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porkchop & Yuvgotmel
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yuvgotmel
Well-Known Member
Wow... Core beliefs of the Kabbalah. That is a fairly broad question. I'll refine it into a few key categories that I will continue to speak about (and more) throughout this thread. Give me a hour or so and I'll have my first official posted response to this thread. I'm going to compile some data which may also give you some things that will spark more questions.
Throughout this thread, I will not be offended by questions and I promise to answer your questions to the best of my ability. I will, at least, attempt to answer your questions if I do not know an answer, even to the point of doing a bit of research or asking others if needed. I do not hide behind some invisible diety and defer inquiries elsewhere, as that is not a part of my views whatsoever.
By the way, thanks for asking!
Throughout this thread, I will not be offended by questions and I promise to answer your questions to the best of my ability. I will, at least, attempt to answer your questions if I do not know an answer, even to the point of doing a bit of research or asking others if needed. I do not hide behind some invisible diety and defer inquiries elsewhere, as that is not a part of my views whatsoever.
By the way, thanks for asking!
yuvgotmel
Well-Known Member
The Kabbalah is essentially made up of three key books:
I use the spelling Kabbalah which denotes Jewish mysticism. However, there are other spellings of the same word, each denoting their interpretation or association. For example, you might also see the word spelled as Qabalah, which is the spelling used when it is linked with its Egyptian roots and also among occultists such as Israel Regardie and Dion Fortune, to name a couple.
The Kabbalah is NOT a religion; it is a path or an understanding, a way to interpret the world around and it has a goal of unity with the divine force (i.e. the Supernal Union).
Among the Jews and branches and sects within Judaism, the Kabbalah is often discouraged and even verbally forbidden by the rabbis. The only branch or sect of Judaism that I know of that openly teaches the Kabbalah and reads passages from The Zohar in their services to all congregants are the Chassidic Jewish sect of the Orthodoxy branch.
Many Jews and rabbis often associate the Kabbalah with witchcraft, magic and things of the occult nature. They are not incorrect in saying that. The Kabbalah does technically teach occult knowledge. Occult here meaning hidden knowledge. However, over time, the word occult has taken on a negative connotation, having been demonized and the followers persecuted especially in Western culture, especially by the rise in power of the Roman Catholic Church. Therefore, nowadays, many people shrivel at the word occult, thinking it means something evil. Many of the rabbis, for whatever reason(s), were influenced by this message and currently attempt to dissuade their congregations from studying the Kabbalah.
In Judaism, the rabbis often teach that a person must meet the following requirements in order to be worthy of studying the Kabbalah: 1) must be male; 2) must be married; 3) must be at least 40 years old; and 4) must have studied Torah all their life. If that sounds a bit ridiculous to you, then it is as it should be. Those requirements, though not written, but orally communicated, are attempts merely to dissuade; however there is no official ban on the Kabbalah within Judaism (to my knowledge).
As I stated before, your question is very broad. You asked if I could define the core beliefs of the Kabbalah. I will attempt to define a few, which I will discuss in further detail as this thread continues. It is my hope that this discussion will spark questions in your mind and others as we continue. I am happy to speak about such things; however, it is difficult, at times, because the occult knowledge has been so well-misplaced, intentionally, over the centuries, in order to keep the masses from the understanding of their interactive worlds and to also keep people from gaining access to the kingdom of heaven that is inside you, as even Jesus taught.
The Zohar is the primary book of the Kabbalistic teachings. And within Judaism, both the Talmud and the Chassidic commentary The Tanya can be used as additional reading materials. The Zohar is a quite interesting read, but it can be very difficult to comprehend for those who lack the unique perspective of Hellenistic culture. The Zohar is a long dialogue between Jewish sages/rabbis who speak in both a direct and indirect manner concerning the greatest mysteries that had been passed down in mystical sects for hundreds, even thousands of years prior to their being written down, in order to preserve the knowledge when they were facing the real possibility of being killed for their beliefs after the rise of Christianity.
Some of the topics covered in the 5 English-translated volumes of The Zohar are listed here: http://www.littman.co.uk/cat/pop/tishby-contents.html
As you can see from the link given, it is quite extensive, and explains all sorts of things, such as the mystical meanings for the dimensions and structure of the temple and the subsequent magical purposes of animal sacrifices. It goes in-depth about the creation of man, especially with consideration to mans divinity. And nearly from cover to cover, it beautifully expresses the Supernal Union (Intercourse) with the Shekhinah. Jewish mysticism concentrates heavily on the union of right and left, heaven and earth, male and female, spirit and man, equal and non-equal, good and evil and so forth.
