most interior aspect of our soul- the part of our essence which is most united with the Infinite. At yechidah we are alone in the sense that we are all-ness or Oneness wherein our soul is joined to the one soul-root from whence the whole of humanity originates. It is the closest to the Singularity of the Creator and in Kabbalah is associated with the Sefirah of Keter. It is the conception of Life as the sum total of all its undistributed powers, being as yet none of these in particular, but all of them in potentiality. It is Pure Living Spirit – the Life of God.
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    Opulence of the Soul (Forward)

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    FORWARD


    אֲנִי-אָמַרְתִּי, אֱלֹהִים אַתֶּם; וּבְנֵי עֶלְיוֹן כֻּלְּכֶם

    “I said: You are gods and all of you sons of the Most High” (Psalm 82:6)

    The greatest truth is the truth which is most obscured from the masses. It is obscured because there are those in places of authority and power who have buried the truth so deep those who seek for it are met with scorn and ridicule. However, there have always been those brave souls who in every generation questioned the status quo and dared to dream of a greater purpose than what they have come to expect within their lives. Tired of the drudgery of life, the menial tasks of purposelessness and the consistent experience of the lack of fulfillment and unhappiness these souls intuitively know that there is more to life. The sense of lack in life is common to all man and is expressed by Kohelet son of David: הֲבֵל הֲבָלִים אָמַר קֹהֶלֶת, הֲבֵל הֲבָלִים הַכֹּל הָבֶל Vanity of vanities, says Kohelet; vanity of vanities, all is vanity (Ecclesiastes 1:2). It is this sense of purposelessness which is darkness around the heart and mind of man which keeps humanity from walking in the truth of purpose with full knowledge of who they are. This is what Psalm 82:5 describes: לֹא יָדְעוּ, וְלֹא יָבִינוּ-- בַּחֲשֵׁכָה יִתְהַלָּכויִמּוֹטוּ, כָּל-מוֹסְדֵי אָרֶץּ   They know not, neither do they understand; they go about in darkness; all the foundations of the earth are moved. Why does humanity walk in darkness and what do we not understand? The answer is in the next verse: אֲנִי-אָמַרְתִּי, אֱלֹהִים אַתֶּם; וּבְנֵי עֶלְיוֹן כֻּלְּכֶם  I said: You are gods and all of you sons of the Most High.

    Truth in an objective sense is in identifying ourselves with God, the spirit of opulence. We must be opulent in our thoughts in order to conform our minds to the nature of God. This is not to say that we should become dependent upon any form of external opulence but instead enter into the spirit of it. All life is spirit and throughout the universe Life ultimately consists of circulation, whether it is in the form of blood circulating through our physical body or thought circulating through our mental faculties; and circulation means a continuous flowing around, and the spirit of opulence is no exception to this universal aspect of life.

    The whole of existence is an inflow and outflow as it originates within the primal Consciousness of the Creator and is expressed as the creation and then the creation experiences the process of life and contributes its experience to the Creator. This is the mysterious dynamic of existence and the purpose of the whole. When once this principle becomes clear to us we begin to look upon ourselves, not as miser’s chests to be kept locked for our own benefit, but as centers of distribution, the greater is the corresponding inflow into that center. To live without self-realization and an understanding of purpose is to choke the outlet of flow from the Creator and subsequently this perceptual state restricts the beneficence of the experience of life for the creation. The proper understanding of spiritual principles slackens the flow within one’s perceptual awareness and a free flow can be obtained only by keeping our perception open, therefore we wisely direct our attention more to giving than receiving for the self.

    If you have realized the spirit of opulence all forms of good cannot help but flow into your life and because you truly understand the spirit of opulence you will neither feel you should shun this form of goodness, nor will you attribute to it a value that does not belong to it; but you will co-ordinate it with your other more interior forms of good so as to make it the material instrument in smoothing the way for their more perfect expression.


    This principle does not believe in narcissism or the acquisition to the detriment of others rather it believes in the generous feeling which is the intuitive recognition of the great law of circulation and to enter into this spirit is to make yourself one with the creative principle at the center of life itself.

    The Jewish People are the Light of World!

    Wednesday, October 28, 2015

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    The impoverished mind cannot see beyond the mundane and in the context of reading the Bible this type of person will only perceive its literal narrative as the absolute “correct” form of reading. Unfortunately this is NOT the correct way of reading the Biblical text (note: none of the earliest Jewish commentaries on the Bible from the early C.E. to the B.C.E. eras are literal) as the Biblical text was written as a ‘mashal’ (allegory) of the spiritual life of man. The Torah states that Israel was chosen to receive the Torah (the meaning of ‘being chosen’) and was to be “Ohr laGoyim”- Light to the Nations. Being a “Light” is embedded in the Hebrew text in a unique way. 

