Kabbalah
Kabbalah (also Qabbala, Cabala, cabbala, cabbalah, kabala, kabalah, kabbala) isreligious philosophical system claiming an insight into divine nature. Kabbalah (קבלה) isHebrew word which means that whichreceived, tradition.
Origin
"Kabbalah" refersan esoteric doctrine concerning God anduniverse, assertedhave come down asrevelationelect saints fromremote past,preserved only byprivileged few.
Early formsJewish mysticism at first consisted onlyempirical lore. Much later, underinfluenceNeoplatonicNeopythagorean philosophy,assumedspeculative character. Inmedieval eragreatly developed withappearance ofmystical text,Sefer Yetzirah. It becameobject ofsystematic study ofelect, called "baale ha-kabbalah" (בעלי הקבלה "possessors or masters ofKabbalah"). StudentsKabbalah later became known as"maskilim" (משכילים "the enlightened"). Fromthirteenth century onward Kabbalah branched out into an extensive literature, alongsideand oftenopposition toTalmud.
Most formsKabbalah teach that every letter, word, number,accentScripture containshidden sense;it teachesmethodsinterpretationascertaining these occult meanings.
Some historiansreligion hold that we should limituse ofterm Kabbalah only tomystical religious systems which appeared aftertwelfth century;use other termsreferesoteric Jewish mystical systems before12th century. Other historiansreligion view this distinction as arbitrary. In this view, post 12th-century Kabbalahseen asnext phase in continuous linedevelopment fromsame mystical rootselements. As such, these scholars feel that itappropriateuseterm "Kabbalah"referJewish mysticism as early asfirst century ofcommon era. Orthodox Jews disagreeboth schoolsthought, asrejectidea that Kabbalah underwent significant historical developmentchange.
Antiquityesoteric mysticism
Early formsesoteric mysticism existed over 2,000 years ago. Ben Sira warns againstin his saying: "You shall have no businesssecret things" (Sirach) iii. 22; compare Talmud Hagigah 13a; Midrash Genesis Rabbah viii.).
Apocalyptic literature belonging tosecondfirst pre-Christian centuries contained some elementslater Kabbalah,as, accordingJosephus, such writings were inpossession ofEssenes,were jealously guarded by them against disclosure,whichclaimedhoary antiquity (see Philo, "De Vita Contemplativa," iii.,Hippolytus, "Refutationall Heresies," ix. 27).
That many such books containing secret lore were kept hidden away by"enlightened"statedIV Esdras xiv. 45-46, where Pseudo-Ezratoldpublishtwenty-four books ofcanon openly thatworthy andunworthy may alike read, butkeepseventy other books hiddenorder"deliver them onlysuch as be wise" (compare Dan. xii. 10);in them arespringunderstanding,fountainwisdom, andstreamknowledge.
Instructive forstudy ofdevelopmentKabbalah isBookJubilees written under King John Hyrcanus, which refers towritingsJared, Cainan,Noah,presents Abraham asrenewer,Levi aspermanent guardian,these ancient writings. It offerscosmogony based upontwenty-two letters ofHebrew alphabet,connectedJewish chronologyMessianology, while atsame time insisting uponheptad asholy number rather than upondecadic system adopted bylater haggadists and"Sefer Yetzirah". The Pythagorean idea ofcreative powersnumbersletters, upon which"Sefer Yetzirah"founded,which was known intime ofMishnah (before 200 CE).
GnosticismKabbalah
Gnostic literature testifies toantiquity ofCabala. Gnosticism — that is,cabalistic "Hokhmah" (חכמה "wisdom") - seemshave beenfirst attempt onpart ofJewish sagesgiveempirical mystic lore, withhelpPlatonicPythagorean or Stoic ideas,speculative turn. This led todangerheresy from whichJewish rabbinic figures AkivaBen Zoma stroveextricate themselves;
Kabbalistic Dualism
The dualistic systemgood andevil powers, which goes backZoroastrianism, can be traced through Gnosticism; having influencedcosmology ofancient Kabbalah beforereachedmedieval one. So isconception underlyingcabalistic tree, ofright side beingsourcelightpurity, andleftsourcedarknessimpurity, found amongGnostics. The fact also thatKelippot (קליפותprimeval "husks"impurity), whichso prominent inmedieval Kabbalah,found inold Babylonian incantations,evidencefavor ofantiquitymost ofcabalistic material.
