07 October 2009
The Sefirot – Part II
In a previous article (see “The Sefirot – Part I,” posted on 30 July 2009), I discussed the sefirot, the ten spiritual forces through which God’s will descends and unfolds, and by means of which God acts in the universe. But why, we may ask, did God see fit to create the sefirot at all? And why is it necessary to have a hierarchy of ten sefirot – ten levels of spiritual energy?
To understand the rationale for the ten sefirot, let us take an analogy to the physical world. In the beginning of creation, God said, “Let there be light.” But that light could not have been the light of the sun and the stars, because neither the sun nor the stars had been created yet. Rather, the Torah is speaking of another kind of light: the emanation of God’s will into the universe, which in many ways is analogous to the radiant energy of our physical universe. Just as the radiant energy of the sun is of such magnitude that it would instantly vaporize anything exposed to its full intensity, the universe would not be able to exist under the full intensity of the emanation of God’s will. And, just as the energy of the sun must be attenuated if life is to exist on earth, so also the flow of divine “energy” must also be attenuated; ki lo yir’ani ha’adam vachai – for Man cannot see Me and live (Exodus 33:20).
To continue the physical analogy, then, the sefirot may be regarded as ten successively lower “energy levels” through which the flux of divine emanation cascades until it reaches our world. And, just as in the physical universe, life on earth depends on having just the right amount of attenuation of the sun’s radiation, so also the divine emanation must be attenuated by exactly the right amount for life to be sustained. If attenuation were insufficient, we would be incinerated; if attenuation were excessive, all life would die of deprivation. Ten sefirot give exactly the correct degree of attenuation – no more, no less.
The above discussion demonstrates that the sefirot are highly complex entities. We may consider them spiritual forces that are the agents of God’s will, each sefira representing a different blend of mercy or justice in God’s governance of the universe. Alternatively, we may view the sefirot as a series of “filters” attenuating God’s light. Or, alternatively, we may see them as levels of the spiritual world, each possessing a different quantity of divine “energy.” The sefirot are the means through which God projects His will into the world, but they are also the means by which God conceals Himself from us. They simultaneously reveal and conceal God’s presence in the world.
As mentioned previously (see “The Sefirot – Part I”), we may represent the sefirot in various ways, depending on context: as a linear hierarchy, as concentric circles, as a tree, or as a human body. For purposes of analysis, we may talk about the action of an individual sefira, but in actuality no single sefira acts independently. As indicated in the sefirot diagram (see posting of 5 August 2009), there are links connecting the sefirot, just as the limbs of the human body connect to the trunk. When a person lifts a heavy object with his hand, it may appear that it is the hand that performs the action, but really the command comes from the brain. Moreover, the hand does not act alone, but the trunk and the legs participate as well, if only in a supportive role. Similarly, it may appear that a certain action emanates from one sefira alone, but in actuality, although one sefira may predominate, there is always participation of all ten sefirot acting in unison. Transcending the sefirot is God, whose relation to the sefirot is similar to that of the human soul to the body. Just as the soul gives life to the body, so also the sefirot would be impotent without God’s spirit to give them vitality, as it is written: “And You give life to them all” (Nehemiah 9:6).
© Copyright 2009 by Ben Roshgolin. All rights reserved.
15 September 2009
Historical Background
The Hebrew word kabbalah, which literally means “that which has been received,” originally did not refer particularly to any type of mysticism or esoteric knowledge. Rather, the term kabbalah was used to mean the entire body of the Jewish oral tradition that Moses received on Mount Sinai and was passed on from teacher to disciples through an unbroken chain, as described in the Mishnah (see Avot 1:1). In the early 3rd century, Rabbi Judah the Prince, fearing that the oral tradition would be lost in the face of Roman persecution, compiled the elements of the Oral Law into a six-volume work known as the Mishnah. But the Mishnah, trying to remain faithful to its oral roots, recorded the law in extremely concise form, merely highlighting the important points and leaving much to be transmitted orally. Also, the Mishnah concentrates on the legal aspects of the oral tradition and for the most part ignores other aspects of Biblical interpretation.
One of these other aspects of the oral tradition is the area that was known as sitrei Torah (mysteries of the Torah), Torat hasod, or just plain Sod (secret, or mystery). Later, various other appellations were applied to that field of study. It was only in the 13th century that the term Kabbalah started to be used specifically in reference to sitrei Torah.