    Consider that Jews today are descended (physically or via conversion) from the Tribe of Judah which in the Wilderness was camped eastward “mizracha” of the Tabernacle (mikdash) which is in the direction of the rising sun. The word “mizracha” (eastward) comes from the root-word “zoraych” which means to “give light.” In other words, Judah was designated to bring “Light”” into the world and the analogy of the rising eastwardly sun which dispels the darkness of night and illuminates the earth was used to emphasize this in the Torah. Another interesting allegory in the Torah is in the census of Judah in Bamidbar (Numbers) 2:9 which totals the number of the tribe of Judah (light-bringer) at 186,400. In an amazing demonstration of Judah’s association with Light the number 186,400 is the exact speed of Light (miles per second).

    The Forgotten Message of Torah

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    There are many people who devote their lives to studying the Bible. Some study it as history, some try to prove its authenticity from an archaeological viewpoint; other can tell you how many times a particular word appears in the entire Bible. Some people believe they have found passages that predict modern world events, the appearance of automobiles, airplanes and even space travel. There are many who believe the end of the world is clearly foretold and modern wars predicted; they turn the Bible into the image of modern-day newspaper prophecy. These people typically find their satisfaction and fulfillment in mesmerizing themselves in their own words and studies. However, none of these things are actually representative of the authentic message of the ancient prophets, seers and sages of Israel.

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    Reincarnation in Judaism & It's Karaite Legacy

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    Judaism has a strong reincarnation ideology which is called gigul haneshamot (transmigration of souls). This ideology is most starkly found within the Kabbalah which is the core of Jewish philosophy and theology. The Zohar communicates the message of reincarnation and the Arizal taught this concept at length. In the name of the Arizal, Rav Chaim Vital published the formers teachings in a book entitled Sefer haGilgulim (The Book of Reincarnations). But where did this teaching first emerge? The Torah does not explicitly teach reincarnation nor does it concern itself with the concept of the after-life at all. The Torah only states that when the Patriarchs has passed they were gather unto their people which is a direct reference to an after –life wherein we are re-joined with the souls that we are grouped together with in our own cosmic drama. The Prophets don’t discuss the afterlife albeit there are vague references. All of this secrecy is in traditional conformity of the Jewish ideal that we should not consider death as the objective of life. However, later writers would go to great lengths to reveal the teaching of the after-life but then hide their teaching and disseminate them to only an elect few. Among those who disseminated the Jewish concept of the after-life the central theme has always revolved around reincarnation. I set out to find the earliest expositor of the idea of reincarnation in Judaism; who was the first to teach this concept, where did it come from and why the obscurity. The answer I have found is the most surprising and unexpected story I could have never imagined. 
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    2 of 72 Divine Names

    Thursday, October 15, 2015

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     The Kabbalah says that in the process of creation countless universes were created and shattered before the universe in which we exist came into being; essentially, lights and vessels were formed, but the influxes of Or Ain Sof, the Light of the Infinite, was too intense and overwhelmed the vessels, and consequently they fractured and shattered – this happened over and over again. Indeed, even the holy vessels that form the metaphysical structure within and behind our universe were overwhelmed by the influxes of the Supernal Light, and some fractured and others shattered – thus, creative evolution becomes a process of tikkun- the healing, mending, correction or rectification of fractured and shattered vessels, the development and evolution of holy vessels that can receive the full influx of the Supernal Light and Shekinah.

    The shards of the shattered vessels, of course, is the generation of the klippot, sparks of the Holy Light of God becoming bound up in husks of darkness or impure emanations; thus, from the fracturing and shattering of vessels admixed and dark spiritual forces come into being, shedim (demons), and so the play of negative forces and evil enters into creation. In the process of tikkun the klippot or husks of darkness must be shattered and dispelled and the holy sparks bound up in them must be released, uplifted and reintegrated with the Light Continuum (Y-H-V-H) – in a word, the sparks of holiness must be redeemed. This Holy Name has the Divine Power to shatter klippot and to release holy sparks, and releasing them it has the Divine Power to uplift and reintegrate them – the Power to Redeem.

