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?