Good And Evil

The Zohar, Chapter "VaYikra (The Lord Called)," Item 87: Since the Torah came out of Bina, the first tables were written from Bina, when it writes, "Harut [Engraved] on the tables," do not read it, Harut [engraved], with a Kamatz, but rather Herut [freedom], with a Tzereh. It is actual freedom since it is the place upon which all the freedom depends, for there is no freedom from all the Klipot unless through the lights of Bina. Also, there is nothing in the Torah that is divided or that does not go into one place, Malchut, or does not gather into one wellspring, which is Yesod.

We are the matter of creation, the will to enjoy, the will to fulfill ourselves. This desire is only able to receive. If the intention over this desire is "to receive for one's own sake," then we call this intention (but not the desire) "evil."

Desire is matter which does not change. It cannot be deemed good or bad. Only the intention determines whether the desire is good or bad. And therein lies our freedom of choice.

We don't have freedom of choice about our desires on the still, vegetative, and animate levels. We cannot change anything about those desires. This fact is also confirmed by all the scientific research. The only change we can possibly make is on the human level; we can change the intention above the desire.

The desire itself was created by the Creator and was given to us in an unchanging form. The intention above the desire that we were initially given is egoistic, "for our own sake." We have to realize that this intention is evil because it is aimed against unity, against bestowal to one's neighbor, and against bestowal to the Creator.

However, our intention can be made opposite: "for the sake of others," for the sake of bestowal. Then it is called, "the good inclination." Thus, the good inclination and the evil inclination, or good and evil, are defined according to one's intention. However, the "inclination" itself, the desire, is unchangeable. Everything is defined by the intention on the human level. The intention to become similar to the Creator is called good, and the opposite intention is called evil. The expression of the intention takes place through unity or through separation from others.

Therefore, out of all my intentions, I have to choose only the ones that give me freedom of choice: the freedom to unite with others through a shared intention for mutual bestowal. And we thereby become equal to the Creator.

This is our only chance to choose good or evil, whether in relation to our egoism or in relation to what the Creator places before us. Therefore, if we wish to correct ourselves, it can only be done by Bina, the upper quality of bestowal. When Bina comes to the will to enjoy, it transforms its evil quality into a good quality. That is to say, it changes the intention of reception to the intention of bestowal.

 -from the 1^st part of the Daily Kabbalah Lesson, 5/17/10

The Holiday Of The Giving Of The Torah

There is no holiday greater than the holiday of receiving the Torah. If not for the Torah, we would be confined to leading an animalistic existence for as long as the Earth goes "round."

Yet, we have received the opportunity to use the Upper Force and with its help, to enter the Upper Dimension, where we continue our existence and life in the spiritual dimension. We can go smoothly from our world and this reality that we now feel, to a new state, a different world or dimension that is in no way connected to the planet Earth and this universe. We can reveal our existence in an eternal and perfect form, complete harmony, without the limitations of the material world.

With the help of the Upper Force, we can reveal the passageway from our world and this flawed life, to a perfect existence. The means of making the transition from our dimension to the upper one is called "Torah." This is a special force that gradually changes us, leading us into a new state. To the degree we change, we smoothly make the shift to that state, until all of our "earthly" (egoistic) qualities change to spiritual, altruistic ones.

We then gain the opportunity to lead an eternal, perfect existence. Therefore, receiving this opportunity is the most important event of our life, a true holiday!

 -from the3^rdt part of the Daily Kabbalah Lesson, 5/17/10