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    Parshat B'reishit: An Expression of Consciousness

    Tuesday, October 6, 2015

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    Parshat B'reishit
    (An excerpt from my upcoming book)

    The first verse of B'reishit (Genesis) is commonly translated as, "In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth." However, this translation is impossible from the Hebrew text. Further, this statement is also unintelligible- a "beginning" of time and space is as unthinkable as their non-beginning. The Hebrew narrative does not have a "hey" (ה) as a prefix to the word reishit רֵאשִׁית and thus there is no "the beginning" possible in the text and those who have translated the verse thus into the English language have not even attempted to be true to the original Hebrew narrative. If translators have failed to correctly translate the first word of the Bible then what hope does that provide that the rest of the English Bibles are any better?
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    Perception According to Kabbalah

    Sunday, August 2, 2015

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    Most scientists today accept that 99% of the multiverse is invisible – every current physics textbook says this anyways. Only 1% of the multiverse is visible to us. So the obvious question is: When you look at yourself in the mirror, are you seeing 100% of yourself or just 1%? The Kabbalah states that we perceive 1% of reality and the other 99% called Zeir Anpin which is the "revealed" essence of reality. It is revealed not in the sense that we normally perceive it because we do not rather it is revealed in the sense that it is attainable. The gateway to the 99% of reality is through the sefirah of Yesod. Yesod is the Sefirah of Foundation and is equated to the Ego self which is truly the foundation of our sense of self-identity. It is in the proper training of Yesod that we may begin to see the higher aspect of Yesod which is Tiferet- the place of the Self, or the true Self. Through the proper training of Yesod via the study of Kabbalistic texts, learning with Mekubalim, meditation, observing mitzvot with kavanah (lishmah), that we create a more translucent Yesod which then allows for greater perception and clarity to enter the psyche from Zeir Anpin (99%) as facilitated through Tiferet (Higher Self). In Kabbalistic terms this is transcending the state of narrow/constricted consciousness (mochin d'katnut) to a state of expanded awareness (mochin d'gadlut). In essence this is the whole purpose of Kabbalah, from the root l'kabel meaning "to recieve." We are each a vessel (kli) composed of Light which "receives" the greater Light (Ohr) of the Upper Worlds through the screen of our ego (Yesod). The quality of our Yesod (screen/ego) will determine the revelation/perception of Light that we attain to. Our level of attainment is our spiritual evolution towards the Divine Source of the Light.

    Parshah Terumah: Deciphering the Zohar

    Sunday, March 8, 2015

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    "And YHVH spoke to Moses, saying, Speak to the children of Israel that they bring me an offering, of every man whose heart prompts him..." (Ex. 25:1-2). Rabbi Chiya opened the discussion saying: "For Yah has chosen Jacob to Himself, Israel for His peculiar possession." (Ps. 135:4). How beloved is Israel before the Holy One, blessed be He, who desires them, and wants to be attatched to them and connect Himself with them to make them a single nation in the world, as it is written: "And what one nation in the world is like you people Israel?" (2 Sam. 7:23). They wanted Him and were attatched to Him, as it says, "For Yah has chosen Jacob unto Himself" and "For YHVH's portion is His people" (Deut. 32:9). He gave ministers and officers to the other nations and took Israel to His part."

    This first pasuk to the Zohar's commentary on Parshat Terumah is an introduction to the Zohar's particular spiritualization of Torah exegesis. Before we may understand the depths of the Zohar's insight into this parshah we must establish a firm understanding of the opening concepts embedded in this very first pasuk. Let's look at some of the key concepts in the narrative at hand:

    "For Yah has chosen Jacob unto Himself"- The Zohar spiritualizes every single person, place, thing and activity in the Torah's narrative as a spiritual analogy. The analogy of Jacob is embedded in the meaning of the Hebrew term Ya'akov, which is "supplanter, heel grabber." In the Torah we learn that Jacob is the youngest of two sons born to Isaac (laughter/joy) and Rachel (migration). Jacob was able to cunningly acquire the birthright from his elder brother Esau. Many have argued their various perspectives based upon the chitniyut haTorah (exterior Torah) in regards to the ethical and legal implications of a stolen birthright. However, in light of the true meaning of p'nimiyut haTorah (inner Torah) the story is one which has a very practical application. Jacob (supplanter) is a state of consciousness which is just higher than the animalistic consciousness represented by Esau. Esau, the hairy man, is the type of all humanity that is first expressed on its most basest level. In the struggle towards spiritual evolution the state of Esau must be supplanted by the state of Jacob representing a state of consciousness that is more mentally oriented and developes towards understanding as opposed to the satiation of the lower carnal consciousness of our animal being. The statement that YAH has chosen Jacob for Himself means that the Divine Purpose is that manking should rise from the instinctual real of self-gratification towards a more conscious way of living symbolized by Jacob.
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    Introduction to Joseph (Yosef)

    Sunday, October 5, 2014

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    In the last couple of parashot we have been reading about Yosef the son of Yaakov. The name Yosef means "to increase" from a root which indicates progressive and continual increase. Yosef corresponds to the sefirah Yesod (foundation). Yesod is the ego- the psychological aspect of man which forms images of ones current internal and external environment. Being the seat of the human ego (Yesod is lower than Tipheret which is the true Self) the story of Yosef illustrates the enslavement of the ego in the material consciousness of Egypt (Mitzrayim = mochin d'katnut). In the narrative Yosef/Yesod becomes Pharoah regent and a ruler of Egypt (lower animalistic traits which confine consciousness to the material based existence). Yesod as a ruling minister accumulates all incoming information from the physical and psychological realms and proceses them into decipherable images (personal reality). 