One of the earliest works of sitrei Torah is Sefer Yetzirah (Sefer Yetzirah: The Book of Creation
), written in the 6th or 7th century but probably transmitted orally for centuries before that. It is traditionally ascribed to Abraham. Some have attributed it to Rabbi Akiva (second century Israel), but that attribution is tenuous. Sefer Yetzirah, which is written in poetic Hebrew, contains the first known use of the term sefirot as used in the Kabbalistic sense. (See “The Sefirot – Part I” – post of 30 July 2009.) The first chapter of Sefer Yetzirah is of central importance in understanding later Kabbalistic thought.
Many other books on sitrei Torah came out over the several centuries following the writing of Sefer Yetzirah, but the work that had the most profound influence in this field was Sefer haZohar (The Book of Radiance), also known simply as The Zohar. This book, attributed to Rabbi Shim’on ben Yochai (second century Israel), first appeared in Spain in the late 13th century. Initially, it was distributed in manuscript among a closely-knit group of Castilian Kabbalists. Written in poetic Aramaic prose, the Zohar’s linguistic beauty, artful imagery, and spiritual elevation captured the hearts and minds of its readers. Although the Zohar was not published in printed form until 1558, in the 14th and 15th centuries it was widely disseminated in manuscript.
With the rise of the Spanish Inquisition, many Jews sought solace in the study of Kabbalah in general, and in the Zohar in particular. The Zohar, which repeatedly emphasizes the holiness of the people of Israel, associates the enemies of Israel with the satanic realm (thus turning the tables on the Medieval accusation that Jews were agents of Satan on earth), and asserts that Israel will rise again in Messianic times, struck a chord among the downtrodden Jews of Spain. Soon the Zohar became revered above all other Kabbalistic works.
After the expulsion of the Jews from Spain in 1492, the influence of the Zohar continued to increase. Many of the Spanish exiles settled in Israel, and especially in the city of Safed in northern Israel. The leader of the Safed Kabbalists in the mid-16th century was Rabbi Moses Cordovero (1522-1570), also known as Ramak. Ramak sought to do for Kabbalah what Moses Maimonides had done for Jewish law and for Jewish philosophy: i.e., he sought to present Kabbalah in a systematic, organized framework.
In his book Or Ne’erav (the Sweetened Light), Ramak outlines the reasons why any Jew who has sufficient background in Jewish learning should study Kabbalah and gives a concise summary of the basic principles of the Kabbalah. His short book on ethics, Tomer Devorah (The palm tree of Deborah
) has become popular in recent years, even among non-Kabbalists. But Ramak’s crowning achievements are Or Yakkar, his massive commentary on the Zohar, and Pardes Rimmonim (Pardes Rimonim - Orchard of Pomegranates - Parts 1-4
), in which he analyzes in depth all of the major issues of Kabbalah.
After Ramak’s death in 1570, his student, Rabbi Isaac Luria, became the leader of the Safed Kabbbalists. Rabbi Luria, also known as The Ari, introduced a whole new approach to interpreting the Zohar, which differed in many ways from the more traditional Kabbalah of Ramak. Where Ramak’s approach is analytic, Lurianic Kabbalah employs metaphor and symbolism. The Ari’s tenure as leader in Safed lasted less than two years, until his death in 1572, but his approach to Kabbalah captured the imagination of many. Although the Ari wrote almost nothing, his teachings were systematized by his disciple Rabbi Chayyim Vital in his book Etz Chayyim (The Tree of Life: The Palace of Adam Kadmon - Chayyim Vital's Introduction to the Kabbalah of Isaac Luria
). Lurianic Kabbalah spread rapidly and eventually became the most prevalent form of Kabbalistic thought, as it is still today.
© Copyright 2009 by Ben Roshgolin. All rights reserved.
One of these other aspects of the oral tradition is the area that was known as sitrei Torah (mysteries of the Torah), Torat hasod, or just plain Sod (secret, or mystery). Later, various other appellations were applied to that field of study. It was only in the 13th century that the term Kabbalah started to be used specifically in reference to sitrei Torah.