Though I am strongly acquainted with Jewish mysticism, I do believe as Israeli Regardi and other scholars have taught: The Kabbalah predates Judaism, and its roots are in Egypt, as it is said that Moses brought the Kabbalistic teachings from Egypt, after he (Moses) was most assuredly taught by the magical practices. Therefore, I also ascribe to a broader understanding of the Kabbalah to include more modern terms such as Sexual Alchemy, which is a term used much later on in history. Similar teachings to the Kabbalah and are often used when studying Qabalistic teachings, include, but are not limited to: Gnosticism, Hermeticism, Greek mythology (to a degree), Egyptian beliefs and so on.
I realize that all this is a lot of stuff to throw on you at one time initially. So, I encourage you to mull over these things and scan, if you will, this page too, which is not complete, however it describes Sexual Alchemy in the Kabbalah quite well. http://www.spirit-of-the-torah.com/sexual_alchemy.html
- The Zohar [made up of (I think) 22 volumes in Hebrew, of which there are 5 volumes translated into English]
- The Bahir Illumination
- Sefer Yetzirah: The Book of Creation
I use the spelling Kabbalah which denotes Jewish mysticism. However, there are other spellings of the same word, each denoting their interpretation or association. For example, you might also see the word spelled as Qabalah, which is the spelling used when it is linked with its Egyptian roots and also among occultists such as Israel Regardie and Dion Fortune, to name a couple.
The Kabbalah is NOT a religion; it is a path or an understanding, a way to interpret the world around and it has a goal of unity with the divine force (i.e. the Supernal Union).
Among the Jews and branches and sects within Judaism, the Kabbalah is often discouraged and even verbally forbidden by the rabbis. The only branch or sect of Judaism that I know of that openly teaches the Kabbalah and reads passages from The Zohar in their services to all congregants are the Chassidic Jewish sect of the Orthodoxy branch.
Many Jews and rabbis often associate the Kabbalah with witchcraft, magic and things of the occult nature. They are not incorrect in saying that. The Kabbalah does technically teach occult knowledge. Occult here meaning hidden knowledge. However, over time, the word occult has taken on a negative connotation, having been demonized and the followers persecuted especially in Western culture, especially by the rise in power of the Roman Catholic Church. Therefore, nowadays, many people shrivel at the word occult, thinking it means something evil. Many of the rabbis, for whatever reason(s), were influenced by this message and currently attempt to dissuade their congregations from studying the Kabbalah.
In Judaism, the rabbis often teach that a person must meet the following requirements in order to be worthy of studying the Kabbalah: 1) must be male; 2) must be married; 3) must be at least 40 years old; and 4) must have studied Torah all their life. If that sounds a bit ridiculous to you, then it is as it should be. Those requirements, though not written, but orally communicated, are attempts merely to dissuade; however there is no official ban on the Kabbalah within Judaism (to my knowledge).
As I stated before, your question is very broad. You asked if I could define the core beliefs of the Kabbalah. I will attempt to define a few, which I will discuss in further detail as this thread continues. It is my hope that this discussion will spark questions in your mind and others as we continue. I am happy to speak about such things; however, it is difficult, at times, because the occult knowledge has been so well-misplaced, intentionally, over the centuries, in order to keep the masses from the understanding of their interactive worlds and to also keep people from gaining access to the kingdom of heaven that is inside you, as even Jesus taught.
The Zohar is the primary book of the Kabbalistic teachings. And within Judaism, both the Talmud and the Chassidic commentary The Tanya can be used as additional reading materials. The Zohar is a quite interesting read, but it can be very difficult to comprehend for those who lack the unique perspective of Hellenistic culture. The Zohar is a long dialogue between Jewish sages/rabbis who speak in both a direct and indirect manner concerning the greatest mysteries that had been passed down in mystical sects for hundreds, even thousands of years prior to their being written down, in order to preserve the knowledge when they were facing the real possibility of being killed for their beliefs after the rise of Christianity.
Some of the topics covered in the 5 English-translated volumes of The Zohar are listed here: http://www.littman.co.uk/cat/pop/tishby-contents.html
As you can see from the link given, it is quite extensive, and explains all sorts of things, such as the mystical meanings for the dimensions and structure of the temple and the subsequent magical purposes of animal sacrifices. It goes in-depth about the creation of man, especially with consideration to mans divinity. And nearly from cover to cover, it beautifully expresses the Supernal Union (Intercourse) with the Shekhinah. Jewish mysticism concentrates heavily on the union of right and left, heaven and earth, male and female, spirit and man, equal and non-equal, good and evil and so forth.
