The Kabbalah and what it means
Kabbalah, in Hebrew language, means "to receive". It is one of the mystical aspects of Judaism that shows a set of teachings defining the inner sense of Rabbinic
Literature and Hebrew Bible. It also gives an explanation on Jewish religious observances and significance.
For many people, Kabbalah associates with thoughts on nature of divinity, origin and creation, fate of souls, and role of human beings. Also, it is a school of
thought that includes devotional, meditative, mystical and magical practices, which were taught
only to selected people because it is said that Kabbalah is regarded as esoteric off shoot of Judaism.
In the Kabbalah, we learn about the creation story. In the creation story, we come into manifestation
from what the Kabbalah calls the great Ayn-Sof (Ein Sof or Ain Sof), which literally means without end
or boundlessness. This is the unknowable nothingness aspect of God. In this understanding, we then
differentiate from the oneness of the Ayn-Sof into duality. This is the creation of opposites. That is how
we have night and day ... happy and sad.
Physics, religion, science, biology, spirituality, philosophy and astrology rooted in Kabbalah. It is like branches of the tree that emerge from a single seed.
It profoundly influenced the greatest personalities we ever known including great thinkers of history such as Abraham, Moises, Plato, Pythagoras and many more.
It is believed that Kabbalah contains big, deep secrets of the universe. It may reveal to us the long-hidden keys to the clandestine of
the cosmos, as well as the keys to the underlying mysteries of the human heart and soul. It is neither a religion nor a
sect. It is a technology, a practical application of learned possessions from the kabbalistics perceptions that can be applied
in life and practice. In simple words, Kabbalah is an overview of spiritual laws which may help and support you in a path towards success and fulfillment.
Title page of first edition of the Zohar, Mantua, 1558. Library of Congress
Kabbalah uses Oral Torah as its way of describing and illustrating its principles. In 11th
century, Solomon Ibn Gabirol has discovered the way of Kabbalah and passed it on to
Bahya Ben Asher who have continued the legacy of these teachings in 13th century.
Since Kabbalah teaching is an aspect of knowledge, it possess different books to lay
down evidence and prove of its very existence. Some of these books have become the
foundation of Kabbalah teachings such as the Book of Creation; Zohar; and other books
published in 16th to 18th centuries. The Zohar is an ancient text that is considered by many
to be the quintessential book of spiritual wisdom.
The Biblical phenomenon of the Jewish prophecy is also influenced by Kabbalah. A prophet was individually chosen by God
as a mouthpiece, then there was the insinuation of God, being the one to be approached. Some Kabbalists believed that there
were the inheritors of the power and responsibility handed down to the prophets and it is not impossible that this was a fact in
case.
Abraham, is believed, was one of the very first Kabbalists, some 3800 years ago. As the
ancient Midrash (writings that examine the Hebrew Bible in light of the oral tradition) tells
us, Abraham lived in Mesopotamia, in the city of Urof the Chaldees, and as all inhabitants
of Mesopotamia, he worshiped the sun, the moon, the stones, and the trees. But one day
he began wondering: "How was the world created? Why does everything 'spin' around us?
What generates the flow of life?"
In Kabbalistic scheme, God is neither matter nor spirit, but the creator of both. It has two aspects. First is that God is the
ultimate unknowable. Second is that God created universe, preserves the universe, and interacts with it. This is quite confusing
to many, but Bnei Baruch will help you to understand completely.
Kabbalists believed that everything is linked to God through emanations. These emanations make all levels in the Creation
part of one great descending chain of being. By these connections, everyone on the chain reflects a particular characteristic in Supernal Divinity.
They bring the wisdom of Kabbalah out of its box and enhance its desperately needed expansion. They clear
all misconceptions that have been attached to Kabbalah over the years. They are also referred to as the wisdom of Kabbalah,
methodologists that correct man and the world and emphasizes that Kabbalah is needed by the humanity just like they needed
air to breath.