Kabbalah is wisdom that reveals the secrets of the Creator's reality, the creation of the world, the inner level of understanding the Torah, etc. In translation, the word Kabbalah means “receiving”. That is, the received wisdom of the Creator, which was passed from mouth to mouth for more than 3300 years from Moshe Rabbeinu to the sages of our time, is called Kabbalah. Some of the Kabbalah at different times was written in a hidden form. The greatest Jewish sages of all time - Rashbi, Raavad, Ramban, Arizal, Ramkhal, Agro, Baal Tania and many others gave us colossal treasures of wisdom hidden in Kabbalah.
In all generations, Jewish sages were unusually careful in spreading the Kabbalah. It could only be passed on to the one in whom they saw signs that he was worthy of it (Ramban, Head of Bereshit); only to the one who is wise and understands all sections of the Torah, teaches, understands and fulfills it, is truly God-fearing, etc. (Zohar Hadash, Chapter Bereishit, p. 10). And you will also find unusually harsh conditions for those who wish to begin the study of Kabbalah in the preface to the book "Etz Chaim" p. Chaim Vital.
Why was Kabbalah so hidden?
One of the reasons is the fear of the sages that the secrets of Kabbalah will fall into the hands of people who are clever, but impure in their intentions and passions. They feared the unforeseen, devastating consequences to which this could lead.
In this sense, Kabbalah is like atomic energy. When this colossal energy potential is under control, it brings great benefits in the form of nuclear power plants. But if atomic energy gets out of control, it turns into a huge destructive force with unintended consequences. So is Kabbalah. If it is under the control of the Jewish sages, it brings them and the entire Jewish people tremendous benefits, revealing the incredible depth in the wisdom of the Torah and correcting the world. But if Kabbalah leaves the hands of the sages and falls into the hands of dishonest and wicked people, it will lead to tragic results.
And so a lot of troubles and persecutions fell on the Jewish people because of a few drops of Kabbalah that leaked out and led to the creation of Christianity. The knowledge of the Kabbalah, the false prophet Shabtai Zvi, and the movement of Francoists, who left behind the devastation of Jewish life in those places where they were, were enough, and they had enough of all the other “Kabbalists”.
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This is one of the reasons why there was such strong resistance to the mass study of Kabbalah in all generations. Now we can understand how justified the fears of the sages are in our time.
If we look closely at all the stages of the evolution of views that the modern study of Kabbalah is undergoing, we will see how a new sect of "Kabbalists" is taking shape before us. Catching an extraordinary interest in Kabbalah, they decided to declare to the whole world that it is already possible to study it for everyone: Jews and non-Jews, children, adults - and everyone who thinks about it.
And if you ask, what about the harsh conditions imposed by the sages on the study of Kabbalah? And how did they even hope to spread Kabbalah in the Western world, which, as a rule, seeks momentary material pleasures? A solution was found to all this, not new, but, as always, "revolutionary": there is no connection between Kabbalah and Jews with their religion! But if this is not part of Judaism, then what is it? And to this a creative answer was found: Kabbalah is a science! And not just science. And applied science, with its help, you can comprehend the sixth sense, and at the same time … all the other inventions of innovators. Only for this, as always happens in such situations, they had to rewrite both Jewish history in general and the history of Kabbalah in particular.
It is not worth mentioning that this is not even a gross falsification, but just a ridiculous profanation. Their arguments are sometimes on the verge of offending human intelligence and are designed entirely for an unprepared listener. And if it were not for those pure and slightly naive souls who really seek spiritual life and, in the absence of clear and solid knowledge from the very sources of Judaism, are unable to discern the subtleties of facts, ideas and definitions, there would be no need for these lines. Therefore, we will have to answer the inventions of the “new Kabbalists”. Within the framework of a short answer, it is difficult to go through all the aspects and all the arguments, so we will analyze in the most concise form just a few main complaints.