Though I am strongly acquainted with Jewish mysticism, I do believe as Israeli Regardi and other scholars have taught: The Kabbalah predates Judaism, and its roots are in Egypt, as it is said that Moses brought the Kabbalistic teachings from Egypt, after he (Moses) was most assuredly taught by the magical practices. Therefore, I also ascribe to a broader understanding of the Kabbalah to include more modern terms such as Sexual Alchemy, which is a term used much later on in history. Similar teachings to the Kabbalah and are often used when studying Qabalistic teachings, include, but are not limited to: Gnosticism, Hermeticism, Greek mythology (to a degree), Egyptian beliefs and so on.
I realize that all this is a lot of stuff to throw on you at one time initially. So, I encourage you to mull over these things and scan, if you will, this page too, which is not complete, however it describes Sexual Alchemy in the Kabbalah quite well. http://www.spirit-of-the-torah.com/sexual_alchemy.html
yuvgotmel
Well-Known Member
I thought that I should add a few more things. Having spoken to you in chat, I am getting a better perspective of your background.
The Kabbalah, as I have said, is not a religion. It is a compilation of mystical teachings and interpretations of the Torah, based upon attributes as described in the 10 Emanations of the Sephirot.
Kabbalists and Qabalists dont spend much time arguing over doctrine, as there is none. There may be some debates on interpretations, but those are usually pointless, as interpretations can be widely different as long as they adhere to the attributes of the Sephirot.
Divination Methods:
One of the key parts to the Kabbalah is the Gematria, which is the method of using pattern recognition of Hebrew charactersthat have both a numeric and alphabetic valueto assimilate conclusions from otherwise obscure relations. Numerology is a similar concept, but it does not often have the rigorous definitions as those found in Torah and the Kabbalistic interpretations. Gematria could be considered a form of divination. The Gematria is much more accepted in the branches and sects of Judaism than some of the other practices of the Kabbalistic teachings.
There are other divination methods taught, such as, but not limited to: dowsing, divining for water, crystal use, pendulums, Tarot cards, palmistry, cledonomancy, hydromancy, and much more. Several of these can be easily discovered in the pages of the interpretations within the Kabbalistic teachings from books such as The Zohar.
Kabbalah and god:
The Zohar, in its usual direct and indirect manner, explains that manonce joined with angelic soulis a part of the Elohim, being a co-creator and architect of reality through consciousness. [This mimics some of the Freemasonry beliefs as well. It also gets into cutting-edge sciences that deal with morphogenic fields, electrons and consciousness, and so much more.]
My personal view of god is quite complex and simple at the same time. I believe that the word/term god is quite inadequate to explain an all-sustaining force that has no name. The word god to me describes a creator being that is also itself created. The highest force that sustains all things seen and unseen, in my opinion, has no beginning and no end. It is neither created nor can it be destroyed. It does not require worship. It does not judge and it does not think. It does not ponder, muse or observe. The highest force is a set of attributes of the highest order and those are listed above in the Sephirot.
Therefore, god is one; god is many; god is all; god is nothing. The Sephirot is all-encompassing and it is a goal of all created things to strive towards and the sustaining force for all things.
Thats my opinion on the matter, which is no matter at all.
Kabbalah and Science:
Speaking of matter and even dark matter, in recent years, I have listened to and read some modern scientists agree that the Kabbalists have been, for thousands of years, describing what science is only now learning to be true. I could refer you to some of those scientists at a later time in this thread, if you are interested.
Jewish Kabbalistic History:
Jewish mysticism has a rich and complex history as Judaism spread throughout the ancient world from B.C.E. era(s) to more modern history throughout Europe. As far as Jewish Kabbalism goes, I would recommend interested persons to read a book written by a good friend of mine, From Darkness to the Light: A Personal Journey through Kabbalah, by Arthur Sherman. He details the various movements and mystical schools built to teach the ancient ways and how those teachings have transcended to our current time.
The Kabbalah, as I have said, is not a religion. It is a compilation of mystical teachings and interpretations of the Torah, based upon attributes as described in the 10 Emanations of the Sephirot.
