Survey
* Your assessment is very important for improving the workof artificial intelligence, which forms the content of this project
* Your assessment is very important for improving the workof artificial intelligence, which forms the content of this project
Temple Israel Introduction to Judaism KABBALAH -1- Keter r,f Understanding Palace of Reflection Womb Spring Upper mother Power, Judgment Limitation Obedience, Discipline Isaac Crown Ehyeh Mind Beyond Mind Pure Compassion Between Concealment and Manifestation Bina Hokhmah vbhc vnfj Wisdom Primal Point Spark of Existence Hesed Grace Free-flowing Love Abraham Gevurah soj ihs Beauty The Blessed Holy One Balance Restored Jacob/Israel Tiferet ,rtp, Restraint Self control Aaron Netsah Hod jmb siv Yesod sioh Malchut ,ufkn Prophecy Messianic Vision Sensual delight Laughter Moses Foundation Joseph Phallus/Covenant Balance Restored Indwelling Presence God’s Kingdom/ Community of Israel, Bride of God Mother of Lower Worlds -2- There once was a King who was a master of creating illusions. He wanted very much to be close to his people, and wanted to give them goodness, but mostly he wanted for his people to want to be close to him. So he devised a plan. He built around himself a great castle-illusion. There were illusory walls and doorways and towers. There were chambers and courtyards and passageways. And in front of each one the King placed illusory treasures of every kind. Bags of money, trips to Florida, beautiful landscapes, other beautiful looking people... Then he proclaimed throughout the land that he wished to be found. All the people came to the illusory castle but one by one they gave up searching for the King, settling instead for the illusory treasures. At last the King’s son came. He saw that it was all an illusion and that his father was in plain view, sitting on a folding chair in the middle of a great, open field. What a strange world this story presents, a world in which nothing is as it seems! The people in the story think that the treasures which surround them are “real”. As it turns out, however, the treasures represent only the most superficial aspects of reality. There was a man who lived in the mountains. He knew nothing about those who lived in the city. He sowed wheat and ate the kernels raw. One day he entered the city. They offered him good bread. The man asked, “What’s this for?” They replied, “Its bread, to eat!” He ate, and it tasted very good. He asked, “What’s it made of?” They answered, “Wheat.” Later they offered him thick loaves kneaded with oil. He tasted them, and asked, “And what are these made of?” They answered, “Wheat.” Later they offered him royal pastry kneaded with honey and oil. He asked, “And what are these made of?” They answered, “Wheat.” He said, “Surely I am the master of all these, since I eat the essence of all these: wheat!” Because of that view, he knew nothing of the delights of the world, which were lost on him. So it is with one who grasps the principle but is unaware of all those delectable delights deriving, diverging from that principle. -3- The Hidden Light (From: Zohar: Annotated and Explained, Chapter 4, by Daniel Matt) God said, "Let there be light!" And there was light. God saw how good the light was And God separated the light from the darkness. ~ (Genesis 1:3-4) Rabbi Yitshak said "The light created by God in the act of Creation flared from one end of the world to the other and was hidden away, reserved for the righteous in the world that is coming, As it is written: "Light is sown for the righteous." (Psalms 97:11)1 Then the worlds will be fragrant, and all will be one. Rabbi Yehudah responded, "If the light were completely hidden, the world would not exist for even a moment! Rather, it is hidden and sown like a seed, giving birth to seeds and fruit. Thereby the world is sustained. Every single day, a ray of that light shines into the world, animating everything; with that ray God feeds the world. And everywhere that Torah is studied at night, one thread-thin ray appears from that hidden light and flows down upon those absorbed in her.2 Since the first day; the light has never been fully revealed, but it is vital to the world, renewing each day the act of Creation."3 1 Reserved for the righteous…: This notion is based on the Midrash: “With the light created by God on the first day, Adam could gaze and see from one end of the universe to the other. Since God foresaw the corrupt deeds of the generation of Enosh and the generation of the Flood, He hid the light from them. Where did He hide it? In the Garden of Eden for the righteous, as is written: Light is sown for the righteous.” 