    In the Torah Yosef represents the human ego which is dominated by his brothers (lower unrefined attributes) which sell him into slavery. Yosef becomes a slave in Egypt (material consciousness) and is forced to serve the Egyptians because of the treachery of his brothers (lower qualities). Although subservient and enslaved, when tempted by the seductive prowess of Potiphar's wife, Yosef overcomes and raised his consciousness above the sensualthoughts of the lower animalistic soul. It is noteworthy that Yesod/Yosef is associated with sexual temptation as the anthropomorphic designation of Yesod is upon the genitalia of the Adamic visage of the Sephirot. In the external life Yesod is the foremost driving power of humanity which is sexuality. The story of Yosef represents the conversion of the power of sexuality or the harnessing thereof in order to impel one towards self-realization. Z'ev HaLevi explains this as follows:



    "This powerhouse is vital to life. Without it man has no strength to draw upon. Energy may flow down from above, but here is a choice of direction. Through the conversion of this abundant force a man may take a step up the ladder of self-realization, begin his return. He will, if he does, move in opposition to the descending octave of creation and retrace the path back to creation's Source. Perhaps this is why this Sefirah is called Foundation (Yesod)."

    The imprisonment of Yosef is the imprisonment of the ego by the lower emotions which hold it captive. This is the point in the narrative wherein the Torah introduces the dreams of the butcher and baker. I will save the explanation of these dreams for later.

    13 Attributes of Mercy

    Wednesday, September 10, 2014

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    In the Torah Moses lists thirteen attributes of Chesed-Mercy associated with the divine name El. According to sages of the tradition these attributes are expressions of Supernal Grace in creation. That attributes are:

    God [1] merciful [2] and gracious [3], slow [4] to anger [5], and abundant in love [6], and truth [7]. Keeping mercy [8] to the thousandth generation [9], forgiving sin [10], rebellion [11], and error [12], and cleansing [13]. (Exodus 34:6-7)

    These are the Chassidim (Mercies) and there number is significant, for thirteen is the number of Echad (Unity) and Ahava (Love), which alludes to the purpose of Chesed-Mercy. The purpose of the Chassidim is the expression of love which brings into unification. Thus the basic message of the Chassidim is that the purpose of creation is to enlighten and liberate.

    God (El) is the first mercy, which is a divine name composed of Aleph and Lamed. Aleph is the Spirit and is called the Fiery Intelligence, and Lamed is the ox-goad, implying a "driving force." El is thus the Great Spirit which is the driving Force in creation, and represents the evolutionary impulse. The first mercy of God is the evolutionary impulse God has placed within creation which strives ever to more self-aware and intelligent forms of life; hence towards enlightenment and liberation. The first mercy also indicates that the greatest gift God can give to us is God-self. According to the Kabblah this is God's intention in creation - to give God-self to the Human One so that the Human One might embody something of God and Godhead and, thus, ascend into conscious unification with God.

    Mercy is the second mercy, which reflects the liberative quality imbued in creation. It also reflects a certain principle of "memory" of the positive developments that allows evolution to occur and indicates that negative developments are prone to falling away, as though swiftly forgotten.

    The third mercy is gracious, which is to say that there is divine assistance continually available to all who Desire to Receive it, and that, in truth, divine assistance is being given all of the time. The help of the tzaddikim and maggidim reflects this divine assistance.

    Slow is the fourth mercy which represents the principle of stability in creation - a stable matrix through which souls might develop and evolve to become fully self-aware and illuminated. It reflects a quality of what is called "rega" in creation - the pausal moment or duration of time that allows souls the opportunity to repent and redirect their energy before the consequence plays itself out. Thus, affects/effects of negativity are often suspended to give us time to change our heart and mind and to choose a different direction or action.

    Anger is the fifth mercy and represents the force of purification that acts to dispel negativity - the shattering of klippot (husks of darkness) to liberate holy sparks. It also represents the education that comes through the experience of the consequence of negative actions in the process of development and evolution - by way of consequence under the Law of Cause and Effect souls learn what is right and true.

    Abundant in love is the sixth mercy, which reflects in judgment and discipline, or consequences of actions, which are never an end, in and of themselves, but rather the aim is the eventual Divine Illumination of the soul.

    Truth is the seventh mercy which indicates the divine revelation transpiring within creation - the constant and ongoing revelation of the Spirit and Truth that enlightens and liberates souls.

