Glossary of Terms Used in the Devarim Weekly Torah Portion

• What does it mean that nations must be destroyed, such as Amon, Moab, and Edom, which are desires within us?
• Speech / Dialog
• Leader
• Equality
• Unfounded Hatred
• New World
• Then Moses Sang

What does it mean that nations must be destroyed, such as Amon, Moab, and Edom, which are desires within us?

Destroying them means that we temporarily avoid using them. We cannot, nor should destroy these desires. On the contrary, we must freeze them within us until we can correct them and use them properly.

Speech / Dialog

It is an internal scrutiny. Man is his own psychologist. He analyzes himself. We analyze which desire to use and which to not use, and whether a desire should be used one way or another.

But once we have made a scrutiny, where will we find the strength to carry it out?

This requires two lights—one for scrutiny, and one for correction. This is why it is written, “I have created the evil inclination, I have created for it the Torah as a spice” because “The light in it reforms them.” That is, only through the light does one go through all those stages. During the study, the wisdom of Kabbalah brings us inner light with which we see how things are. We begin to see our own internal system, and how we partake in the overall system of the world.

Leader

A leader is one’s highest quality, whereby scrutinizing it we advance.

Equality

Everyone is equal idiosyncratically. Put differently, we need to take into account that we are not born equal in our qualities or desires. Accordingly, each of us should receive differently.

Does that apply to both this world and to spirituality?

Yes, but for that we need to know people’s internality. Otherwise we will not distribute justly. The human society of today cannot resolve these problems until we learn the laws of Nature. Society must come to know the internality of the world, so eventually we will have no choice but to study the wisdom of Kabbalah.

Unfounded Hatred

These are forces of rejection that a person discovers within when wanting to draw closer to people. However, it happens only on condition that one truly wishes to unite with others. We discover that these forces exist without expecting to find them. These are things that we receive at birth, deliberately, from above.

New World

We have now entered a new, circular, global system of Nature, which is closing us together in a sphere. We are interdependent and cannot break apart or manage ourselves independently, both within the factions of the nation, and throughout the world.

The formulas for this are found in the wisdom of Kabbalah. If we study them, we will be able to manage the world beautifully.

Then Moses Sang

“Should you say, ‘Since they are tied in the bundle of life and delight in the upper pleasure, why should the Creator bring them down to earth?’ When all those spirits and souls that were in the highest degree were born and came out to the world, the Creator brought them down to earth below. It is all the more so now, since the Creator wishes to straighten what is crooked by showing them the signs and wonders that He will do for Israel.’”

Zohar for All, BeShalach (When Pharaoh Sent), item 218

Glossary of Terms Used in the Masaei Weekly Torah Portion

• Stops
• Idol Worship
• The Borders of the Land
• City of Refuge
• The Complete Land of Israel

Stops

Stops are degrees through which we advance toward correction. There is the preparation period, and then the states where we come into correction, to the desire to bestow in order to bestow, a state of “that which you hate, do not do to your friend.” We must be neutral, as though neutralizing our egos. This is called “obtaining the degree of Bina,” or keeping the Mitzvot (commandments) of 248 organs. In spirituality, it is called Galgalta ve Eynaim (skull and eyes). These degrees are called “the degrees of the desert.”

Afterward we enter the degrees called “land of Israel,” Yashar El (straight to God), where we reach “love your neighbor as yourself.” In those degrees we have the correction of the desires called 365. There are 248 organs in the degrees of the desert, and 365 tendons in the degrees of the land of Israel, and all of them are parts of the soul.

Idol Worship

Idol worship is when we do not want to work in bestowal toward others, but only for ourselves. We make ourselves as gods and bow to ourselves.

The Borders of the Land

The borders of the land are the borders by which our big will to receive marks how far we can reach, with which desires we can bestow, and which desires we must restrict and refrain from using.

City of Refuge

A city of refuge is desires that we “freeze.” Sometimes we are immersed in such thoughts, desires, and predilections that we cannot work on corrections with them. We therefore put those desires on hold. It is a state where we are powerless, devoid of a Masach (screen) with which to work in bestowal upon others. However, we can be in a “place” where we correct ourselves, and after some time we go outside and return to the world.

The Complete Land of Israel

The complete land of Israel is perfection. It is called Shalom (peace), from the word Shlemut (wholeness/perfection). It means that everything is corrected into love of others, as it is written, “Love your neighbor as yourself; it is a great rule…” There is nothing more than that. This is why the complete land of Israel is a desire that is fully corrected into being Yashar El, toward bonding with others. This point of this portion is to discover the Godliness in it—in connection, in Dvekut (adhesion).

Glossary of Terms Used in the Matot Weekly Torah Portion

• Tribe
• Vows
• Spoil
• Hagaalah of Kelim (dipping utensils in boiling water)
• A Kosher Kli
• Eastern Side of the Jordan
• Anger
• Matot (Tribes)

Tribe

A tribe is a group. Just as the body has systems such as the lymph system, the cardiovascular system, the nervous systems, etc., a tribe is one of the twelve systems that comprise the soul. The soul divides into twelve systems known as HBD, HGT, NHY. In each Yod–Hey–Vav–Hey there are three lines, which add up to twelve.

Vows

We cannot advance without them; it is a type of consideration toward the next degree. Although we do not know what it is, we still go for it. In spirituality, it is considered that one takes upon oneself a vow to correct oneself, and only afterward checks if this is at all possible.

Spoil

The spoil is the light received in the corrected Kelim in spirituality, the light of Hochma (wisdom) that dresses in light of Hassadim (mercy).

