Q: Does the collective Providence still influence a person who’s begun to study Kabbalah, or is he now only under private Providence?
A: What is the meaning of the study of Kabbalah? When we begin our studies, according to our progress in life, we begin to aim his actions toward the goal, which is to attain a spiritual contact with the Creator. We go under private Providence exactly to that extent, which is the purpose of our search, though it is still unconscious.
If we read only genuine books about the spiritual world, if that is what we find interesting, we are already under the private Providence of the Creator. The Creator guides everyone, but he guides us personally.
Every soul receives the Light from above with growing intensity, and therefore develops in accordance with the purpose of creation. It is called “collective Providence.” But when He takes us out of the ranks to promote us faster and pull us toward Him, that is called “private Providence.”
In a state of “private Providence,” we begin to feel ups and downs. These will be expressed in our sensation of the Creator or its absence, according to our own attributes. We will stop looking at life as others do.
While others say, “Thank God another day went by. I stayed healthy, I did a few things,” we, on the other hand, will start evaluating ourselves in greater detail: “Am I closer to the Creator today? Do I have a desire for Him?” Even if our evaluations are negative, they are nonetheless a testimony to our progress.