    Keeping mercy is the eighth mercy - the retention of everything good and true, and the constant encouragement by way of the flow of blessings and grace upon what is good and true.

    To the thousandth generation is the ninth mercy and indicates the impermanent quality of all states through which souls pass - whether heaven, earth, or some other realm, souls are never bound forever to any state. Likewise this reflects the principle of the gilgulim (transmigration of souls) that facilitates the development and evolution of souls heightened consciousness.

    Forgiving sin is the tenth mercy. God has built into human beings the capacity of repentance and tikkun - the ability to heal or mend any error that might occur.

    Forgiving rebellion is the eleventh mercy. "Sin" represents an error that occurs in ignorance, while "rebellion" is an error enacted intentionally. In either case God gives souls the opportunity to work out all imperfection and negativity, and the basic desire to do so is actually built into creation; hence built into us.

    The twelfth mercy is forgiving error - which is our ability to redirect the mind, heart and life at any time.

    The thirteenth mercy is cleansing. This reflects that our inmost nature is the Light and Truth, that we are created founded upon Light and Truth, and that we need only remove obscurations and obstructions to realize our unity with all life and God. In other words, we already possess the Light-presence, which is how we are able to "attain" or "acquire" it. Ultimately the Light bound in us will be released, one way or the other.

    These are the Chassidim we read of in the Zohar. According to the tradition all of these are rooted in Keter-Crown on the Tree of Life and are actualized and realized in Malchut-Kingdom.

    The Spiritual Meaning of Concubines: Part 1

    Thursday, August 7, 2014

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    Question: What do the Biblical stories of concubines have to teach us? I need clarification on this subject because it doesn’t make sense to me nor does it seem to have an obvious spiritual conntation.

    The role of a concubine has some fairly in-depth meanings that we can learn from. First, let us consider the play of wife, or matriarch, and concubine, who is the handmaid of the wife, or matriarch. The wife corresponds with the Holy Shechinah, while handmaid is an attendant of the Shechinah, and also represents an impaired or distorted manifestation of the Shechinah, hence a klippah, impure emanation, of the Shechinah. In the most basic level the child of a wife corresponds with what is conceive in righteousness and holiness, in auspicious circumstances, in harmony with the desire of the heavenly soul and the will of God; conversely, the child of a handmaid become a concubine corresponds with what ill conceived, or conceived in impurity, in inauspicious circumstances, not aligned or in harmony with the desire of the heavenly soul and will of God – this latter corresponds with what is conceived in karmic vision, the karmic continuum of souls, and therefore encumbered by klippot, all manner of impurities and obstructions.

    On one hand, this may speak to the actual conception of a human child and the environment of the upbringing, or to the incarnations of souls and the karmic matrix into which they are born, whether auspicious or inauspicious, and there is much to be said regarding this. On the other hand, however, we may speak to the conception, beginning, of any endeavor or movement in life, as for example, how and why our spiritual life and practices is conceived, the various intentions or motivations behind it, or how a relationship, business, or anything else is conceived, and the intentions and energy behind it.

    Here we can speak an obvious truth: “Good in the beginning, good in the middle, good in the end,” which is a common instruction concerning prayer, meditation and ceremony, but really is true of any activity in life.

    As we know, there are many teachings in the Kabbalah on lishma, something done for its own sake and with right intention, and shelo lishma, something not done for its own sake and not with the right intention; the “child of a wife” corresponds with lishma, and the “child of a concubine” corresponds with shelo lishma. In general, everything conceived shelo lishma is conceived in karmic vision, and is the expression of the karmic continuum of the soul, a distortion of the desire of the heavenly soul and will of God at best.

    Here is the problem. When something is ill conceived, or is premature, and sorely encumbered by klippot, distortions and obstructions, very often is it extremely difficult to purify the klippot, draw out the sparks of holiness, and establish the movement in holiness. Indeed, for it will require radical change in oneself and one’s life, and here in this world, in this ignorance, what are the odds a person will be willing to such radical change or transformation? Consider our spiritual life and practice, which for many of us was inadvertently ill conceived; in order to purify the klippot and have a right conception, we will need to undergo a death and rebirth, and this may need to occur a number of times in our journey. In the midst of this process, naturally, there will be radical shifts in our consciousness, and with these, to actualize and realize the truth and light revealed, there may need to be radical changes in our person and life. Many sojourn the path, but few bring their path to fruition in full self-realization or enlightenment in any given generation.