1. Is it possible to attain the true knowledge of Kabbalah without first studying the Torah?
Kabbalah is an integral part of the oral Torah. As you know, the Torah has four levels of understanding, called: "PARDeS" (translated as Sad), but in fact it is an abbreviation: "Pshat" - a simple, direct understanding, "Remez" - a hint, "Drash" - an interpretation, Sod is a mystery. That is, Kabbalah is only the fourth level of understanding the Torah - "Sod". And as in all the wisdoms of the world there is a certain order of their understanding, so also in the Torah. It is impossible to understand the "hints" before you get to know the immediate content. In the same way, it is impossible to understand the depth of the Torah - Kabbalah - without first studying its three higher layers. If only because Kabbalah constantly operates with concepts from the Torah, Prophets, Scriptures, Talmud and all other parts of the oral Torah. Therefore, it is not comprehensible by itself, and those who try to figure it out on the flyare like those who have tried to grasp quantum mechanics without getting a basic knowledge of mathematics.
The same conclusion is unequivocally found in Kabbalah itself. Here is one of the passages: “Rashbi says in the Book of Zohar (part 2, p. 94): the four components of the human soul. In the beginning they give him “Nefesh”. If he is rewarded - they give him Ruach, if he is rewarded - they give him Neshama, if he is rewarded - they give him “Haya” … And how can a person be rewarded with all parts of his soul? The Creator gave him the Torah - PARDES. “Pshat” is a simple understanding corresponding to “Nefesh”, “Remez” is a hint to be rewarded with “Ruach”, “Drash” - for “Neshama” and “Sod” for “Haya”. And a person must first work on a simple understanding of the Torah, assimilate and observe its commands, and thereby he will purify his “Nefesh”, raise it and be awarded a higher part - “Ruach”. And then you can go to the study of "Remez" … to be awarded "Nesham", and from here to "Drash" … and be awarded "Haya". And only then, having risen, step by step,he will be able to comprehend the depth of the depths - "Sod". And only the one who has consistently purified his soul can begin to study the Sod - the secrets of the Torah, otherwise it is a great danger for him and this cannot be done …”(Maor VeShemesh, chapter Yitro).
Hence, there is clear evidence that a person cannot study Kabbalah without first "being satiated with the knowledge of the Torah, the Talmud and all the laws of Jewish life."
Let's add one more simple thought to this. Everyone who has really studied Torah knows the complexity of the depth of its understanding. Only "Pshat" - a simple understanding in itself is unusually difficult, because, as you know, there are 70 sides in understanding everything that has been said. And only after that, numerous hints will be added to each of the sides; and hence - the interpretation of each thought in all areas of our life. So, sometimes the Torah appears as a colossal, incomprehensible riddle, hidden from clear understanding. And then … let us delve into the "Sod", Kabbalah, and suddenly everything confused and incomprehensible is clarified and built into a harmonious system that connects different parts of the Torah into a single whole. And not only this, but also a part of the “mitzvot” - the commandments of the Torah, which at first glance did not understand either the meaning or the reason - suddenly receive an understanding as a necessary and obligatory law of spiritual reality.
In this sense, Kabbalah is like a miracle key from a closed and inaccessible garden filled with all the treasures of the world. For those who consistently study the Torah, Kabbalah, as a key, reveals all its internal regularities and completeness. And those who decide to start right away with Kabbalah are like a person who shouts to the whole world - "I have found a secret key!" They asked him: "What is the key from?" He replied: “What's the difference. It's enough for me that I can play with him! "…
So, the first conclusion: Kabbalah is given to us from the same source as the Torah and the commandments, and it is impossible to separate Kabbalah from the rest of the Torah either in our time, or in the distant past, or in the future.
In addition to the fundamental difficulty of cognizing Kabbalah, there are also technical difficulties. The "new Kabbalists" themselves warn about the main one - the materialization of abstract Kabbalistic concepts. But can this really be avoided by having the inner associative world of mass culture, and not the purity of the spirit of the Torah? More than doubtful.
And not only that, there are also a number of technical problems.