2 Those absorbed in her: In the Talmud, Resh Lakish explains that whoever studies Torah at night is extended “a threadthin ray of love” during the day. The Ba’al Shem Tov, the founder of Hasidism, explains that the light of Creation is hidden within the Torah, and so whoever studies Torah can see from one end of the world to the other. 3 Renewing each day…: This parallels the expression in the morning prayer: “Lord of wonders, who renews in His goodness every day continually the act of Creation.” -4- Glossary of Kabbalah Terms Ayin - · Nothingness. When Ein Sof began to create the universe, it had to make yesh, (something) out of ayin (nothing). Before Ein Sof created the universe, only ayin existed. Binah - · Binah means “understanding” and represents structure and femininity. In the stages of creation, Binah comes after Chochmah, when specific thoughts and ideas begin to exist. Binah, as the first female presence, is also considered the mother of other sefirot. Binah represents the left hemisphere of God’s brain and lies on the left (feminine) side of the Tree of Life. Chesed - · Chesed, the fourth sefirah, represents love, or mercy. In the stages of creation, Chesed heralds the beginning of emotional energy. Chesed is also identified with the Biblical character Abraham, the patriarch of the Jews. Chesed is associated with God’s right shoulder or arm and lies on the right (masculine) side of the Tree of Life. Chochmah - · The second of the ten sefirot. Chochmah means “wisdom.” In the stages of creation, Chochmah represents the beginning of thought. Chochmah represents the right hemisphere of God’s brain and lies on the right (masculine) side of the Tree of Life. Ein Sof - · Kabbalists call their God “Ein Sof,” which means “the infinite.” Kabbalists believe Ein Sof exists everywhere in the form of energy. Though its presence and power are infinite, Ein Sof remains a distant unknowable God, entirely devoid of form. Kabbalists all aim to reunite with God by restoring Ein Sof to its original form through righteous acts and devout study of Kabbalah. Gevurah - · Gevurah is sometimes also called Din, and means “strength” or “judgment.” It is the fifth sefirah and represents the specific emotional energy that creates feelings. Gevurah represents God’s left shoulder and is often associated with Isaac, Abraham’s son. Gevurah lies on the left (feminine) side of the Tree of Life. Gilgul - · The Hebrew word for reincarnation. Kabbalah’s views on reincarnation split into two main theories: ibbur and dybbuk, explained below. Hod - · The eighth sefirah, Hod represents the world of sensation—smells, sights, sounds, and so on. Where Netzach is a kind of undefined physical energy, Hod represents contained energy. Hod is the left leg of God and is often associated with Aaron, the first high priest of the Jews. Hod lies on the left (feminine) side of the Tree of Life. Keter - · The first and highest of the ten sefirot. Keter means “crown” and is the link between the finite world we inhabit and the infinite world of Ein Sof. In the stages of creation, Keter is the stage in which material reality begins to come into existence. Keter is associated with God’s head and appears at the top of the Tree of Life. Klippot - · “Shells” or “husks.” Klippot are demons who draw their strength from the netzutzot, or sparks of divine light, which they jealously guard. Kabbalists believe they must save the netzutzot from the klippot to restore Ein Sof. Material reality - · The world of matter, sensation, and physical reality that humans inhabit. Kabbalists distinguish between the reality that we experience, and the larger reality inhabited by the sefirot and Ein Sof, -5- only parts of which humans can perceive. Though Ein Sof and the sefirot exist in material reality, material reality is only a small part of reality in total. Mysticism - · The belief in direct communication with God or