Mystic DoctrinesTalmudic Times
In Talmudic timesterms "Ma'aseh Bereshit" (SecretsCreation)"Ma'aseh Merkabah" (Secrets ofDivine Throne/Chariot) clearly indicateMidrashic naturethese speculations; theyreally based upon Gen. i.Ezek. i. 4-28; whilenames "Sitre Torah" (Talmud Hag. 13a)"Raze Torah" (Ab. vi. 1) indicate their character as secret lore. In contrast toexplicit statementScripture that God created not onlyworld, but alsomatter outwhichwas made,opinionexpressedvery early times that God createdworld from matter He found ready at hand — an opinion probably due toinfluence ofPlatonic-Stoic cosmogony.
Eminent Palestinian rabbinic teachers holddoctrine ofpreexistencematter (Midrash Genesis Rabbah i. 5, iv. 6),spite ofprotestGamaliel II. (ib. i. 9).
In dwelling uponnatureGod anduniverse,mystics ofTalmudic period asserted,contrastBiblical transcendentalism, that "God isdwelling-place ofuniverse; butuniversenotdwelling-placeGod". Possiblydesignation ("place")God, so frequently foundTalmudic-Midrashic literature,duethis conception, just as Philo,commenting on Gen. xxviii. 11 says, "Godcalled 'ha makom' (המקום "the place") because God enclosesuniverse, butHimself not enclosed by anything" ("De Somniis," i. 11).
Spinoza may have had this passagemind when he said thatancient Jews did not separate God fromworld. This conceptionGod maybe pantheistic, or panentheistic. It also postulatesunionmanGod; both these ideas were further developed inlater Kabbalah.
Evenvery early times Palestinian as well as Alexandrian theology recognizedtwo attributesGod, "middat hadin,"attributejustice,"middat ha-rahamim,"attributemercy (Midrash Sifre, Deut. 27);so iscontrast between justicemercyfundamental doctrine ofCabala. Other hypostasizationsrepresented byten agencies through which God createdworld; namely, wisdom, insight, cognition, strength, power, inexorableness, justice, right, love,mercy. WhileSefirotbased on these ten creative potentialities, itespeciallypersonificationwisdom which,Philo, representstotalitythese primal ideas; andTarg. Yer. i., agreeinghim, translatesfirst verse ofBible as follows: "By wisdom God createdheaven andearth."
So, also,figureMetatron passed into Kabbalah fromTalmud, whereplayedrôle ofdemiurgos (see Gnosticism), being expressly mentioned as God. Mention may also be made ofseven preexisting things enumeratedan old Baraita; namely,Torah, repentance, paradisehell,throneGod,Heavenly Temple, andname ofMessiah (Talmud Pes. 54a). Althoughoriginthis doctrine must be sought probablycertain mythological ideas,Platonic doctrinepreexistence has modifiedolder, simpler conception, andpreexistence ofseven must therefore be understood as an "ideal" preexistence,conception that was later more fully developed inKabbalah.
The attempts ofmysticsbridgegulf between God andworldespecially evident indoctrine ofpreexistence ofsoul andits close relationGod beforeentershuman body —doctrine taught byHellenistic sages (Wisdom viii. 19) as well as byPalestinian rabbis.
KabbalahChristianitynon-Jewish society
The term "Kabbalah" did not come into use until sometime in11th century,at that time referred toJewish schoolthought related esoteric mysticism.
Since this time Kabbalistic works gainedwider audience outside ofJewish community. As such, Christian versionsKabbalah begandevelop; byearly 18th century kabbalah had passed into widespread use by hermetic philosophers, neo-pagansother new religious groups. Today this word can be useddescribe many Jewish, Christian, or neo-pagan schoolsesoteric mysticism. Take note that eachthese groups has different setsbooks thathold as parttheir chaintradition,they reject each other's interpretations.
Primary Jewish texts
The first book on Kabbalahbe written,still extant today, isSefer Yetzirah ("bookcreation"). The first commentaries on this small book were written in10th century, andtext itselfquoted as early assixth century. Its historical originsunclear. It exists today innumberrecensions, up2500 words long. Like many Jewish mystical texts,Sefer Yetzirah was writtensuchway asbe meaninglessthose who readwithout an extensive background inTanakh (Hebrew Bible)Midrash.
The second ofimportant Jewish mystical works isBahir ("the illumination"), also known as "The MidrashRabbi Nehuniah ben haKana". Itsome 12,000 words long. First publishedProvence1176, many Orthodox Jews believe thatauthor was Rabbi Nehuniah ben haKana,Talmudic sage offirst century. Historians have shown thatbook was likely written notbeforewas published.