One of the earliest works of sitrei Torah is Sefer Yetzirah (Sefer Yetzirah: The Book of Creation
), written in the 6th or 7th century but probably transmitted orally for centuries before that. It is traditionally ascribed to Abraham. Some have attributed it to Rabbi Akiva (second century Israel), but that attribution is tenuous. Sefer Yetzirah, which is written in poetic Hebrew, contains the first known use of the term sefirot as used in the Kabbalistic sense. (See “The Sefirot – Part I” – post of 30 July 2009.) The first chapter of Sefer Yetzirah is of central importance in understanding later Kabbalistic thought.Many other books on sitrei Torah came out over the several centuries following the writing of Sefer Yetzirah, but the work that had the most profound influence in this field was Sefer haZohar (The Book of Radiance), also known simply as The Zohar. This book, attributed to Rabbi Shim’on ben Yochai (second century Israel), first appeared in Spain in the late 13th century. Initially, it was distributed in manuscript among a closely-knit group of Castilian Kabbalists. Written in poetic Aramaic prose, the Zohar’s linguistic beauty, artful imagery, and spiritual elevation captured the hearts and minds of its readers. Although the Zohar was not published in printed form until 1558, in the 14th and 15th centuries it was widely disseminated in manuscript.
With the rise of the Spanish Inquisition, many Jews sought solace in the study of Kabbalah in general, and in the Zohar in particular. The Zohar, which repeatedly emphasizes the holiness of the people of Israel, associates the enemies of Israel with the satanic realm (thus turning the tables on the Medieval accusation that Jews were agents of Satan on earth), and asserts that Israel will rise again in Messianic times, struck a chord among the downtrodden Jews of Spain. Soon the Zohar became revered above all other Kabbalistic works.
After the expulsion of the Jews from Spain in 1492, the influence of the Zohar continued to increase. Many of the Spanish exiles settled in Israel, and especially in the city of Safed in northern Israel. The leader of the Safed Kabbalists in the mid-16th century was Rabbi Moses Cordovero (1522-1570), also known as Ramak. Ramak sought to do for Kabbalah what Moses Maimonides had done for Jewish law and for Jewish philosophy: i.e., he sought to present Kabbalah in a systematic, organized framework.
In his book Or Ne’erav (the Sweetened Light), Ramak outlines the reasons why any Jew who has sufficient background in Jewish learning should study Kabbalah and gives a concise summary of the basic principles of the Kabbalah. His short book on ethics, Tomer Devorah (The palm tree of Deborah
) has become popular in recent years, even among non-Kabbalists. But Ramak’s crowning achievements are Or Yakkar, his massive commentary on the Zohar, and Pardes Rimmonim (Pardes Rimonim - Orchard of Pomegranates - Parts 1-4), in which he analyzes in depth all of the major issues of Kabbalah.After Ramak’s death in 1570, his student, Rabbi Isaac Luria, became the leader of the Safed Kabbbalists. Rabbi Luria, also known as The Ari, introduced a whole new approach to interpreting the Zohar, which differed in many ways from the more traditional Kabbalah of Ramak. Where Ramak’s approach is analytic, Lurianic Kabbalah employs metaphor and symbolism. The Ari’s tenure as leader in Safed lasted less than two years, until his death in 1572, but his approach to Kabbalah captured the imagination of many. Although the Ari wrote almost nothing, his teachings were systematized by his disciple Rabbi Chayyim Vital in his book Etz Chayyim (The Tree of Life: The Palace of Adam Kadmon - Chayyim Vital's Introduction to the Kabbalah of Isaac Luria
). Lurianic Kabbalah spread rapidly and eventually became the most prevalent form of Kabbalistic thought, as it is still today.© Copyright 2009 by Ben Roshgolin. All rights reserved.
01 September 2009
The Soul
In Scripture, the human soul is called variously by five different names: Nefesh, Ru’ach, Neshama, Chaya, and Yechida. However, the last two of these are beyond our perception, and the Zohar concerns itself only with three parts of the soul: Nefesh, Ru’ach, and Neshama.
The lowest component of the soul, Nefesh, emanates from Malkhut, the lowest of the sefirot, and is bound up in ’Asiya, the lowest of the worlds. Nefesh arises from the confluence of desire of male and female. It is the life force that all animals possess and is the component of the soul that is most intimately connected to the body and most dominated by a person’s biological needs.
Ru’ach, or Spirit, emanates from the sefira of Tif’eret and serves to connect Nefesh to Neshama, just as Tif’eret itself is the central link connecting the higher sefira of Bina to Malkhut. (See the diagrammatic representation of the sefirot – posted on 5 August 2009.)
Neshama, the highest and most ethereal component of the human soul, is the part of the soul that God breathed into Adam: vayipach be’apav nishmat chayim – “and he blew in his nostrils the breath (Neshama) of life” (Genesis 2:7). Neshama arises from Bina and migrates down through the lower sefirot, to reach our world and enter a human body.
