The Need In Studying The Zohar

Question by a Student: Will the fact that we are about to begin studying The Book of Zohar and broadcast it on television, the internet, etc. speed up the process of revealing the spiritual reality?

Answer by Dr. Michael Laitman: Of course. Only for that we are doing this. This is the only reason. I hope that in the force that we generate from reading in this book that we will be able to connect to us all the people who will join this study from all over the world. That is because The Book of Zohar must unite everyone. Moreover, a brief introduction prior to the study will not suffice, but every time during the study we will need to mention that we are studying this book in order to connect. Only in the connection between people The Zohar can be realized. That is because The Zohar speaks about the connection in which the Creator is revealed.

The Zohar was entirely intended for the revelation of Godliness, which is revealed in the connection between the parts of the single Kli (vessel). How can we attain that? The Zohar is built in a way that it transforms the language of the Bible into a form that we can grasp - into the language of Kabbalah, and from that into a more inner form, into the language of our inner emotion - and then we can begin to feel in us and between us those discernments. This is how we open the concealed reality and enter it.

We hope that the whole world will connect to us, and together with us, enter the revelation of this Upper, Eternal, and complete reality, which is concealed for now. But when it will be revealed, it will be called "the Creator's revelation to the creature in this world." This is the whole need of opening The Zohar.

It Takes Preparation To Tune Into The Book Of Zohar

Question from a Student: What is the use of studying The Book of Zohar in our times? Do you have to study it to attain spirituality?

My Answer: Yes, the time has now arrived to study The Book of Zohar. I waited for this a long time, because we had to go through a preparation period. Now we have reached a state where a great mass of people all over the world is able to ascend up the spiritual ladder. This is why the commentary to The Book of Zohar is called Sulam - The Ladder.

That is why we are starting to study The Book of Zohar together now. Every person who joins us for this study, and who is able to nullify himself like a baby in order to study together with us, will be able to break through into the sensation of what The Zohar describes.

The Zohar cannot be studied with the mind because it speaks to a person's heart and develops his sensations. The aim of this is to let him feel two qualities: bestowal and reception. That is why Baal HaSulam named his commentary to The Zohar "Sulam" - The Ladder.

In addition, The Zohar cannot be studied on your own, but only in a group. In fact, that is how it was written, by a group of ten Kabbalists whose souls were completely united. The ten Kabbalists who wrote The Zohar made up a spiritual vessel comprised of the ten main Sefirot. Each of them represented one Sefira, or one special force of the wholesome vessel (Kli) that was created by the Creator. Therefore, if we aspire to become such a wholesome vessel, then we will be able to receive this message from them, and it will influence us.

If we try to study The Zohar in a group now, we will quickly feel how the force concealed in this book connects us. And to the degree we unite, we will be able to accept and understand its message. Actually, we will be able to feel it, because understanding happens through the heart. There are specific desires that are organized particularly in order to understand the spiritual message.

It is impossible to attain The Zohar with dry reason. There has to be a group that has gone through a great path of preparation, whose members have already tried to attain spirituality through other means and have been freed of their delusions. They have discerned many things and are ready to cancel themselves because they understand that alone, with their individual forces, they cannot achieve anything. Then, they are ready to start studying The Zohar and to tune into it.