First, there is no point in studying Kabbalah through light conversation over a bottle of champagne or over a cup of tea. Also, irregular study cannot be helpful, even if it happens at night. One can succeed only with the greatest effort and systematic study, just as we see in the example of the greatest sages of Kabbalah. To understand Kabbalah, a person needs a trained working capacity and a certain way of thinking, which, as a rule, can be acquired only as a result of many years of studying the Talmud.
Secondly, the wisdom of Kabbalah includes a colossal amount of material, which significantly exceeds what the “new Kabbalists” offer their disciples. Without an attempt to cover it in its entirety and in all its details, it will not be possible for them to consider the general picture and build on this basis a complete, harmonious and clear building of knowledge.
Third, in order to understand the professional terminology of Kabbalah, it is desirable to know the language of the Torah, since these concepts are fundamentally untranslatable.
And you will find much more in the book “Shomer Emunim Kadmon” (Akdam shniya, aca shniya and shlishit).
All this awakens more than a doubt: is a deep and true understanding of Kabbalah available at the level offered by the “new Kabbalists”.
2. Will the study of Kabbalah be of any benefit without fulfilling the commandments of the Torah?
In order to understand this, let us ask: “Why do they teach Kabbalah in general? What is their purpose? " Many answers to this have been invented, mainly to lure a wide audience of listeners. But behind all of them one can find another answer: "The goal of studying Kabbalah is to achieve the perfection of a person, bringing him closer to the Creator." Indeed, this is written in all the books on Kabbalah in different formulations. One of the greatest Kabbalah authorities of all time, Rabbi Moshe Chaim Luzzato, with ingenious simplicity defines the purpose of man:
“Man was created to enjoy the Almighty and receive the radiance of His light (ziv shkhinato), for this is what is real pleasure and the greatest pleasure that can be. But the place of this enjoyment is the world to come (olam a-ba), which was created for this and properly prepared. And the path that we must go through in order to reach the desired future world runs through this world … The means by which this goal can be achieved are the commandments (mitzvot) of the Almighty. And these commandments can be fulfilled only in this world. Therefore, Man was originally placed in this world, so that by fulfilling the commandments he could acquire the right to reach the place intended for him in the future world and there enjoy the good that he acquired for himself with the help of these means”(“Mesilat Yasharim”, beginning of the first chapter).
So, spiritual closeness with the Creator is possible only thanks to means specially designed for this - "mitzvot", the Creator's practical commandments. Therefore, in all books on Kabbalah, behind the analysis of the deepest secrets of Creation, there is one practical goal - the observance of mitzvot. In other words, the ultimate goal of studying Kabbalah is to understand how to achieve the most complete and perfect fulfillment of mitzvot and, through this, be rewarded with the spiritual closeness of the Creator! And this is how Shomer Emunim Kadmon writes, the first dispute, 31: “A person is not able to achieve perfection in the performance of mitzvos, without knowledge of Kabbalah …”.
And if this is so, then how do the “new Kabbalists” combine the absurd idea of seeking spiritual closeness with the Creator with the desire to abolish the necessary means of achieving this closeness - the observance of the Creator's commandments?
There is no need to look for special reasons for a person's desires. When one does not want to carry the burden of fulfilling the commandments, they simply decide that the Kabbalah and the commandments are in no way connected with each other.
But, of course, the "new Kabbalists" were looking for more reasoned cover for their desires and really found them in the works of Baal HaSulam - Rabbi Ashlag, distorting the original meaning and giving it the desired interpretation. So, for example, in the preface to the work "Talmud Eser Asferot" it is said that "when a person deals with the wisdom of Kabbalah and mentions the names" Kelim "and" Orot ", that is, the names of the vessels and lights, which, from the point of view of his soul, belong to him, - they immediately shine for him to a certain extent … and the glow that he receives over and over again during the lesson attracts a charm from heaven to him and fills him with an abundance of holiness and purity, which bring a person much closer to achieving his perfection. " Chapter 155
Hence they gave evidence that in order to achieve spiritual purity and closeness to the Most High, it is enough to study Kabbalah without fulfilling the commandments …
Well, how does this quote "when a person is engaged in the wisdom of Kabbalah" imply that it is no longer necessary to observe the commandments? In addition, there is an obvious contradiction to this in the same preface by Baal HaSulam, where he, on the contrary, obliges everyone to master practical knowledge in Halakha: “… and one sinner will destroy many good things”. Therefore (in order not to be called a sinner) he must certainly repeat the laws, as far as it is necessary for him, in order not to make mistakes in their execution … … says Rav Chaim Vital that the soul is connected with the body only if it is perfect and corrected by the commandments of the Torah, the 613 commandments. Ch. 24. That is, without fulfilling the commandments, the meaning of the sorcery of pronouncing the names “sinned” is approximately the same as that of a person sitting up to his neck in mud and pouring clean water … on the mud.
