Rabbi Yehudah Lev Ashlag, known as the "Baal Ha Sulam" (the
"Master of the Ladder,") taught the works of the Kabbalah within
the context of conscious work of self- transformation. He perceived the
great works of Kabbalah as being both descriptions of the cosmic reality
of the higher worlds down to this world and as being an inner road map for
the soul. He named his commentary on the Zohar, "the Ladder" as he saw it to be a ladder whereby the soul may ascend, rung by rung, back
to unity with the Creator.
He gave over this inner teaching in his lifetime as oral discourses to his
students, helping and guiding each one on their path according to the yearning
of their individual soul. Rabbi Baruch Ashlag, his first-born son, wrote
down many of these teachings and thus preserved an invaluable resource for
the application of the Kabbalah as a true spiritual practice. These discourses
are preserved in the book "Shamati"
Rabbi Baruch Ashlag, in his turn, wrote essays based on this oral transmission
of the inner work, which he distributed among his students on a weekly basis,
in order to help them in their own inner work of transformation. These have
now been published as the books "Bircat Shalom (Sefer Hama'marim)."
We ourselves, have the blessing to study with a student of Rabbi Baruch's
who emphasizes the importance of bringing the study of the Kabbalah down
from the head to the heart in our daily practice.
It is to this inner work of the Kabbalah that this part of the web-site
is dedicated. Here you will find one of Rabbi Baruch Ashlag's essays entitled
"The Right, the Left and the Bride in the Center."
In our own inner work we have responded to this article in different ways...
Mark has composed a meditation which he himself uses on a daily basis, and
Yedidah found within the article a set of affirmations which she uses. Both
these are expressions of our own individual, creative responses to this
essay which we are pleased to share with you. However, we are sure there
are more. If you find your own response echoing inside you we would be happy
to hear from you.