|
A Tapestry for the Soul
Introduction to the Zohar
Semester one What is our essence? The role we each play in the great chain of humanity The Purpose of Creation The extraordinary association of the soul and the body. Semester two The rectification (tikkun) of Creation What brings us closer to God, what separates us The evil in the world and the framework of evil. Suffering, its cause and purpose Semester three Free will The role of the mitzvot (conscious acts of giving benefit) in healing the will to receive for oneself alone The true nature of the body How desire begets needs and needs begets thoughts how to fulfill those desires The differences between people Semester four The language of the branches The revival of the dead The true goal and fulfilment of the will to receive The parts of our lives Semester five The purpose of the higher worlds The relationship of the soul with the higher worlds The lights of the Sephirot, the vessels and the worlds The ascension of the soul Semester six The holographic nature of reality The revelation of the Kabbalah in our generation How the work of the individual influences the whole Conduct of the Course: We read the text and work to understand Rabbi Ashlag’s intention. We then look at how the concepts learned apply (or not) to our own lives. The course is conducted in groups. Groups develop a dynamic of their own and thus the pace is largely set by the interests of the participants. The topics are built up from the beginning of the course and therefore it is important to be involved right from the very beginning of the course. Each class lasts one hour in which we learn from text with time for discussion and questions. We learn with three specific questions in mind: 1) What is Rabbi Ashlag saying? 2) What is Rabbi Ashlag saying to me? 3) What am I going to do about it? |