Imagine a great inverted tree, its roots planted in the higher world of Chokhma and Bina, from which it derives its sustenance. The mighty trunk – Tif’eret (incorporating the “six points,” i.e. the six sefirot from Chesed to Yesod) – terminates in leafy branches bearing fruit, representing the end result of the influence of the sefirot on our world. Just as water and nutrients travel through the transport system of a physical tree, the emanations of the spiritual world travel through the channels that link the ten sefirot into a living unit. And it is through this sefirotic tree that the Neshama descends in its journey to our world to enter the body of a newly-created infant. As the baby develops and grows into a youth, it is the task of the Neshama to animate the child with the spirit of the higher world and gradually to make him sensitive to the inner voice that calls to him. And it is the task of the Neshama to protect him throughout his life against the ever-present temptation of the Evil Impulse.
Even when it is in the lower world, the Neshama maintains its connection to the world above. Even while inhabiting a human body, the Neshama remains rooted in the upper world. Thus, it is by means of the Neshama that a person can aspire to holiness, and it is only by means of the Neshama that a person can attain some measure of perception of the upper world, a world that otherwise would be completely outside the realm of our experience.
© Copyright 2009 by Ben Roshgolin. All rights reserved.
The lowest component of the soul, Nefesh, emanates from Malkhut, the lowest of the sefirot, and is bound up in ’Asiya, the lowest of the worlds. Nefesh arises from the confluence of desire of male and female. It is the life force that all animals possess and is the component of the soul that is most intimately connected to the body and most dominated by a person’s biological needs.
Ru’ach, or Spirit, emanates from the sefira of Tif’eret and serves to connect Nefesh to Neshama, just as Tif’eret itself is the central link connecting the higher sefira of Bina to Malkhut. (See the diagrammatic representation of the sefirot – posted on 5 August 2009.)
Neshama, the highest and most ethereal component of the human soul, is the part of the soul that God breathed into Adam: vayipach be’apav nishmat chayim – “and he blew in his nostrils the breath (Neshama) of life” (Genesis 2:7). Neshama arises from Bina and migrates down through the lower sefirot, to reach our world and enter a human body.
Imagine a great inverted tree, its roots planted in the higher world of Chokhma and Bina, from which it derives its sustenance. The mighty trunk – Tif’eret (incorporating the “six points,” i.e. the six sefirot from Chesed to Yesod) – terminates in leafy branches bearing fruit, representing the end result of the influence of the sefirot on our world. Just as water and nutrients travel through the transport system of a physical tree, the emanations of the spiritual world travel through the channels that link the ten sefirot into a living unit. And it is through this sefirotic tree that the Neshama descends in its journey to our world to enter the body of a newly-created infant. As the baby develops and grows into a youth, it is the task of the Neshama to animate the child with the spirit of the higher world and gradually to make him sensitive to the inner voice that calls to him. And it is the task of the Neshama to protect him throughout his life against the ever-present temptation of the Evil Impulse.
Even when it is in the lower world, the Neshama maintains its connection to the world above. Even while inhabiting a human body, the Neshama remains rooted in the upper world. Thus, it is by means of the Neshama that a person can aspire to holiness, and it is only by means of the Neshama that a person can attain some measure of perception of the upper world, a world that otherwise would be completely outside the realm of our experience.
© Copyright 2009 by Ben Roshgolin. All rights reserved.
16 August 2009
The Four Worlds - Part I
According to Kabbalah, God’s creation of the world occurred in four distinct stages: “Then He saw it, and He spoke it; He prepared it, and He probed it” (Job 28:27). In the Zohar’s interpretation, each of the four actions mentioned in this verse occurs in a separate realm or “world.” The highest of the four words is called Olam Ha’Atzilut, the World of Emanation, for it is in this realm that the essence of all that is destined to be created first emanates from God’s will. The names of the other three worlds – Beri’a (Creation), Yetzira (Formation), and Asiya (Making, or Action) – derive from a verse in Isaiah: Kol hanikra vish’mi velikh’vodi berativ, yetzartiv, af asitiv – “All that is called by My name, and for My glory I have created it; I have formed it; I have also made it” (Isaiah 43:7).