- Kether = The Crown
- Chockmah = Wisdom (feminine Hebrew word in singular form)
- Binah = Understanding
- Chesed = Mercy
- Geburah = Strength
- Tiphareth = Beauty
- Netzach = Victory
- Hod = Splendor
- Yesod = Foundation
- Malkuth = Kingdom
Kabbalists and Qabalists dont spend much time arguing over doctrine, as there is none. There may be some debates on interpretations, but those are usually pointless, as interpretations can be widely different as long as they adhere to the attributes of the Sephirot.
Divination Methods:
One of the key parts to the Kabbalah is the Gematria, which is the method of using pattern recognition of Hebrew charactersthat have both a numeric and alphabetic valueto assimilate conclusions from otherwise obscure relations. Numerology is a similar concept, but it does not often have the rigorous definitions as those found in Torah and the Kabbalistic interpretations. Gematria could be considered a form of divination. The Gematria is much more accepted in the branches and sects of Judaism than some of the other practices of the Kabbalistic teachings.
There are other divination methods taught, such as, but not limited to: dowsing, divining for water, crystal use, pendulums, Tarot cards, palmistry, cledonomancy, hydromancy, and much more. Several of these can be easily discovered in the pages of the interpretations within the Kabbalistic teachings from books such as The Zohar.
Kabbalah and god:
The Zohar, in its usual direct and indirect manner, explains that manonce joined with angelic soulis a part of the Elohim, being a co-creator and architect of reality through consciousness. [This mimics some of the Freemasonry beliefs as well. It also gets into cutting-edge sciences that deal with morphogenic fields, electrons and consciousness, and so much more.]
My personal view of god is quite complex and simple at the same time. I believe that the word/term god is quite inadequate to explain an all-sustaining force that has no name. The word god to me describes a creator being that is also itself created. The highest force that sustains all things seen and unseen, in my opinion, has no beginning and no end. It is neither created nor can it be destroyed. It does not require worship. It does not judge and it does not think. It does not ponder, muse or observe. The highest force is a set of attributes of the highest order and those are listed above in the Sephirot.
Therefore, god is one; god is many; god is all; god is nothing. The Sephirot is all-encompassing and it is a goal of all created things to strive towards and the sustaining force for all things.
Thats my opinion on the matter, which is no matter at all.
Kabbalah and Science:
Speaking of matter and even dark matter, in recent years, I have listened to and read some modern scientists agree that the Kabbalists have been, for thousands of years, describing what science is only now learning to be true. I could refer you to some of those scientists at a later time in this thread, if you are interested.
Jewish Kabbalistic History:
Jewish mysticism has a rich and complex history as Judaism spread throughout the ancient world from B.C.E. era(s) to more modern history throughout Europe. As far as Jewish Kabbalism goes, I would recommend interested persons to read a book written by a good friend of mine, From Darkness to the Light: A Personal Journey through Kabbalah, by Arthur Sherman. He details the various movements and mystical schools built to teach the ancient ways and how those teachings have transcended to our current time.
porkchop
I'm Heffer!!!
hey, mel, ive looked at the two sites, one of them was way too intellectual and the one on sexual alchemy is confussing,im unsure ive gotten a good understanding of it. Please could you really simplify things, is there a book, "kabbalah for dummies" out there??? I'm gonna go on the net to see if i can find something a bit easy going on it.
Be back later!!
Be back later!!
yuvgotmel
Well-Known Member
Dear Porkchop,
Unlike a preacher or missionary telling me what to think, I watch my surroundings and I also monitor my reactions to it (my thoughts, feelings, etc.). I could read a thousand pages and understand nothing, unless I have first experienced it. The words on the pages have no meaning except the value that comes from my interpretation. Therefore, the books have no value except when needing quotes later on. The same sentence can change meaning many times for a single individual as they move forward on their spiritual and/or intellectual path. I can only comprehend what I already know.
[As far as a "Kabbalah for Dummies": There is the Madonna and Britney Spears version. The Kabbalah Centre in Hollywood makes the Kabbalah very easy to understand: Teach the people nothing. Sell a bunch of useless stuff.]
Even though the Kabbalah does address cause & effect, nature of man and universal laws, it is more fluid than a precision-cut set of beliefs. The Kabbalah is an understanding. As I said before, I can only comprehend what I already know. No rabbi can teach me, but he might be able to inspire my memory. No book can give me wisdom (Chockmah), but, in reading it, questions and thoughts can arise in my own mind. However, that is not the same as understanding (Binah), which is attained through mystical revelation upon observation of the world and monitoring our responses (on a spiritual and intellectual level--akin to a version of the scientific method which holds the attributes, listed in the Sephirot, in the highest regards).
