Kaballah
The concept of the Kaballah ( meaning - reception) is very misunderstood as many people think of it simply as magic and hocus pocus. The Kaballah is far from that. It is a mystical approach to understanding the Bible, the nature of God and the spiritual workings of nature and the universe.
The Kaballah is esoteric knowledge believed to have been passed down through the ages. Some claim that it is Divine revelation given to Moses and passed along as part of the Oral Tradition, but in secret - entrusted only to a few in each generation. Some of the teachings and knowledge were considered to be too deep and revealing and that without proper study and spiritual maturity could be dangerous. Some teachings of the Kaballah contain meditative techniques that allow a person to travel through spiritual dimensions and perhaps have a vision of God. As the Bible illustrates in various passages, especially in the books of the Prophets, only those who have been carefully selected or prepared can live through that experience.
The Kabllah is also a compendium of mystical teachings about the Torah, revealing the divine or spiritual reasons behind the commandments and the stories in the Bible. It also contains insights into how the universe was created and the spiritual worlds and their workings. With a proper approach the Kaballah can give tremendous insights into the Bible and clarify many passages that are often unintelligible in the casual reading.
The "magic" described in many Kabbalistic treatises should be avoided, because many of the teachings written down are purposefully incomplete. These teachings were meant to accompany verbal instructions from a qualified teacher, and much of that information is now lost.
The Kaballah is esoteric knowledge believed to have been passed down through the ages. Some claim that it is Divine revelation given to Moses and passed along as part of the Oral Tradition, but in secret - entrusted only to a few in each generation. Some of the teachings and knowledge were considered to be too deep and revealing and that without proper study and spiritual maturity could be dangerous. Some teachings of the Kaballah contain meditative techniques that allow a person to travel through spiritual dimensions and perhaps have a vision of God. As the Bible illustrates in various passages, especially in the books of the Prophets, only those who have been carefully selected or prepared can live through that experience.
The Kabllah is also a compendium of mystical teachings about the Torah, revealing the divine or spiritual reasons behind the commandments and the stories in the Bible. It also contains insights into how the universe was created and the spiritual worlds and their workings. With a proper approach the Kaballah can give tremendous insights into the Bible and clarify many passages that are often unintelligible in the casual reading.
The "magic" described in many Kabbalistic treatises should be avoided, because many of the teachings written down are purposefully incomplete. These teachings were meant to accompany verbal instructions from a qualified teacher, and much of that information is now lost.
The most famous work of Kabbalah is the Zohar - The Book of Splendor. This book was claimed to be the work of the famous second century rabbi Simeon bar Yochai. There have been many attempts to establish true authorship, since the book did not appear until the thirteenth century. Most scholars believe the book was most likely written by rabbi Moses de Leon.
Throughout the Middle Ages many famous Jewish scholars and rabbis developed their versions of Kabbalisic systems - mystical methods for getting closer to God and for understanding the mysteries of the universe. Some of these are the famous Torah scholar Nachmanides, Isaac Luria, Moses de Cordovero, and Hayim Vital.
Throughout the Middle Ages many famous Jewish scholars and rabbis developed their versions of Kabbalisic systems - mystical methods for getting closer to God and for understanding the mysteries of the universe. Some of these are the famous Torah scholar Nachmanides, Isaac Luria, Moses de Cordovero, and Hayim Vital.
Though the Kabbalah consists of many treatises, texts books and so on written over the centuries, There are three main works including Sefer Ytzirah - the Book of Creation. This book is attributed to Rabbi Akiba ben Joseph in the 2nd century, though it is said to have originally been written by the Patriarch Abraham. The actual authorship is unknown. The Sefer Yetzirah establishes some of the basics of Kabbalah concerning cosmology and how men reflect the Divine.
The Bahir is another work that also appeared in the early part of the Middle Ages with unknown authorship. It is believed to have been written in the 13th century, but it claims to be a work of the first century.
The Bahir is another work that also appeared in the early part of the Middle Ages with unknown authorship. It is believed to have been written in the 13th century, but it claims to be a work of the first century.
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