These stages of creation are analogous to the process by which an architect plans a building project. First there is the germ of the idea in the architect’s mind. Next, he conceives the size, shape, and general layout. Later, he draws up floor plans for each floor, including the dimensions of each room, closet, and staircase. And finally, he specifies the exact materials and quantities of each that will be used in each part of the building. Only after these planning stages are completed does any physical construction begin.
In Kabbalah, the four worlds represent not only the stages through which God created the world at the dawn of time, but they are also the stages through which God constantly transmits His will into the universe. They are the stages of existence. For God is always creating, and only through God’s continued will does the universe continue to exist. The four worlds are spiritual in nature and exist beyond the bounds of space and time. Therefore, the terms “higher” and “lower,” as used in the context of Kabbalah, should not be taken to imply any spacial relationship. Rather, “higher” and “lower” in Kabbalah are merely a manner of speaking, indicating the position of a given world in the chain of causation, with each “higher” world generating the elements of the world “below” it. Above the entire chain of causation is God Himself, who in the literature of Kabbalah, is often called Ayn Sof – the Infinite.
In the above verse from Isaiah, “and for My glory” may be taken as a veiled allusion to Olam Ha’Atzilut. But there is a still higher level mentioned in that verse – “All that is called by My name” – and that level, called Adam Kadmon, is not generally counted among the worlds, because, like the sefira of Keter – whose essence that world represents – it exists within the Will of God and is therefore completely hidden and beyond our knowledge.
Each of the four worlds embodies the essence of one of the sefirot, in the sense that it is through that particular sefira that the world in question is created. (At this point, you may do well to review my post of 30 July 2009 – "The Sefirot - Part I.") Thus, the world of Atzilut represents the essence of Chokhma (Wisdom), Beri’a represents the essence of Bina (Knowledge), Yetzira represents the essence of Tif’eret (Grandeur), and Asiya represents the essence of Malkhut (Kingdom, or Kingship). The physical world is under the direct control of Asiya, the lowest of the spiritual worlds.
As stated, each of the worlds is created through the primary action of one particular sefira. Nevertheless, each world manifests the action of all ten sefirot, and thus the transmission of God’s will within each world cascades down through the entire hierarchy of the ten sefirot, with each sefira manifesting a different attribute of God’s conduct of the universe – such as Wisdom, Understanding, Mercy, Justice, etc.
This, then, is the general structure of the spiritual world of Kabbalah. But we have just scratched the surface. There is much more to say about the worlds and their interaction with the sefirot, a subject that we will explore further in the forthcoming weeks.
© Copyright 2009 by Ben Roshgolin. All rights reserved.
These stages of creation are analogous to the process by which an architect plans a building project. First there is the germ of the idea in the architect’s mind. Next, he conceives the size, shape, and general layout. Later, he draws up floor plans for each floor, including the dimensions of each room, closet, and staircase. And finally, he specifies the exact materials and quantities of each that will be used in each part of the building. Only after these planning stages are completed does any physical construction begin.
In Kabbalah, the four worlds represent not only the stages through which God created the world at the dawn of time, but they are also the stages through which God constantly transmits His will into the universe. They are the stages of existence. For God is always creating, and only through God’s continued will does the universe continue to exist. The four worlds are spiritual in nature and exist beyond the bounds of space and time. Therefore, the terms “higher” and “lower,” as used in the context of Kabbalah, should not be taken to imply any spacial relationship. Rather, “higher” and “lower” in Kabbalah are merely a manner of speaking, indicating the position of a given world in the chain of causation, with each “higher” world generating the elements of the world “below” it. Above the entire chain of causation is God Himself, who in the literature of Kabbalah, is often called Ayn Sof – the Infinite.
In the above verse from Isaiah, “and for My glory” may be taken as a veiled allusion to Olam Ha’Atzilut. But there is a still higher level mentioned in that verse – “All that is called by My name” – and that level, called Adam Kadmon, is not generally counted among the worlds, because, like the sefira of Keter – whose essence that world represents – it exists within the Will of God and is therefore completely hidden and beyond our knowledge.
Each of the four worlds embodies the essence of one of the sefirot, in the sense that it is through that particular sefira that the world in question is created. (At this point, you may do well to review my post of 30 July 2009 – "The Sefirot - Part I.") Thus, the world of Atzilut represents the essence of Chokhma (Wisdom), Beri’a represents the essence of Bina (Knowledge), Yetzira represents the essence of Tif’eret (Grandeur), and Asiya represents the essence of Malkhut (Kingdom, or Kingship). The physical world is under the direct control of Asiya, the lowest of the spiritual worlds.
