KABBALAH IN OUR TIME : Part II
Some Basics on Kabbalah
After that introduction we
will move now to introduce some of the basics of the Sacred
Kabbalah.
The word Kabbalah literally
means "
to receive
", what to receive, how to receive, when to receive
and from whom to receive is what is called and elaborated
on as "
Tradition
"that was passed on as
the "Oral Teaching"(
Torah SheBeal Pe
), since ancient times as
it is transmitted from Abraham and Moses, the source of all
our learnings, and throughout the generations from "teacher"to "student"and "father"to "offspring" until
this very day.
The first teachings and appeared
first in writing in the following important works:
1. Sefer Yetzirah
(c. C.E. 3rd-6th centuries,
2. Sefer HaBahir
(c.1180)
3. Sefer HaZohar
(c. 1280)
These books were translated
as
Book of Creation,
or
Book of Formation, Book of
Brilliance, or Book of Illumination,
and
Book of Splendor
or
Radiance.
One of the great and visionary
Kabbalist who lived in Spain and traveled extensively was
Rabbi Abraham Abulafia
, (1240 – 1292) who wrote many books that have been newly
republished in Israel, elaborated in his teachings and developed
great meditation techniques with the Hebrew Letters, and
thus in his book called "
Otzar Gan-Eden
"– "
The treasures of The Garden
of Eden
", he elaborated with
his unique approach about
the Sefer Yetzirah,
the Hebrew Letters computations
and on the Sefiroth as they are presented in
Sefer Yetzirah.
He even developed a certain
way to breath and utter the Hebrew letters in a certain way
to invoke the deeper meaning, and cause inspiration, realization,
causing "
Divine revelation
", and deep inner experience of
"that which cannot be talked about."
or
"that which we cannot
described."
Rabbi Moshe Cordovero or as
he called the RAMAK, (1522 – 1570),
was a very profound theoretician of the ten emanations (
Sephirot
) of the Divine expression of the Creator. He lived in the City of
Safet, or Tzefat in Eretz Israel. He was the contemporary
of he
great Rabbi Isaac LURIA,
known as
the ARI, (1534 -1572).
The
Ari
who developed, amplified and transformed some of the Kabbalah
teachings into a comprehensible system of practice that is
the current stream of Kabbalah Study. Most of his teaching
was transmitted orally and was recorded by his devoted student,
Rabbi Hayim Vital
, Born in Tzefat, Eretz Yisrael,
1543 and died in Damascus, Syria, 1620, in his
many books.
Over the generations and history
many from various cultures have studied this Sacred knowledge
and wisdom, wrote books and interpretations that they learned
from books, and left various impressions and information
for the generations to come and discern and recognize the
authentic from the false.
This is not the place for
such elaborations, but for the student it is recommended
to be informed more and go on, as long as one distinguishes
very clearly between
information
and
knowledge
, especially these days, where everyone who informs oneself
about the "
finger
"one pretends to know the "
whole body
". And also as suggested
above, one may search and find an authentic teacher to learn
and transmit in a certain way this great teaching and its
practical application in everyday life.
The Hebrew Letters - Some
of the BASIC meaning.
According to
Sefer Yetzirah
– Book of Formation, "
Twenty-two letters: He ordained
them, He hewed them, He combined them. He weighted them.
And created with them the whole creation and everything to
be created in the future."
The Kabbalah tradition transmitted
this knowledge in Sacred Hebrew (
Lashon Hakodesh
).
This brief introduction is
in English, just to present some of the basics and therefore,
good effort has been made to be exact to the original writing.
א
ALEPH. The original representation of the Divine Emanations from
which all else follows. Especially: The creation of SPIRIT,
then AIR, ABUNDANCE, and the trunk of the human body.
ב
BEITH. The foundation of LIFE. Corresponds to the direction ABOVE.
ג
GUIMEL.
The foundation of life is well
being. Corresponds to the direction BELOW.