The most important workJewish mysticism isZohar (זהר "the radiance"). Itan esoteric mystical commentary onTorah, writtenAramaic. Orthodox Jewish tradition maintains thatwas written by Rabbi Shimon ben Yohai in2nd century. In13th century,Spanish Jew bynameMoshe de Leon claimeddiscovertext ofZohar, andtext was subsequently publisheddistributed throughoutJewish world. Famed historianscholarKabbalah Gershom Scholem has shown that de Leon himself wasauthor ofZohar. Among his proofs wastext used 12th century Spanish grammarword phrasings,thatauthor did not havecorrect knowledge oflandIsrael. The Zohar containselaborates upon much ofmaterial foundSefer YetzirahSefer Bahir,without question isKabbalistic work par excellance.
Kabbalistic teachings abouthuman soul
The Zohar posits thathuman soul has three elements,nefesh, ru'ah,neshamah. The nefeshfoundall humans,entersphysical body at birth. It issourceone's physicalpsychological nature. The next two parts ofsoulnot implanted at birth, butslowly created over time; their development depends onactionsbeliefs ofindividual. Theysaidonly fully existpeople awakened spiritually. A common wayexplainingthree parts ofsoulas follows:
- Nefesh (נפש) - lower part, or animal part, ofsoul. Is linkedinstinctsbodily cravings.
- Ruach (רוח) -middle soul,spirit. It containsmoral virtues andabilitydistinguish between goodevil.
- Neshamah (נשמה) -higher soul, or super-soul. This separates man from all other lifeforms. Itrelated tointellect,allows manenjoybenefit fromafterlife. This part ofsoulprovided bothJewnon-Jew alike at birth. It allows onehave some awareness ofexistencepresenceGod.
- Chayyah (חיה) - The part ofsoul that allows onehave an awareness ofdivine life force itself.
- Yehidah (יחידה) -highest plane ofsoul,which one can achieve as fullunionGod aspossible.
- Ruach HaKodesh (רוח הקודש) -state ofsoul that makes prophecy possible. Sinceageclassical prophecy passed, no one receivessoulprophesy any longer.
- Neshamah Yeseira - The supplemental soul thatJew experience on Shabbat. It makes possible an enhanced spiritual enjoyment ofday. This exists only when oneobserving Shabbat;can be lostgained depending on one's observance.
- Neshoma Kedosha - ProvidedJews atagemajority (13boys, 12girls),is related tostudyfulfillment ofTorah commandments. It exists only when one studiesfollows Torah; can be lostgained depending on one's studyobservance.
Foretellingfuture
A small numberKabbalists have attemptedforetell events byKabbalah. The term has comebe usedrefersecret sciencegeneral; mystic art; or mystery.
Following that,word cabal camemeansecret association offew individuals who seek by cunning practicesobtain officepower.
Other terms which originally described religious associations but have comerefersome waydangerous or suspicious behavior include zealot, assassin,thug.
Kabbalah andWestern Esoteric Tradition
The Western Esoteric (or Hermetic) Tradition,major precursorbothneo-PaganNew Age movements whichalso extantvarious forms today,heavily intertwinedvarious aspectsKabbalah. Muchthis has been changed from its Jewish roots due tocommon esoteric practicesyncretism, butcore oftraditionvery recognizably present.
"Hermetic" Kabbalah, as itsometimes called, probably reached its peak inHermetic Order ofGolden Dawn,19th-century organization that was arguablypinnacleceremonial magic (or, depending upon one's position, its ultimate descent into decadence). WithinGolden Dawn, Kabbalistic principles such asten Sephiroth were fusedGreekEgyptian deities,Enochian systemangelic magicJohn Dee,certain Eastern (particularly HinduBuddhist) concepts withinstructure ofMasonic- or Rosicrucian-style esoteric order. Many ofGolden Dawn's rituals were exposed bylegendary occultist Aleister Crowleywere eventually compiled into book form by Israel Regardie, an authorsome note.
Crowley made his mark onuseKabbalahseveralhis writings;these, perhapsmost illustrativeLiber 777. This bookquite simplysettables relating various partsceremonial magicEasternWestern religionthirty-two numbers representingten spherestwenty-two paths ofKabbalistic TreeLife. The attitudesyncretism displayed by Hermetic Kabbalistsplainly evident here, as one may simply checktablesee that Chesed (חסד "Mercy") correspondsJupiter, Isis,color blue (onQueen Scale), Poseidon, Brahma,amethysts--nonewhich, certainly,original Jewish Kabbalists hadmind!
See also
Zohar, Mysticism, ListMessiah claimants, Donmeh, Sabbetai Zvi, golem, abracadabraExternal LinksReferences