Unlike a preacher or missionary telling me what to think, I watch my surroundings and I also monitor my reactions to it (my thoughts, feelings, etc.). I could read a thousand pages and understand nothing, unless I have first experienced it. The words on the pages have no meaning except the value that comes from my interpretation. Therefore, the books have no value except when needing quotes later on. The same sentence can change meaning many times for a single individual as they move forward on their spiritual and/or intellectual path. I can only comprehend what I already know.
[As far as a "Kabbalah for Dummies": There is the Madonna and Britney Spears version. The Kabbalah Centre in Hollywood makes the Kabbalah very easy to understand: Teach the people nothing. Sell a bunch of useless stuff.]
Even though the Kabbalah does address cause & effect, nature of man and universal laws, it is more fluid than a precision-cut set of beliefs. The Kabbalah is an understanding. As I said before, I can only comprehend what I already know. No rabbi can teach me, but he might be able to inspire my memory. No book can give me wisdom (Chockmah), but, in reading it, questions and thoughts can arise in my own mind. However, that is not the same as understanding (Binah), which is attained through mystical revelation upon observation of the world and monitoring our responses (on a spiritual and intellectual level--akin to a version of the scientific method which holds the attributes, listed in the Sephirot, in the highest regards).
yuvgotmel
Well-Known Member
Dear porkchop,
Those are really good questions!! The answers depend on who you ask too.
If you were to ask a Chassidic rabbi (the same question), the answer would probably go along the lines of: If the student of the Kabbalah is a Jew, then all the Jewish rituals apply, such as mikvah (similar to baptism, but on a routine basis), wearing the Tefillin (for prayers), lighting candles on the Sabbath, and so on. However, if the student of the Kabbalah is a Noachide, then that person may study, pray and meditate as they see fit.
If the Kabbalah or Qabalah is incorporated into occult studies and practices, I do not know of any specific rituals that must be followed except meditation.
Practices taught in the Kabbalah, such as, meditating on the YHVH and the Sephirot, divination, working with the energies of crystals, contacting intelligences in the astral planes, and more are all permissible and encouraged but no person must do those things.
There is a great book by Rabbi Aryeh Kaplan Meditation and Kabbalah which details dozens of types of meditation practices, ways of contacting intelligences and moving through the astral planes (a.k.a. heavens and gates).
Tarot cards, pendulum use and more are also minor practices taught within the Kabbalah, as means of divining information and communication with other realms. The Kabbalah does employ magical techniques. However, the practices are not the core of the Kabbalistic teachings, but, rather a means to an end. And the goal is unity and understanding with the attributes of the Sephirot and to move through the gates of consciousness.
As far as my own practices, I do meditate. I also practice various divination techniques occasionally. I am not Jewish, though I did consider conversion years ago.
For me, the Kabbalah is a way of life, or rather an understanding. It is not a religion.
(That is a basic overview only.)
Thanx for the great questions!
...Mel.
Those are really good questions!! The answers depend on who you ask too.
If you were to ask a Chassidic rabbi (the same question), the answer would probably go along the lines of: If the student of the Kabbalah is a Jew, then all the Jewish rituals apply, such as mikvah (similar to baptism, but on a routine basis), wearing the Tefillin (for prayers), lighting candles on the Sabbath, and so on. However, if the student of the Kabbalah is a Noachide, then that person may study, pray and meditate as they see fit.
If the Kabbalah or Qabalah is incorporated into occult studies and practices, I do not know of any specific rituals that must be followed except meditation.
Practices taught in the Kabbalah, such as, meditating on the YHVH and the Sephirot, divination, working with the energies of crystals, contacting intelligences in the astral planes, and more are all permissible and encouraged but no person must do those things.
There is a great book by Rabbi Aryeh Kaplan Meditation and Kabbalah which details dozens of types of meditation practices, ways of contacting intelligences and moving through the astral planes (a.k.a. heavens and gates).
Tarot cards, pendulum use and more are also minor practices taught within the Kabbalah, as means of divining information and communication with other realms. The Kabbalah does employ magical techniques. However, the practices are not the core of the Kabbalistic teachings, but, rather a means to an end. And the goal is unity and understanding with the attributes of the Sephirot and to move through the gates of consciousness.
As far as my own practices, I do meditate. I also practice various divination techniques occasionally. I am not Jewish, though I did consider conversion years ago.
For me, the Kabbalah is a way of life, or rather an understanding. It is not a religion.
(That is a basic overview only.)
Thanx for the great questions!
...Mel.