    Consider Abram, Sarai and Hagar. Sarai and Abram were not able to conceive a child together, but there was a need for a successor in the lineage, and therefore Sarai offered Hagar, her handmaid, to Abram. Through the union of Abram and Hagar, Ishmael is conceived, but at that time Abram was uncircumcised, in partial covenant with HaShem, and naturally there was self-negativity, envy and jealousy, and deep resentment with Sarai, even though this was set into motion by her. In other words, this was ill conceived, and in fact was an action in a lack of faith, not waiting upon the promise of the Creator; this happened in a great delusion of lack, which is true of all things in our lives that are ill conceived, or that are shelo lishma, not for their own sake.

    After the birth of Ishmael, of course, the Divine came to Abram and Sarai, and Abram became circumcised, and they entered fully into covenant with HaShem, receiving new names, representing a spiritual death and rebirth; so they are called Abraham, “Great Father,” and Sarah, the “Princess,” or “Ruler,” and swiftly a child was promised to them, and they conceived Isaac (“Laughter”).

    There is something to be said in this change of name that is very interesting. The Yod in the name of Sarai equals two Hey’s; as such, the Yod in Sarai’s name was divided, and she receives one Hey and Abram the other, forming the names Abraham and Sarah. Sarai means “my princess,” but Sarah means “princess,” hence the name change indicates a coming into one’s own power. Yod is a masculine letter, while Hey is feminine, and so in this there is something of Sarah accepting and embracing her womanhood, and coming into maturation and power as a woman, as though before, on some level, she sought to do so in the way of a man, or through a man, or in a way not accepting herself and the power that was in her.

    At the outset the union of Abram and Sarai was impaired, both were encumbered by klippot, but then, they became purified of the klippot, so they entered into a true and full union in covenant with HaShem – when this transpired they received their holy neshamah, their heavenly or supernal soul. As such it is said that they “transcended the stars of their birth,” or the karmic continuum of their soul, and received a new “birth chart,” hence their sudden ability to conceive a child together.

    Here we may point out that the conception of Ishmael with Hagar is a great karmic continuum that was set in motion, one that as we know continues to generate great strife, and great sorrow and suffering in the world to this very day. In this there is a lesson, a warning, regarding what we set into motion in our lives and in this world, for there are some things that once set into motion will not be stopped until the end-of-days, and can affect countless spirits and souls for many, many generations. This, of course, is not only true of things ill conceived, but also those things that are good and true, and well conceived; so along with a warning there is also the encouragement to conceive and set into motion positive influences, things conceived according to the truth and light of God.

    Wisdom & It's Transmission

    Tuesday, July 1, 2014

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    “Joshua son of Nun was filled with the spirit of wisdom, because Moses laid his hands on him…” (Deut 34:9).

    This verse relates a transmission of the spiritual power of realization (spirit of wisdom) embodied in Moses to Joshua. According to this verse the reception of Light Transmission and spiritual empowerment is something more than a visionary experience, or seeing light or glory, and such, but rather it is the transmission, communication, of the “spirit of wisdom,” and we may assume understanding and knowledge. If and when Light Transmission is received, and integrated, one is filled with Chabad – wisdom, knowledge and understanding.

    Moses imparted to Joshua the spiritual power of his realization – Mochin Gadlut, “Greater Perception,” “Great Intelligence,” the Fiery Intelligence of the Spirit of God, Ruach Elohim; this is the Light Transmission that passes between a tzaddikim (righteous teachers) and their disciples, the communication of the ruach and da’at of the tzaddik, their intelligence and knowledge.

    “…Moses laid his hands on him…” Moses corresponds with Da’at, and so we may understand that Da’at, the Knowledge of God, laid hands on Joshua, the power of Yod (hand), and his mind, his consciousness, his soul, was elevated, and a greater intelligence emerged, the Spirit of God, Ruach Elohim, illuminating him.

    According to the Holy Torah in the passage preceding this one, the body of Moses was buried in a hidden place, and so we may understand that Da’at was concealed, the Da’at of Moses being greater than the Da’at of Joshua.  We may learn two lessons from this… First, the outer ruach and da’at of a holy tzaddik can be imparted, but not the inner ruach and da’at; the spiritual power of Mochin Gadlut can be given, but not Mochin Gadlut itself. Receiving the outer ruach and da’at of the tzaddik, or the spiritual power of their Mochin Gadlut, each disciple or companion must labor to realize their own inner ruach and da’at, and experience Mochin Gadlut themselves. No one can give Mochin Gadlut to another, but the Spirit of God brings souls into the experience of Mochin Gadlut. Second, Da’at is concealed, and in truth no one has the fullness of Da’at of Atzilut, but rather, each soul has its own portion, all as gifted by the Creator. Therefore, while Moses embodied Mochin Gadlut and Joshua embodied Mochin Gadlut, each had their own unique portion of Da’at, the Knowledge of God, and therefore their own unique understanding and wisdom, and their own unique embodiment of Mochin Gadlut – the enlightenment experience.