Here is just one example of a manipulative interpretation of the works of Baal HaSulam.
From the above, there is one more conclusion:
In the study of Kabbalah, without observing the commandments, there is neither sense nor benefit.
3. Is Kabbalah a science?
In advertising calls for the study of Kabbalah, one senses an enormous effort to present Kabbalah as a science. A large number of articles have been written to convince the reader of the truth of this discovery. And where did the "science of Kabbalah" come from? It is possible that the answer to this question requires a much more detailed analysis of these two concepts, "Kabbalah" and "science." But this, unfortunately, is beyond the scope of a short answer. It is enough for us to confine ourselves to the essence of the answer. The Science of Kabbalah appeared due to the same desire for the maximum introduction of Kabbalah into the broad masses. And if the psychology of the masses is ready to quickly accept Kabbalah under the guise of “science,” why not present it in this form? The only problem is that the inventors did not calculate everything to the end.
If they announced that they themselves had discovered a new field of science - Kabbalah, completely attributing it to themselves, who could make any claims against them? Believe it or not. The world has never suffered from the absence of simpletons.
The absurdity is that they are trying to present themselves as the successors of the path of Arizal and Rabbi Ashlag. And if this is so, then we will check in all their books and make sure that there is not even a hint that Kabbalah is science in its classical sense. And if the source of this idea is not the books of Kabbalah, but only the fantasy of the “new Kabbalists,” it is not worth taking seriously! For the Kabbalah, by definition, refers to what we have received, not what we invented. And about this it is written in the preface to the book “Etz Chaim”: “These things have not been transferred to the human heart, in accordance with the human mind. There is a great danger in their explanation from the point of view of logic …”. The source of these words is the Book of Zohar in the chapter "Itro" sheet 86: "If you have not heard, do not speak." That is, you cannot invent what you have not heard from your teacher.
By the way, if Kabbalah is a science, why does the one who studies it call himself a rabbi? And if now it has become a science, then why did they not know about it earlier? (Indeed, it is a pity that Rabbi Ashlag did not know that he was a great scientist!) And if Kabbalah is a science and not a religion, why should its study bring a person closer to the Creator and hasten the coming of the Messiah? Why tithe? And so on. It is evident that such contradictions do not bother them. And it is not at all scary if the translation of the Kabbalistic lines is corrected in accordance with their desires, because hardly anyone will understand and understand these subtle manipulations. For example, in all translations of Rabbi Ashlag's books into Russian, the words “Hohmat ha-Kabbalah,” that is, the wisdom of Kabbalah, are translated as “the science of Kabbalah.” … But a Russian-speaking student gets acquainted with these works through translation. So he has a complete illusion that Kabbalah is undoubtedly a science …
If you check it properly, you can make sure that in their articles they do not give exact references to the original sources, limiting themselves to general phrases. And even if a quote is given, then it is interpreted in accordance with the previously desired conclusions. All this indicates that their "discovery" is not from the Kabbalah itself. And if this is so, then where does their authority and authority come from? And in general, how did they become Kabbalists? And if we are talking about a claim to science, then let everything be as in science. There, scientific credibility is primarily based on professional recognition. Would it ever occur to someone to declare himself a world-famous scientist who made a revolutionary discovery without his colleagues in this field recognizing and agreeing with his discovery?