Hagaalah of Kelim (dipping utensils in boiling water)

Hagaalah is one of the forms of correcting our spiritual Kelim. We have Kelim on the still, vegetative, animate, and human levels. The desires divide into four degrees according to their Aviut (thickness). The Kelim that are similar to our Kelim are corrected through what is called Hagaalah.

A Kosher Kli

A Kosher Kli is a desire to receive that has acquired the intention to bestow. Conversely, a desire to receive that has the intention to receive is non-kosher.

Eastern Side of the Jordan

This is the part that still belongs to the land of Israel, but is in Tifferet of the world of Beria. It is written about it in the writings of the ARI and in The Study of the Ten Sefirot.

Anger

Increasing of the Gevurot in Malchut because they cannot receive for lack of Hassadim (mercy). In our world a person becomes angry for lack of light of Hassadim inside the Kli.

Matot (Tribes)

“‘I said, ‘Let a world of mercy be built.’’ Hesed (mercy) is one of the upper Sefirot of the king, a higher Sefira than the seven bottom Sefirot. The Creator named the soul of Israel Hesed on the condition that the Hesed will be built, and the Hesed will not be blotted out from the world.”

Zohar for All, Matot (Tribes), item 6

Hesed is the highest of the seven Sefirot, Hesed, Gevura, Tifferet, Netzah, Hod, Yesod, and Malchut. This is why Hesed is the top Sefira of the structure of the soul. It is in charge, drawing, and managing our entire process of correction. In this way, Hesed truly acts as Hesed (mercy).

Glossary of Terms Used in the Pinhas Weekly Torah Portion

• Covenant
• Everlasting Covenant
• Lot
• Family, the Family of Zelophehad, the Family of the Gershonites
• Changing
• Leader

Covenant

A covenant is the connection between the Creator and the creature. When people oppose one another, they are considered distant. The more alike they are, the closer they become. When they are similar in only one way, it is as though two circles begin to overlap. If they are completely equal, they are in a covenant, in unity. A covenant is unity. It is a match between the qualities of the creature and the qualities of the Creator. Achieving such a state makes a person similar to the Creator, and then that person is called Adam (man) from the word Domeh (similar).

Everlasting Covenant

An everlasting covenant is the one that the Creator had with Pinhas. It is a degree in which the quality that a person has acquired never disappears and never becomes corrupted.

Lot

A lot is the will to receive that has been corrected into working in order to bestow on a degree that does not disappear, and which does not need to be reacquired.

Family, the Family of Zelophehad, the Family of the Gershonites

The creature is only a single desire that was created, called “one soul.” That soul is divided into many interconnected parts, like cells in our bodies. Some cells are similar, close, helping and supporting one another, existing in wholeness and working in mutuality, in a special connection. These are called “family.”

These “cells” are parts of one soul that work among themselves in a special mutual work that is at the same time independent, like our children. We come from different areas and no one chooses anything, but it happens, according to the hierarchy by which we hang down through the worlds from above downward.

Changing

This is the next degree. Today a person is one way and tomorrow it is as though he is another way. He changes himself.

Leader

Each degree comprises ten Sefirot. Keter is the leader, the one who illuminates to all the degrees through Malchut, where the execution actually occurs. Keter has heads of tribes, hundreds, thousands, and so on, and in the end, the execution is in the people.

Glossary of Terms Used in the Balak Weekly Torah Portion

• King
• Messengers
• Curse
• Mare
• Angel
• Blocked Road
• Deviating from the Way
• Oath
• The Creator Plays with the Righteous in the Garden of Eden

King

The force that governs a degree.

Messengers

The forces by which actions are performed on a certain degree, a certain state of a person. A person’s state is called a “degree.” The one who governs each degree is called the “king of the degree,” which is usually the Sefira (singular of Sefirot) we call Keter (crown). The messengers are forces acting within that degree. By and large it is the eight Sefirot from Hochma to Yesod.

Curse

The egoistic force that works in order to receive, which governs a person, and for whom it acts as a curse.

Mare

Our substance, the donkey’s female. It is the actual will to receive that feels and distinguishes between the forces within us.

Angel

The force that acts in a degree and is directed by the ruler, the Keter, the king.

Blocked Road

The way by which one is going to correct one’s will to receive, with the intention to reach the next degree, greater Dvekut (adhesion), greater clarity of vision in spirituality, but he cannot reach it. That is, in this manner it is impossible to advance. A person finds that to reach the next degree, one needs a new substance.

Deviating from the Way

Advancing on the path toward bestowal when suddenly something goes awry and a person discovers he has strayed from the path. However, this discovery is already a correction in itself.

How is the discovery of the deviation a correction?

By discovering the deviation, a person knows how to continue. Our effort toward the goal is like a guided missile. The missile must constantly detect its deviations and correct them. If it moves in a straight line it cannot hit its target. It is the same for us: we cannot move in one straight line toward the goal. Rather, we must constantly examine our deviations, and only through them. This may seem like a contradiction, but only in this way do we advance toward the goal.

Oath

When the will to receive, Malchut, connects to Keter on a single axis and is ready to follow Keter’s will above reason.

The Creator Plays with the Righteous in the Garden of Eden

“Once the Creator smelled and played with them, and with all their secrets of wisdom, He appears before them and they see that pleasantness of the Creator. Then they all rejoice in great joy until their brightness and light spread. From that spreading, their brightness and light of their joy bear fruit and buds in the world, which are the souls, and those fruits come under the wings of Divinity until the proper time.”

Zohar for All, New Zohar, Balak, item 6

We are the broken souls in the worlds of Beria, Yetzira, and Assiya in this world. We must rise to the state of Malchut of Atzilut, to that Divinity—that correction—by connecting our souls in unity, in mutual guarantee. Along the way we will conquer the Sinai Desert and the Land of Israel.