Foreword

• If you still ask yourself, "Where am I from?”, “Where has everything around me come from?", you cannot manage without this book.

• If you are interested in the world where you live and want to know what it is like – you cannot manage without this book.

• If you want to study Kabbalah or at least take an interest in it – you cannot manage without this book.

• If you have been studying Kabbalah for a long time or even started teaching it, again you will not manage without this book.

"The Preface to the Science of Kabbalah" is the principal article that helps man enter the world of Kabbalah. One of the greatest Kabbalists of all times, Rabbi Yehuda Leib Alevi Ashlag, wrote it as one of the introductions to The Book of Zohar. Without the comprehension of this article, it is impossible to understand correctly a word in The Book of Zohar.

Without this book, one cannot succeed in Kabbalah. It is the key to all Kabbalistic literature: to “The Study of the Ten Sefirot”, the principal modern Kabbalistic textbook, to the Book of Zohar, to the books of the great Ari. It is the key to the door that leads from our world to the spiritual world.

For a long time, I could not begin its translation and commentaries. My second book was an attempt to show the basic structure of the universe. It was published in 1983. In recent times, it has become very urgent to publish a textbook in English on the birth, basic structure, and correction of the worlds and souls.

It is hard and "clumsy" to describe Kabbalistic terms in translation, to relate Kabbalistic notions in another language. A Hebrew word contains endless information: its numeric meaning, transposition of letters, their inscription, and substitution of one kind of letter with another according to certain laws – all this makes it impossible to render in a different language.

To be honest, I had to receive my Teacher’s permission. My Teacher is Rabbi Baruch Shalom Alevi Ashlag - Baal HaSulam’s eldest son and the last Kabbalist of past generations. The period of the Descending Upper Wisdom stopped with him, and a new personal, group period of apprehending the creation has begun; it is the last stage of correction and its obvious manifestation.

I spent 12 years with my Teacher and he instructed me to continue the great mission of spreading Kabbalah in the world. I called my Kabbalistic School Bnei Baruch, in his honor. This school is open to anyone who really wants to study and devote himself to the ascent to the Upper worlds.

The material of the book was tape-recorded during my studies with beginners. It was typed, translated from Hebrew, proofread, edited, and prepared for publishing by dozens of my students. I am very glad that they participated in the publishing of this and other books, since those who circulate Kabbalah receive spiritual reward from above, i.e., advancement.

The book contains the original (Hebrew) text of the article “The Preface to the Wisdom of Kabbalah” by Rabbi Y. Ashlag and its translation (in italics), supplemented by my commentaries (in regular print).

Drawings of every spiritual process were specially made for this book. It also contains 52 lectures, delivered by me on the article “The Preface to the Wisdom of Kabbalah”; fourteen lessons on “The Introduction to the Commentaries of the Sulam”; four talks on the “Preface to the Preface to the Wisdom of Kabbalah", and other pertinent information.

A great spiritual wealth needed for self-knowledge and advancement to spirituality is found in this book. The rest depends on the reader!

My students and I are grateful to the Creator for the opportunity to publish this book, for the chance to reveal Kabbalah to the English reader, opening thereby the source of attaining Perfection, Happiness, and Eternity.

We invite you to travel to the unknown upper worlds, which are awaiting you and to reveal their secrets to all those, who really desire it.

M. Laitman