ד
DALETH. The foundation of life is WISDOM. Corresponds to the direction
EAST.
ה
HE. The foundation of life is SIGHT. NORTHEAST. Extending to the
infinity of the Universe, continuing and embracing the ETERNITY
of BEING. Corresponds to ARIES.
ו
VAV. The foundation of life is HEARING. SOUTHEAST. Extending to
the infinity of the Universe, continuing and embracing the
ETERNITY of BEING. Corresponds to the TAURUS
ז
ZAYIN. The foundation of life is SMELL. HIGHEAST. Extending to
the infinity of the Universe, continuing and embracing the
ETERNITY of BEING. Corresponds to the GEMINI.
ח
HETH. The foundation of life is SPEACH. LOWEAST. Extending to the
infinity of the Universe, continuing and embracing the ETERNITY
of BEING. Corresponds to the CANCER.
ט
TETH. The foundation of life is TASTE. HIGHNORTH. Extending to
the infinity of the Universe, continuing and embracing the
ETERNITY of BEING. Corresponds to the LEO.
י
YOD. The foundation of life is SEXUAL LOVE. LOWNORTH. Extending
to the infinity of the Universe, continuing and embracing
the ETERNITY of BEING. Corresponds to the VIRGO.
כ
KAPH. The foundation of life is WEALTH. Corresponds to the WEST.
ל
LAMED. The foundation of life is WORK. SOUTHWEST. Extending to
the infinity of the Universe, continuing and embracing the
ETERNITY of BEING. Corresponds to the LIBRA.
מ
MEM. The essential foundation of life is WATER. Earth from water.
The human abdomen.
נ
NOON. The essential foundation of life is MOVEMENT. NORTHWEST.
Extending to the infinity of the Universe, continuing and
embracing the ETERNITY of BEING. Corresponds to the SCORPIO.
ס
SAMEKH. The essential foundation of life is ANGER. HIGHEAST. Extending
to the infinity of the Universe, continuing and embracing
the ETERNITY of BEING. Corresponds to the SAGGITARIUS.
ע
AYIN. The essential foundation of life is HAPPINESS. LOWEAST. Extending
to the infinity of the Universe, continuing and embracing
the ETERNITY of BEING. Corresponds to the CAPRICORN.
פ
PE. The essential foundation of life is BEAUTY. NORTH.
צ
TZADE. The essential foundation of life is THOUGHT. *Imagination,
Mrditation. HIGHSOUTH.. Extending to the infinity of the
Universe, continuing and embracing the ETERNITY of BEING.
Corresponds to the AQUARIUS.
ק
KOF. The essential foundation of life is SLEEP. LOWSOUTH. Extending
to the infinity of the Universe, continuing and embracing
the ETERNITY of BEING. Corresponds to the PISCES.
ר
REISH The essential foundation of life is FRUITFULNESS. Corresponds
to the SOUTH.
ש
SHEEN. The essential foundation of life is FIRE, then HEAVEN. The
human head.
ת
TAV. The essential foundation of life is DOMINION. Corresponds
to the sustaining "SACRED PLACES"in the Center
of all DIRECTIONS.
E I N S O F and THE T E N S E F I R O T
- ספירות
Sefiroth (plural)
- ספירה
Sefirah (singular)
To give you an idea of the
nature of Kabbalah, I will mention one of the better known,
fundamental concepts of kabbalistic thought:
the unconceivable being of the Creator
is called:
EIN SOF
, the
TEN SEFIROT
, and the kabbalistic
TREE OF LIFE
. This poor explanation is
a gross oversimplification. We do not dare or pretend to
fully understand these ideas.