As stated, each of the worlds is created through the primary action of one particular sefira. Nevertheless, each world manifests the action of all ten sefirot, and thus the transmission of God’s will within each world cascades down through the entire hierarchy of the ten sefirot, with each sefira manifesting a different attribute of God’s conduct of the universe – such as Wisdom, Understanding, Mercy, Justice, etc.
This, then, is the general structure of the spiritual world of Kabbalah. But we have just scratched the surface. There is much more to say about the worlds and their interaction with the sefirot, a subject that we will explore further in the forthcoming weeks.
© Copyright 2009 by Ben Roshgolin. All rights reserved.
05 August 2009
The Sefirot – Diagrammatic Representation
This is one of the diagrammatic representations of the sefirot. Note that there are three sefirot on the right, three sefirot on the left, and four along the midline. Please refer to the discussion in my post of 30 July 2009 ("The Sefirot – Part I").
© Copyright 2009 by Ben Roshgolin. All rights reserved.
30 July 2009
The Sefirot – Part I
One of the hallmarks of Kabbalah is the premise that God’s creative force – and His continued influence on the universe – is exerted through a series of ten levels, called sefirot, through which His will descends and unfolds. Just as in our world there are forces such as gravity, magnetism, and nuclear forces, the spiritual realm also has forces – the sefirot – by means of which God projects His will throughout creation. The sefirot, then, are a type of force, but – unlike gravity or magnetism – they do not belong to the physical world. And yet, although the sefirot themselves are in the spiritual realm, they exert their influence also in the physical world of our experience, for the created universe – spiritual and physical – is a complete whole, and the spiritual realm interacts with the physical realm.
The first mention of the Kabbalistic term sefirot is found in Sefer Yetzirah (Sefer Yetzirah: The Book of Creation
), a book dating from the seventh century or earlier. According to Sefer Yetzirah, the word sefirot (sefira in singular) is derived from the Hebrew lesaper (to tell) – relating to God’s creation of the world through speech – or to the word lispor (to count). Yet another derivation of the word sefirot (although not mentioned in Sefer Yetzirah) is from the Biblical term livnat hasappir, referring to the appearance of sapphire that Moses (Exodus 24:9-10) and Ezekiel (Ezekiel 1:26) saw under the throne of God.The names of the sefirot are derived from Biblical verses. The names of the lowest seven – Gedula (Greatness, also known as Chesed – Mercy), Gevura (Power, also known as Din – Law), Tif’eret (Grandeur, Beauty), Netzach (Victory, or alternatively, Eternity), Hod (Glory, Majesty), Yesod (Foundation, also known as Kol – All), and Malkhut (Kingdom) – are derived from 1 Chronicles 29:11. References to the two sefirot above those – Chokhma (Wisdom) and Bina (Understanding) – are found in various places, including Job 28:12 and 28:20, and Proverbs 8:1. The highest sefira is called Keter (Crown), to signify its elevation above the others.
Depending on context, the sefirot may be represented linearly (descending from Keter to Malkhut), as concentric circles (with Keter either as the outermost ring or at the center), as a human body, or as a tree. Each of these representations is correct within its own context, but it is important to state that none of these representations accurately expresses the true nature of the sefirot. These representations are for illustrative purposes only, to clarify to the human mind something that is beyond our day-to-day experience. The sefirot are not of our world, and only by analogy to the world of our experience can we hope to have any inkling of their nature. (See my post of 17 July 2009 – “The Iceberg.”)
It must be stressed that the sefirot are not part of God’s essence, nor can any divinity be ascribed to them. God is one, a single unity, indivisible. We cannot speak of parts of God, nor can we have any knowledge of His essence. We can know Him only through His actions in our world, and those actions are executed by means of the sefirot, which are the means that God uses to project His will into the universe.
© Copyright 2009 by Ben Roshgolin. All rights reserved.
17 July 2009
The Iceberg
And there was an image over the heads of the creatures, a dome like the awesome ice, stretched over their heads above.
Ezekiel 1:22
Our world is like an iceberg. The iceberg visible to a sailor at sea is just a small portion of the actual iceberg, while 90% of the iceberg lies beneath the surface. Similarly, the physical world that we see is but a small part of God's creation. The major portion of creation – the spiritual realm – is concealed from our everyday vision.