And who, in fact, recognized and authorized these? After all, except for their own disciples, who clearly understand the issue under discussion no more than the “guru” himself, no one considers them the sages of Kabbalah. And those academic circles that issued the stamp of pseudoscience, it should be assumed, did so out of respect for the number of selected works. Before that, Kabbalah was not included in the list of scientific disciplines. So where did they suddenly get specialists who could appreciate the discovery in an area that they themselves were not involved in?
Where are the specialists really located? In those places where Kabbalah has been studied from time immemorial - in yeshivas. Thanks to them, we know about its existence. So, look there, in these yeshivas, and you will not find there a single book of "new Kabbalists". They are not only not recognized, but also viewed as intellectual delirium and desecration of Kabbalah.
Or try to check if there are any recommendations for their books? You will not find it! Now check all of our Jewish books, and you will not find a single one without letters of recommendation from the rabbis, which are a certificate of the professional level of the author and confirmation of the truth of the work itself.
And if we are talking about inventions, we will mention one more.
Among the many promises to the admirers of the "science of Kabbalah" there is one that has a special attractive power: "The Sixth Sense". If you study Kabbalah for 3-5 years, you will reach the “sixth sense”. And if you don't, it will take another 4-5 years. And then… And where did the “sixth sense” suddenly appear in the “science of Kabbalah”? From the same fabrications of the “new Kabbalists”. After all, this is a wonderful commercial name, familiar and mysterious, and most importantly, it is something practically tangible that can be specifically proposed. Well, who would refuse to have a "sixth sense"? The only problem is that there is no mention of this feeling in any book on Kabbalah …
And here we come to an important point. All supporters of the new approach to Kabbalah have a trump argument.
4. The study of Kabbalah was prohibited before, but now, since 1995, everyone can study
What has changed? Why is it suddenly possible? Let us quote the answer of the “new Kabbalists” themselves: “Only since the nineties of the 20th century is the spread of the science of Kabbalah permitted and recommended. Why? Because people are no longer associated with religion, they have become higher than primitive ideas about the forces of nature as humanoid beings, mermaids, centaurs, etc."
… Now it became clear. Until 1995 you, Rita, were religious, believed in mermaids and centaurs … But since 1995 you have been allowed and recommended …
Where did this date come from - 1995? It's hard just to come up with it. Indeed, it is accepted among the disciples of Rabbi Ashlag that once he expressed hope that after 50 years (according to one of the opinions - starting from 1995), his teaching will spread throughout the world. He, of course, could not even imagine that a day would come, and someone would cynically use his pure aspirations for purposes alien to him, and besides, he would call himself the disciples of Rabbi Yehuda Leib Alevi Ashlag, Baal HaSulam - blessed is his memory - and his son Rabbi Borukh Sholem Ashlag - blessed is the memory of him.
It is with these names that all "new Kabbalists" hide behind, calling themselves their disciples and followers. But how dare they call themselves disciples? After all, a student expands and deepens the teaching of his teacher - and if he contradicts him, then he is not worthy to be called his student, but only a defiler of his name. And the opinion of one who is accepted by everyone as a recognized authority and an undeniable follower and disciple of R. Ashlag - Rabbi Abraham Gottlib, who in his book on the life and teachings of the Ashlag family rabbis writes:
“Here one should warn and warn against all kinds of institutions and organizations that claim to teach Kabbalah, and some of them even use the name of Rabbi Ashlag, the author of the book“Sulam,”blessed is his memory. I declare publicly that there is no connection between them and Rabbi Ashlag. They take his teaching superficially and distort it, using it for their shameful purposes … They take everything external and superficial from the wisdom of Kabbalah and use it in isolation from the original Jewish path and in complete isolation from the path of R. Ashlag …"
“… The path of our holy teacher consisted in the fact that the entire inner part of the Torah and the wisdom of Kabbalah, which is the holy of holies, is intended to correct a person - to give him the strength to get rid of narcissism, to give him the strength to accept the Creator's faith. And this is possible only through the observance of the Torah, the commandments and the original Jewish customs, without all sorts of reforms. For the commandments and customs are intended for the purpose of bringing man closer to the Creator. And no one has the right to cancel or facilitate some of them, for they are our life.
