The Four Types Of Giving According to the Kabbalah

In this work, I want to share a simple and important teaching of Rav Ashlag on how receiving and giving can be fundamental components of soul refinement.

Of the (4) major schools of Kabbalistic thought branching from Rabbi Isaac Luria, Rav Ashlag is often mentioned as a 5th. It is not that these schools teach vastly different ideas—their focus on different aspects might lend these teachings to different audiences.

Thus, Rav Yehuda Ashlag is renowned for his efforts to make deep spiritual teachings accessible to broader audiences, enabling their development in our time.

The Simple Things

If you have noticed, it is often the simplest and easiest to overlook things that can make the biggest impact on our growth. It is the irony of how the world has been created.

This is the key: it is the things we don't expect, didn't plan for, or the little things we are not paying attention to that will become the most powerful catalysts of progress.

However, more often than not, we tend to seek out the loftiest and hidden concepts, the newest trends, or the most significant milestones we think will lead us forward. But it is these everyday, almost subconscious actions that truly propel us.

One of the most powerful aspects is found at the interaction points in how we engage with the world.

This is the give and take of how we interact with others, the cycle of how we receive and what we do with that which we've been given.

This is important because this is where our soul³ (Neshamah) expresses itself in this world of physicality.

For this reason, the Bible demonstrates the importance of giving - but before you get nervous about where I am going with this, giving can mean more than simply financial.

We can give to others through our attention, letting others benefit from things we pass on, serving, hosting, helping, praying for, and other means of sharing our resources.

Though, for the sake of simplicity, we'll stick to the metaphor of money. ;)

The Kabbalah of Giving

For many people, the idea of giving means donating large sums of money to organizations in need. With this ideal in mind, giving in small amounts almost does not seem to compare. And, considering most do not have large sums of money lying around, we may hold out on giving until we strike it rich and can afford the former approach.

The secret is this, the amount is not the part that elevates us, it is the practice of putting resources back into the world. When executed correctly, it becomes an opportunity to draw down spiritual energy we may not otherwise access.

On the other hand, if we focus on the wrong aspect, it is possible to give incredibly large amounts with no spiritual oomph behind it.

Four Types of Giving

In his teachings, Rav Ashlag identifies (4) developmental stages of receiving and giving. All of these are based on the premise that the Creator gives for us to share with others. We receive so that we can give.

Stage 1. Giving for One's Own Benefit

The first type of giving is giving with the expectation of personal gain, whether it be material benefit, recognition, praise, or even spiritual reward. In other words, giving with expectations.

While this type of giving is often criticized for being self-serving, Rav Ashlag suggests it is a valid starting point in the journey of spiritual growth.

In stage 1, one begins to understand the mechanics of giving and receiving, establishing a preliminary connection with the Creator through the action.

In the Sefirot⁴, this moves one from the level of Malchut into the six emotive sefirot.

Through stage 1 giving, we begin to awaken to the interconnectedness of actions and outcomes.