In the physical world, man is able to probe the secrets of nature through the use of technology and scientific observation. The world of microbes, the vastness of space, the depths of the ocean, and the peaks of the highest mountains are all amenable to exploration using appropriate tools and instruments.
But knowledge of the physical world alone does not satisfy us. Man also seeks to understand the divine, and to gain insight into the ways in which God relates to man and thus to find a meaning and a purpose to our existence. Indeed, it is possible for us to probe the depths of the spiritual world and to connect to its essence; but the tools that we must use are not of a physical nature. Rather, they are tools of the spirit, which we may find within our souls, and thus they are harder to use than the physical means by which we approach an understanding of the physical world.
But how can we, who are so rooted in the physical world, hope to understand anything about the spiritual realm, which is so removed from our experience? Fortunately, there are three aspects that facilitate our inquiry.
As the Zohar – the central book of Kabbalah – emphasizes repeatedly, when God created our world, He created it on the same pattern as the world above (the spiritual realm). The world below is thus bound to the world above, and the features of our physical world have their equivalents in the spiritual realm. This analogy of the physical and spiritual realms is one of the factors that enable us to have a measure of understanding of something that is completely removed from our experience.
The second aspect that enables us to connect to the spiritual realm is the human soul. The Zohar discusses three components of the soul: Nefesh, Ru’ach, and Neshama. Of these three components, the Neshama is the divinely-given part of the human soul. The Neshama descends from the world above and comes to inhabit the human body. But even during its sojourn in our physical world, it always remains part of the spiritual realm, maintaining its connection to its source. Thus, the Neshama is the means through which each person can aspire to holiness and can achieve some perception of the upper world.
The third enabler of our understanding of the spiritual realm is the Bible. Throughout the Biblical text, there are many hints to the nature of the spiritual world and to the nature of the interaction of our world with the realm of spirit. But these hints are by no means obvious, and they only become apparent through careful study of the Biblical text and by correlating similar phraseology used in different parts of the Bible.
These, then, are the ways in which we are able to approach an understanding of the spiritual world and how our known world interacts with the spiritual realm.
© Copyright 2009 by Ben Roshgolin. All rights reserved.
Ezekiel 1:22
Our world is like an iceberg. The iceberg visible to a sailor at sea is just a small portion of the actual iceberg, while 90% of the iceberg lies beneath the surface. Similarly, the physical world that we see is but a small part of God's creation. The major portion of creation – the spiritual realm – is concealed from our everyday vision.
In the physical world, man is able to probe the secrets of nature through the use of technology and scientific observation. The world of microbes, the vastness of space, the depths of the ocean, and the peaks of the highest mountains are all amenable to exploration using appropriate tools and instruments.
But knowledge of the physical world alone does not satisfy us. Man also seeks to understand the divine, and to gain insight into the ways in which God relates to man and thus to find a meaning and a purpose to our existence. Indeed, it is possible for us to probe the depths of the spiritual world and to connect to its essence; but the tools that we must use are not of a physical nature. Rather, they are tools of the spirit, which we may find within our souls, and thus they are harder to use than the physical means by which we approach an understanding of the physical world.
But how can we, who are so rooted in the physical world, hope to understand anything about the spiritual realm, which is so removed from our experience? Fortunately, there are three aspects that facilitate our inquiry.
As the Zohar – the central book of Kabbalah – emphasizes repeatedly, when God created our world, He created it on the same pattern as the world above (the spiritual realm). The world below is thus bound to the world above, and the features of our physical world have their equivalents in the spiritual realm. This analogy of the physical and spiritual realms is one of the factors that enable us to have a measure of understanding of something that is completely removed from our experience.
The second aspect that enables us to connect to the spiritual realm is the human soul. The Zohar discusses three components of the soul: Nefesh, Ru’ach, and Neshama. Of these three components, the Neshama is the divinely-given part of the human soul. The Neshama descends from the world above and comes to inhabit the human body. But even during its sojourn in our physical world, it always remains part of the spiritual realm, maintaining its connection to its source. Thus, the Neshama is the means through which each person can aspire to holiness and can achieve some perception of the upper world.
The third enabler of our understanding of the spiritual realm is the Bible. Throughout the Biblical text, there are many hints to the nature of the spiritual world and to the nature of the interaction of our world with the realm of spirit. But these hints are by no means obvious, and they only become apparent through careful study of the Biblical text and by correlating similar phraseology used in different parts of the Bible.