gods through physical and spiritual experiences. Mystics, including kabbalists, tend to think of God as an infinite source of energy, without personality or form. As God exists everywhere at all times, mystics tend to think of everyone and everything as part of God and therefore capable of interacting directly with God. Netzach - · The seventh sefirah, Netzach stands for limitless energy, endurance, and victory. Netzach represents God’s right leg and is often associated with the biblical character Moses, who led the Jewish slaves out of Egypt. Netzach lies on the right (masculine) side of the Tree of Life. Netzutzot - · The sparks of divine light that fell to Earth when Ein Sof attempted to transfer its radiance into the vessels it created. To restore Ein Sof to a state of wholeness, kabbalists are expected to liberate the netzutzot through righteous acts and meditation. Safed - · A village above the Sea of Galilee and the geographic center of Kabbalah as of the mid 1500s. The people of Safed believed that to make the Messiah appear, only one city needed to act in a godly way—they believed Safed could be that city. The people of Safed introduced many core traditions to Kabbalah, including the keeping of the Sabbath. Moses Cordovero and his pupil Isaac Luria were leaders of the religious community in Safed. Sefer Yetzirah - · The Sefer Yetzirah, which means “Book of Formation,” explains the creation of the universe. Many kabbalists consider it the first book of Kabbalah, a gift from God to Abraham, the father of the Jews. These kabbalists argue that since Abraham received the Sefer Yetzirah years before Moses received the Ten Commandments, Kabbalah actually predates the Bible and the major religions that follow it, including Judaism and Christianity. Others argue that the Sefer Yetzirah was written between the second and third centuries in Palestine. Perhaps the Sefer Yetzirah’s most important contribution to Kabbalah ideology is its explanation of the sefirot, the ten aspects of Ein Sof (see Sefirot below). Sefirot - · The sefirot are the ten “emanations” or “aspects” of Ein Sof that transmit Ein Sof’s energy to the world. Existing separately and together at once, the sefirot are always a part of God—they are God. The ten sefirot, with English translations in parentheses, are Keter (crown), Binah (understanding), Chochmah (wisdom), Gevurah (strength), Chesed (love), Tiferet (beauty), Hod (splendor), Netzach (endurance), Yesod (foundation), and Shekhinah (kingdom). Each sefirah (the singular form of sefirot) represents many things, including a quality of God, a stage in the creation of the world, and a part of God’s body. Shekhinah, the sefirah that represents God in the human realm, is the most accessible of the sefirot. Kabbalists believe that devout study of Kabbalah can lead from awareness of Shekhinah through each successive sefirah to Keter, the highest level of understanding of God human beings can attain. The brief descriptions below of the Tree of Life and of each sefirah only scratch the surface of the innumerable meanings of each emanation of God. Shekhinah (also called Malchut) - · Shekhinah means “kingdom” or “immanence” and is the tenth and final sefirah. Shekhinah is associated with God’s feet or the base of God’s spine. Shekhinah represents the presence of God in the everyday world in which humans live. Shekhinah’s biblical character is David, the second king of the twelve tribes of Israel. Shekhinah lies in the center of the Tree of Life at its base. -6- Shevirat ha-kelim - · The “Breaking of the Vessels” When Ein Sof created the universe, it made vessels to contain its light. Due to the strength of Ein Sof’s radiance, the vessels shattered. The shattering process is known as shevirat ha-kelim. Talmud - · The Talmud is a compilation of Jewish writings that cover laws, customs, ethics, and myths. The Torah dictates the rules that Jews must follow, whereas the Talmud tells Jews how to follow them and specifies when each rule applies. The Talmud divides into two main texts: the Mishna, a book of the “Oral Law,” written in Hebrew; and the Gemara, a collection of commentaries on the Mishna, written in Aramaic. Tiferet - · The sixth sefirah, Tiferet represents beauty and is associated with the center of God’s