Commemorating Baal HaSulam: The Great Kabbalist Who Paved the Way to Life’s Purpose
Today, we commemorate the passing of Kabbalist Yehuda Ashlag, known as “Baal HaSulam” for his monumental “Sulam” (“Ladder”) commentary to The Book of Zohar. He was a spiritual giant whose teachings continue to guide anyone who seeks life’s meaning and purpose. Reflecting on his life and work, I am filled with reverence for the mission he undertook and the path he forged for us all. Baal HaSulam laid down a clear and practical method for anyone who wishes to attain spirituality — the eternal and perfect reality above our transient corporeal world, where we enter into balance with the spiritual forces of love, bestowal, and connection.
Baal HaSulam’s impact on humanity cannot be overstated. Before him, the path of spiritual development was like an unmarked road — full of mystery, with few signs to show the way. His writings opened up the wisdom of Kabbalah to everyone. He decoded the complex and concealed language of Kabbalah, translating it into a method that anyone can apply in their lives to rise above their ego, connect with others, and discover the positive forces of love and bestowal dwelling in nature.
I was asked in today’s daily Kabbalah lesson as to whether Baal HaSulam succeeded in his mission. I cannot fully know what his ultimate mission was, but I can say that he brought spirituality down to earth. He gave us the tools to start our journey toward unraveling the laws of nature, guiding us on how to calibrate ourselves to connect with each other and with the force of connection in nature, and by doing so, fulfill life’s ultimate purpose. His writings are like a map, showing us how to rise above our self-aimed desires and unite with one another, which is the key to spiritual progress.
One of the most fundamental aspects of Baal HaSulam’s teachings is the centrality of connection between people. He emphasized spiritual progress as increasing connection with each other and with the force of connection in nature. This connection is not abstract. We experience it through our relationships, and by striving for unity with others, we elevate ourselves to a level where we enter into balance with nature’s laws.
Baal HaSulam emphasized this centrality of human connection in his teaching as the need to achieve “love your friend as yourself” as a means of achieving balance with nature, which he also called “adhesion with the Creator.” According to Baal HaSulam, such connection is the foundation of spiritual development. When we connect “as one man with one heart,” we form a collective vessel that can draw the positive force of connection dwelling in nature, or in other words, that can receive the Creator’s light. Baal HaSulam understood that humanity’s greatest challenge is to overcome the ego, the force that separates us from one another, and left his method to help us rise above this ego and experience the oneness that lies at the heart of creation.
What strikes me significantly about Baal HaSulam is that, despite his immense spiritual attainment, he dedicated his life to making this wisdom accessible to everyone. He had the ability to see into the distant future, understanding that humanity would eventually reach a stage where spiritual development would be necessary for survival. He worked tirelessly to prepare us for that moment, creating a method suitable for anyone — religious or secular, learned or unlearned — who feels the call to connect with something higher.
On this Memorial Day of Baal HaSulam’s passing, we must reflect on what it means to truly follow in his footsteps. It means not only studying his writings but striving to implement them in our lives, and working to increase our connection with one another, knowing that through this unity, we will come closer to balance with nature’s laws — adhesion with the Creator. Baal HaSulam left us the edge of a rope that leads to the spiritual heights. All who wish to rise to such heights just need to learn how to grip onto it.
His legacy lives on through every motion we make to connect, and every step we take toward entering into balance with nature’s laws of love, bestowal, and connection. As we commemorate his passing, we recommit ourselves to continuing the work he began, hoping that, through our efforts to connect, we will succeed in bringing his vision to life — for ourselves, for the people of Israel, and for all of humanity.