These, then, are the ways in which we are able to approach an understanding of the spiritual world and how our known world interacts with the spiritual realm.
© Copyright 2009 by Ben Roshgolin. All rights reserved.
16 July 2009
Introduction
Since earliest times, man has searched for God. Amidst the hustle and bustle of our daily lives, it is often difficult to transcend the mundane. And yet, man feels a need for spirituality, a need to find meaning and purpose to his fleeting existence.
Judaism teaches that man’s highest purpose is to link his will to God’s eternal Will, through the study of Torah and the observance of its commandments. (See, for example, the conclusion of the book of Ecclesiastes.) Certainly, the study of Torah and observance of the commandments are the primary means by which a Jew can approach God. Yet, in the day-to-day practice of Judaism, a certain amount of rote often sets in; and even in the study of Torah too often there is an emphasis on detail, while losing sight of the spirit within the Torah. Thus, there may be a tendency to lose sight of the divine spirit that flows through the body of the Torah and its commandments, enabling us to rise above the earthly and mundane.
While observance of halakha (Jewish law) has intrinsic value of its own, for many that value may be greatly enhanced through an understanding of the spiritual basis underlying Torah and halakha. The search for spirituality is an age-old quest; but in our generation that quest has taken on a heightened intensity.
In the last decades of the 20th century, amid the growing secularism of the western world, within the Jewish world there arose a yearning for spiritual values. Thousands of Jews reared in non-observant homes began to awaken to religious life. And among already-observant Jews a transformation occurred as well, as growing numbers were drawn to Kabbalah as a means of enhancing their personal relationship with the divine.
But Kabbalah – the Jewish field of study of the divine realm, and the ways in which the divine realm interacts with the physical world and with man – is a very esoteric subject, and even Jews who have a strong background in Jewish learning may be ill-equipped to approach its study. Kabbalah is not generally on the curriculum in most yeshivot, and most books of Kabbalah are purposely written in a manner that makes them almost impenetrable to the uninitiated.
The purpose of this blog is to introduce the basic ideas of Kabbalah to the serious student of Torah who wants to learn about the processes by which the divine realm interacts with our world. Unfortunately, much of what has been written about Kabbalah is gross distortion, often written by people who have little if any knowledge of the Zohar, the central book of Kabbalah. This blog aims to present ideas of the Zohar and other primary Kabbalistic texts in undistorted, authentic form.
© Copyright 2009 by Ben Roshgolin. All rights reserved.
Judaism teaches that man’s highest purpose is to link his will to God’s eternal Will, through the study of Torah and the observance of its commandments. (See, for example, the conclusion of the book of Ecclesiastes.) Certainly, the study of Torah and observance of the commandments are the primary means by which a Jew can approach God. Yet, in the day-to-day practice of Judaism, a certain amount of rote often sets in; and even in the study of Torah too often there is an emphasis on detail, while losing sight of the spirit within the Torah. Thus, there may be a tendency to lose sight of the divine spirit that flows through the body of the Torah and its commandments, enabling us to rise above the earthly and mundane.
While observance of halakha (Jewish law) has intrinsic value of its own, for many that value may be greatly enhanced through an understanding of the spiritual basis underlying Torah and halakha. The search for spirituality is an age-old quest; but in our generation that quest has taken on a heightened intensity.
In the last decades of the 20th century, amid the growing secularism of the western world, within the Jewish world there arose a yearning for spiritual values. Thousands of Jews reared in non-observant homes began to awaken to religious life. And among already-observant Jews a transformation occurred as well, as growing numbers were drawn to Kabbalah as a means of enhancing their personal relationship with the divine.
But Kabbalah – the Jewish field of study of the divine realm, and the ways in which the divine realm interacts with the physical world and with man – is a very esoteric subject, and even Jews who have a strong background in Jewish learning may be ill-equipped to approach its study. Kabbalah is not generally on the curriculum in most yeshivot, and most books of Kabbalah are purposely written in a manner that makes them almost impenetrable to the uninitiated.
The purpose of this blog is to introduce the basic ideas of Kabbalah to the serious student of Torah who wants to learn about the processes by which the divine realm interacts with our world. Unfortunately, much of what has been written about Kabbalah is gross distortion, often written by people who have little if any knowledge of the Zohar, the central book of Kabbalah. This blog aims to present ideas of the Zohar and other primary Kabbalistic texts in undistorted, authentic form.
© Copyright 2009 by Ben Roshgolin. All rights reserved.
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