chest. As the mediator of Gevurah and Chesed, Tiferet balances mercy and judgment. Tiferet is often linked to the biblical character Jacob, who fathered the twelve tribes of Israel. Tiferet lies in the center of the Tree of Life. Torah - · In Hebrew, torah means “teaching,” “instruction,” and “law.” Modern Jews often use the word torah to refer to Jewish scripture and oral tradition in its entirety. In The Essential Zohar, Rav Berg, the current spiritual leader of Kabbalah, describes Torah simply as “truth.” To kabbalists, Torah means a commitment to accepting the truth that “God is One,” and that every kabbalist must act righteously to restore God to its original state of oneness, or wholeness. Kabbalists consider Torah study a privilege and an honor that never ends: they believe one can spend an entire lifetime studying Torah and still only scratch the surface of its limitless meanings and teachings. The actual text of the Torah contains only the five books of Moses, which make up the Bible’s Old Testament. These five books are Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers and Deuteronomy. The Tree of Life - · A visual rendering of the ten sefirot, the Tree of Life shows how the ten sefirot relate to one another. The Tree divides into three main columns. The left side contains the three feminine sefirot, and the right side holds the three masculine sefirot. The two sefirot in the middle column are considered neutral. At the top of the Tree is Keter, the first sefirah, while Shekhinah, the most accessible of the sefirah, lies at the bottom. Each sefirah’s location relates to the part of God’s body the sefirah represents and to other symbolic traits of each sefirah. Tsimtsum - · Kabbalah’s rabbi Isaac Luria developed the theory of tsimtsum, which explained how Ein Sof had to first withdraw from the universe in order to make room for its creation. Tsimtsum, also spelled zimsum, means “withdrawal.” Yesh - · Something. Yesh is the first “something” that emerged from the ayin, or nothingness, before creation. Yesod - · The ninth sefirah, Yesirah represents individuality and serves as the mediator of Netzach and Hod. Yesod is usually associated with God’s penis. The biblical character associated with Yesod is Joseph, Jacob’s son. Yesod lies in the center of the Tree of Life. Zohar - · Zohar means “The Book of Radiance” and refers to the Kabbalah’s five main books. Most of the Zohar is written from the point of view of Simeon ben Yohai, a famous rabbi of the second century and the book’s supposed creator. The Zohar consists of stories of Simeon ben Yohai wandering through the desert of Galilee, commenting on the Torah and exchanging kabbalistic wisdom with his companions and followers. The Zohar has been translated into English in a twenty-two-volume set. -7- Gematria Gematria is a system of calculating numerical value to a word or phrase in the belief that words or phrases with identical numerical values bear some relation to each other, or bear some relation to the number. Hidden meanings and words can be found by using values of the underlying letters (see chart). A good Gematria example is the Hebrew word Chai (“life”), which is composed of two letters which add up to 18. This has made 18 a “lucky number” among Jews, and gifts in multiples of $18 are very common. (Wikipedia) -8- BIBLIOGRAPHY of Reference Material for Jewish Mysticism and Zohar Provided by Rabbi Sim Glaser Cooper, Rabbi David, God is a Verb – Kabbalah and the Practice of Mystical Judaism Riverhead Books, 1997 Heschel, Abraham Joshua, God in Search of Man: A Philosophy of Judaism Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 1955 Green, Arthur, Ehyeh, A Kabbalah For Tomorrow Jewish Lights, 2003 Kaplan, Aryeh, Jewish Meditation Schocken Books, 1985 Kushner, Lawrence, The Book of Letters Harper and Row, 1975 Kushner, Lawrence, Honey From the Rock Harper and Row, 1977 Kushner, Lawrence, The River of Light Jewish Lights Publishing, 1981 Kushner, Lawrence, The Way Into Jewish Mystical Tradition. Jewish Lights Publishing, 2001 Matt, Daniel, The Essential Kabbalah: The Heart of Jewish Mysticism Castle Books, 1983 Scholem, Gershom, Major Trends in Jewish Mysticism Schocken Books, 1946 Steinsaltz, Adin. The Thirteen Petalled Rose Basic Books, 1980 -9-