    The transmission of Light (Wisdom) is not just a visionary experience, or seeing light or glory, and so on, and likewise psychic powers, or miracles, are not in themselves signs of spiritual realization or Mochin Gadlut, but rather, with the reception and integration of Light Transmission there is a communication of Chabad – the dawn of a higher consciousness and greater intelligence, and the sign of Mochin Gadlut is Rachamim-Compassion, for the Chabad of the HaShem brings Compassion, the illumination of Tiferet-Beauty of God, the Compassionate One.

    The reception, integration and embodiment of Light Transmission leads to the experience of Mochin Gadlut, the manifestation of which is Chabad and Compassion, and when there is the embodiment of the Holy Light and Spirit of the Holy One, the Infinite One, so there is Yesod-Foundation or Reciprocity, the ability to impart ruach and da’at, and to communicate the Holy Light and Spirit, and there is Malchut-Kingdom, or Shechinah, which is to say the manifestation of Living Presence and Power.

    “…And the Israelites obeyed him, doing as HaShem commanded Moses.” This Chabad and Compassion, and this Living Presence and Power embodied, is recognizable on an experiential level, and so also the transmission of the True Light, which brings greater intelligence, and therefore, greater wisdom, understanding and knowledge, and love and compassion. The Holy Light and Spirit of the Infinite One, YHVH Elohim, transforms the heart and mind, enlightens the soul, and uplifts the person and life – takes up the person and life.

    The aim and desire of the man of God or woman of God – the true mystic, is not luminous dreams and visions in and of themselves, nor is it psychic powers or magic powers in and of themselves, but rather their aim and desire is to return to God – nearness and unification, and to be “filled with the spirit of wisdom” – the spirit of enlightenment.

    This we need to understand so that we do not become distracted or misled, for there is much confusion in modern spirituality, occultism, esotericism and the “New Age” concerning all of this, and very often the true intention of the mystical journey, the Path of Return, is misunderstood and misrepresented.

    There is something more I may share concerning all of this.

    “…Moses laid his hands on him…” Joshua was the disciple or companion of Moses for many decades, and he learned the way of the Baal Shem, the Master of the Names, from Moses, and Moses served to complete Joshua, imparting to Joshua his ruach and da’at, and facilitating the experience of Mochin Gadlut with Joshua. In turn Joshua completed Moses, becoming his successor in lineage, continuing the spiritual labor of his holy tzaddik, serving as Baal Shem and leading the children of Israel into the Promised Land. Moses and Joshua completed one another, and they served God and the people, not themselves.

    This, exactly, is the way of Light Transmission, there is a radical exchange of sparks between souls, and in the Holy Light and Spirit of the Infinite One – the Shechinah of YHVH, we complete and fulfill one another in Anointed Community; light adds to light, knowledge adds to knowledge, and so on, and co-laboring together the fullness of the Holy Light and Spirit, or Shechinah of YHVH, is embodied and made manifest.

    The Light Transmission does not take place through a single individual alone, nor is it about oneself alone and one’s personal redemption or enlightenment, but rather it takes place in Anointed Community – the Living Body, and it is a labor for the rectification of all, the enlightenment and liberation of all; hence, Chabad and Compassion.

    It is written, “It is not good for the human being to be alone…” (Gen 2:18) Aside from the wisdom of the balance between male and female in the corresponding passage, quite literally we may understand that it is not good for human beings to be alone, but rather we have a need for one another, and we complete and fulfill one another; hence, we can understand this as the wisdom of lineage and Spiritual Community, and the play of Light Transmission in it.

    The tendency of modern spirituality and the “New Age” to go it alone, and have no teacher and no community, this is the way of the klippot and is opposite of the way of the True Light. The way of the the Light is to “love one another,” and to live together, and co-labor together, in peace and unity – harmony (Tiferet-Beauty, Rachamim-Compassion).

    Consciousness of Shin

    Monday, April 28, 2014

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    Consciousness of Shin

    Sepher Yetzirah says about Shin: “…make Shin king over fire, bind a crown to it, and combine one with another. And with them seal heaven in the Universe, the hot in the Year, and the head in the Soul, the male with שאמ and the female with שמא.”

    The fire that burns everything externally cannot be compared with the fire that burns everything internally, for this once sparked which burns us from within cannot be extinguished. Everything this fire touches, it consumes, digests, making all like itself. Burning within is the literal heat felt in the physical body when consciousness accelerates in ecstasy or panic, the two experiences of this heat being one fire, illuminating or digesting.

    Acceleration and movement are the most subtle qualities of the primordial element of fire to which this Hebrew Mother letter points. ש is not be confused with combustion, though it is a physical expression of what lifted our human species from the food chain some one hundred thousand years ago. Falling from heaven in strikes of lightning, this most mysterious power which all animals fear is still being mastered to this very day, the source of the entire human world, illuminated by innovation and degraded by consumption. ש is the flashing epiphany of what more can be, amplifying, magnifying, and accelerating identity.