According to Kabbalah,
the true essence of the CREATOR
is so transcendent, and
cannot be described,
except with reference to
what it is not. This true essence of the CREATOR is known
as EIN SOF, which literally means "
without end
"or "
with no end,
"which encompasses the idea of the lack THE boundaries
in both time and space. In this truest form, the EIN SOF
is so transcendent that,
It cannot have any direct
interaction with the universe
. The EIN SOF interacts with
the universe through ten emanations from this essence, known
as the Ten Sefirot
The ten Sefirot corresponds
to the various qualities of the
CREATOR
. They consist of, in descending
order:
KETER
(the Crown),
HOKHMAH
(Wisdom),
BINAH
(Intuition, Understanding),
HESED
(Mercy) or
GEDULAH
(Greatness),
GEVURAH
(Strength),
TIF’ERET
(Glory),
NETZAH
(victory),
HOD
(Majesty),
YESOD
(Foundation) and
MALKHUT
(Sovereignty or Kingdom).
The middle five qualities
are mentioned clearly and in order at:
Chronicles I. 29:11:
Yours, O L-rd, is the greatness
(gedulah), the strength (Gevurah), the glory (Tif’eret),
the power (netzach), and the splendor (hod).
לְךָ יְהֹוָה הַגְּדֻלָּה וְהַגְּבוּרָה
וְהַתִּפְאֶרֶת וְהַנֵּצַח וְהַהוֹד... דברי הימים א. יא
This passage have been translated
extensively in varying
ways, but the Hebrew corresponds
to the names of the Sefirot is in order.
The Ten Sefirot include both
masculine and feminine qualities. Kabbalah considers a great
importamnce of attention to the feminine aspects of The Creator
The Sefirot are commonly represented
as in the diagram at left. This diagram is commonly known
as the Tree of the Sefirot or the Kabbalistic Tree of Life.
There is great significance to the position of these various
attributes and their interconnectedness.
The Sefirot are not separate
deities, as some might think by taking this too literally.
They are intimately a part of
The Sacred one
,
HaKadosh Barukh Hu
, and yet they are in contact
with the universe in a way that the
Ein Sof
is not.
The Sefirot connects constantly
and eternally with everything in the universe, including "this
world"of humanity. The good and evil that we do resonates
through the Sefirot and affects the entire universe,
up to and including The Creator’s Being.
אין סוף
- EIN SOF AUR Infinity, unlimited
beyond human definition.
אור הגּנוּז
- AUR HAGANUZ = The Concealed
Light
כתר
- KETER
חכמה
- HOKHMA
בינה
- BINAH
חסד
- HESED
גבורה
- GEVURAH
תפארת
- TIF’ERETH
נצח
- NETZAH
הוד
- HOD
יסוד
- YESOD
מלכות
- MALKHUTH
א ב ג ד ה ו ז ח ט י כ ך ל מ ם נ
ן ע פ ף צ ץ ק ר ש ת
*
See the article "
Finding Your True Living
Master Teacher
"by Samuel Ben Or Avital,
Creator of
BodySpeak™
–
Moving Body and Mind
, with the addendum called "
The "Presence"of the Teacher and the Emanation
of Energy
".
NOTE:
See also the private publication
of the book "
THE INVISIBLE STAIRWAY:
Kabbalistic Meditations of The Hebrew Letters."
privately published in 2003
and 2006,
By Samuel Ben Or Avital.
See details how to be invited
to contribute to purchase this book
Also the availability
of special workshops "
Climbing "The Invisible
Stairway
", "
Gathering of the Sparks
"and the "
Tikkun Summit
"possibly a
22 week, once a week
work with the Hebrew
Letters, their meaning and effective tools to
KNOW
beyond the five limited senses of our limited reality.
Call, write, or visit our
website: Web site:
www.BodySpeak.com
Email:
savital@bodyspeak.com
- Samuel Avital, Founder
(1971) and Director Le Centre du Silence Mime School. P.
O. Box 1015. Boulder, Colorado, 80306-1015 - USA.
Phone: (303) 661-9271.
This article was written especially
for the
KABBALAH NOW
pages inside
www.BodySpeak.com
1982 – 2006 - Samuel Avital,
Le Centre du Silence, Boulder, Colorado. USA
.
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