And anyone who reads this book, which is a living testimony from the lips of the disciples of Baal HaSulam and the disciples of his son, clearly sees that there is nothing and there was nothing in common between them and those distorted souls of people representing the aforementioned institutions. "(" Asulam "p.. 135)
In other words, we are not talking about the disciples of Rav Ashlag, but about the impostors hiding behind his name.
Let's move on to answering your next question: "What is the secret of the success of the mass distribution of Kabbalah?"
Kabbalah is unusually multifaceted, and sometimes it is enough to become familiar with several ideas about the structure of the world and man in order to arouse admiration and awaken spiritual thirst. There is no doubt that Kabbalah will captivate any intellectual seeking answers to the mysteries of life. Therefore, even the most superficial acquaintance with the works of Rabbi Ashlag is enough to arouse great interest in Kabbalah.
But don't be surprised at their current success. After all, the process is in its initial stage, and it is not yet clear in what direction it will develop and where it will lead. A similar thing, but on a different scale, has already happened in history. Not only “new Kabbalists” tried to “steal” parts of the Torah and present them separately from Jewry as part of universal human knowledge, explaining that the Jews were only keepers of this treasure until the time came to open it and spread it throughout the world.
All this is not new, and Christianity developed in the same way when Shaul of Tarshish realized that the Jews did not share or accept his ideas. He, through several kabbalistic manipulative ideas, built the foundations of Christian theology, which allowed him to appeal to all of humanity. He did not single out Kabbalah from the Torah, but stood out as a sect, “stealing” the entire Torah and declaring that it belongs to all mankind. And now, after a lapse of time, they take the books of Rashbi, Arizal, r. Ashlag, the content of which is the complete opposite of what they are trying to learn from them, distinguish them from the rest of the Torah and represent them as the "science of Kabbalah." They take the ideas of Judaism and present them as "Kabbalah considers" … Christians have done this much earlier.
Let's move on to your last question: "Is it possible to study Kabbalah?"
If Kabbalah is studied with the original intention not to observe what it teaches and obliges, then this is completely prohibited.
First, because of the aforementioned limitation, study Kabbalah until a person prepares himself for it. And none of the sages of Kabbalah "allowed" or "recommended" anything …
Secondly, because of the evil generated by such learning. Arizal, in his commentary on the words of Tehilim: “And the Creator said to the wretch: what is the book of My law to you? purity, but, on the contrary, strengthens the forces of evil … . In other words, while a person is immersed in his crimes and violates the commandments, studying Kabbalah and pronouncing the holy Names will not only not help him approach the Creator, but, on the contrary, will lead to the strengthening of evil forces in himself and in the whole world!
The third and most terrible thing: a Jew who studies Kabbalah, but separated from the Torah, denies the Torah and is called "apikores". He is not attached to the minyan or summoned to the Torah. He basically excluded himself from the people of Israel, his punishment of "carriages", and he has no lot in the world to come.
In conclusion: From Arizal to Baal HaSulam and the sages of Kabbalah who came after him, all obliged religious Jews to in-depth study of Kabbalah as an integral part of Jewish life. Indeed, we see the flowering of the study of Kabbalah: from the yeshivas of the sages of Kabbalah to the lessons of Kabbalah in all the major centers of the Jewish religious settlement. And not only they, but also those who are just beginning to come into contact with spirituality and the search for the meaning of life, can quench their thirst in the deepest works of Ramhal, Maaral and other Jewish sages. Based on Kabbalah, on the one hand, and not introducing into all its complexities, on the other, they gave us clear answers to all questions of existence. This is the best way to get acquainted with the secrets of Kabbalah, while continuing the parallel study of the Torah and observing its commands, as is customary in the Jewish people from time immemorial.
This answer was tested and approved by the head of the Ahavat Shalom yeshiva of the Kabbalists, Rabbi Yaakov Hillel (translated), Rabbi Benzion Zilber, and other famous rabbis.
Rav Asher Kushnir