    The two sides of this primordial fire, this ש illuminating and consuming, is exhaustlessly contemplated in the Hebrew words for Messiah (Mashiach) and Serpent (nakash) which both enumerate 358. The Serpent in the Garden of Eden initiated the Knowledge-Da'at of the duality within existence which digests to death and destruction; Mashiach within the same Serpent initiates the holy Knowledge-Da'at of the non-dual behind existence which illuminates to life and liberation. These twin forces are not opposed nor contending, but are within each other in a process all the while, one binding, the other liberating. What digests is distinguished from what illuminates by one's identity: If the power of the fire is mine, I will be digested; if the power of the fire is God's, I will be illuminated. The world served by this fire is being digested by the same fire which first initiated the world; the soul in service to this fire is illuminated by the same fire which first awakened the soul.
    The awakening and acceleration of the soul, this ש, brings awareness to what already was, is, and forever shall be: YHVH. From the perspective of the lower-outer parts of the soul, this awakening is new, astonishing, unspeakable; from the perspective of the higher-inner parts of the soul, this awakening was innate, changeless, all the while. The recognition of one's outer self, meeting their inner self is but the beginning of the process of realizing, grounding and manifesting these simultaneous planes of experience coexisting within the same self.

    Within ourselves is the realization of YHVH within himself. We awaken to faith that our nature, our essence, is entirely good, holy, and without history. By living according to this faith, we experience holy knowledge-da'at of how good, how holy, how without history we already were, are, and forever shall be. Giving and receiving with this, integrating with this, the opposites of dualism no longer digest us, but are the passion illuminating us.

    Illumination then is continuity, is the Light Continuum, is YHVH. The energy which reconciles, rectifies, and reintegrates us with the continuity, Continuum, is ש, which the Sefer Yetzirah magnificently calls Continuing Consciousness.

    Weekly Cycle of Kabbalah

    Monday, March 10, 2014

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    “Peace and war relate both to nations and to the individual. A person can be at war or peace with himself. These letters transmit these qualities both to oneself and others” (Aryeh Kaplan).

    • Sunday (Rishon) – Kindness is associated with Sunday, the first day of the week. The planetary ruler of the first hour of the day is the Sun from which the Romans gave it the name. 

    • Monday (Sheni) – Judgment associates with Monday. On Mondays and Thursdays, Hashem holds back some of the good light so that we may learn to return to him. In order to make up for this light, we recite the Torah portion in synagogue on those days to bring the light of God down through learning. In addition, Mondays and Thursdays are chosen for self-appointed fasts.

    • Tuesday (Shlishi) – God blessed Tuesday twice in the creation story. Beauty and splendor associate with Tuesday. The energy of the day facilitates Torah learning and knowing truth.

    • Wednesday (Revaee) – Wednesday associates with the upper prophecy of Moses. The energy of the day facilitates victory in undertakings and the joy of success, which is required to experience prophecy. Wednesday evenings are particularly suited for meditation for at this time the upper prophecy descends to the lower prophecy in our world.

    • Thursday (Hamishi) – Thursday associates with the lower prophecy of Aaron the priest. This manifestation of prophecy is in life lessons and service to Hashem. The energy of the day is particularly suited to remind us of the need to show gratitude to Hashem and others in our life.

    • Friday (Shishi) – Righteousness associates with Friday. The energy facilitates preparation for Shabbat. Towards the end of Friday, Hashem grants an extra energy to finish the work of the week.

    • Saturday (Shabbat) – Shabbat begins on Friday evening following the blessing after lighting the candles or at sundown (Shkiat Hachama – setting of the sun). The Shabbat candles symbolize the menorah that will one day stand again in the Holy Temple. The candlesticks should not be moved during the entire Sabbath. Shabbat ends at Havdalah or when three stars are seen in the night sky (Tzait Hakochavim – stars go out) or 72 minutes after sunset. The blessing, “Baruch hamavdil ben koshesh l’hol” (bless the distinguishing between the holy and secular) is recited to announce the change. When we learn not to demean the secular and to honor the holy, we will recognize the partnership, and we will resolve the conflicts between the daati and hiloni (religious and secular). This is the union between Nukvah and the six sefirot of Partzuf Ben.

    Observing the Shabbat is one of the keys to achieving closeness to Hashem. This is the day when Hashem releases an extra portion of blessing stored in Malchut for our world. This is similar to the extra portion of manna that the Israelites had for Shabbat while wandering in the Wilderness. We call the extra portion released from Malchut, the Shechinah that is the presence of God.