“All of you … who see land beyond the horizon, who read sealed, hidden missives and books, who seek for the buried treasure in the earth and in walls, you who teach so much wisdom, such high arts – remember that you must take unto yourselves the teachings of the Kabbalah if you want to accomplish all this.”

-Paracelsus, one of the founding fathers of Western medicine.

The Kaballah was printed in English for the first time in the history of the world in 2003. It is now explained, in simple terms that anyone can understand, in books you can buy at any bookstore.

Yes, the original Aramaic source book of Kabbalistic knowledge, called The Zohar, was put into writing over 2000 years ago, and before that, it began with the words of Abraham, known as The Foundations, then 1500 years later was verbally handed down to Moses who used its technology to part the Red Sea. And finally, its recent publication in English is why we are currently hearing so much about the life-changing truths of Kabbalah. On the cover of one Kabbalah book, the famous singer, Madonna, is quoted saying, “No hocus-pocus here. Nothing to do with religious dogma, the ideas of Kabbalah are earth-shattering and yet so simple.”

Books about Kabbalah are available at all the major bookstores. Best sellers on Kabbalah, are The Power of Kabbalah, The 72 Names of God, God Wears Lipstick and Becoming Like God. Kabbalah book study and discussion groups are held on these subjects, including the original source book, The Zohar, at meetings everywhere.

People often ask questions like: Do you believe in heaven and hell? In angels or the devil? What happens to the soul after death? What is the nature of God and the universe? The answers to questions like these define most religions; in fact, I have heard some people say that the purpose of religion is to answer these kinds of questions. Yet while Kabbalah is not a religion these questions are answered clearly.

Mysticism and mystical experiences have been a part of common interest among all peoples since the earliest pre-historic times. The Bible contains many stories of mystical experiences, from visitations by angels to prophetic dreams and visions. Kabbalah teaches that all souls were in existence at the time of Creation, the “Big Bang.” Kabbalah explains the beginning of the Universe in a similar way as scientists do today, yet it was part of Kabbalistic wisdom 4000 ago. But Kabbalah was taught only to the most advanced scientists and scholars and was not committed to writing until The Zohar. Science, physics, biology, religion, spirituality, and philosophy all have their roots in Kabbalah. Kabbalah profoundly influenced people like Abraham, Moses, Jesus, Mohammed, Pythagoras, Plato, Newton, Leibnez, Shakespeare, and Jung.

In the middle ages, many of these mystical teachings were committed to secret ancient writings or compilations of secret ancient writings available only to the elite. These mystical schools of thought came to be known as Kabbalah, meaning “to receive, to accept.”



Kabbalah: The

Misunderstood

Doctrine

Kabbalah is one of the most grossly misunderstood spiritual subjects. Many people are now interested in Kabbalah as it has become popularized by trendy celebrities. These misunderstandings stem largely from the fact that the teachings of Kabbalah have been so badly distorted by those who make their own assumptions instead of teaching the Zohar as the source book. Kabbalah was popular among Christian intellectuals during the Renaissance and Enlightenment periods. They reinterpreted its doctrines to fit into their Christian dogma. In more recent times, many have wrenched kabbalistic symbolism out of context for use in tarot card readings and other forms of divination and magic that were never a part of the Kabbalistic teachings.

While there are similarities between the wisdom of Kabbalah and A Course in Miracles, there are also differences. One example would be, Kabbalah teaches that we are 99% spiritual beings and 1% physical, a Course in Miracles claims that we are 100% spiritual beings but in temporary physical bodies.

Kabbalah is about understanding God, the universe and your self. It is about receiving fulfillment in every area of your life: eliminating negative thoughts, healing, DNA of the soul, soul mates, removing fear, reincarnation, prosperity and much more. The Creator wants us to have this knowledge so we may experience complete fulfillment.

This brings us to a major paradox, because how can we -- who are finite, understand God, who is Infinite? Kabbalah describes God as Ein Sof, which in Hebrew means “without end.” Colloquially, of course, we are accustomed to use “infinite” whenever we refer to something “very, very big” or “uncountable.” But its real definition is “without borders” or “without parameters.”

Just as when we physically grab something, we need edges/borders to hold onto, so too when we mentally grasp a concept, we need to perceive the boundaries of the idea as points of reference. Thus, when we define something we give it parameters, and thereby we are able to comprehend it. A picture’s clarity depends on the sharpness of contrast of its boundaries. When I wish to describe a person, I point out the distinctions between him and others. If I say, “he is tall”, I really mean to say, “he is taller than most others.”

God is not bound or describable in any way. No amount of comparison, illustration, or metaphor will bring His reality closer to our understanding. He is simply Ein Sof -- indefinable, period.

This doesn’t just mean that His powers are not limited in any way, but, more deeply, that we cannot contrast God with any experience known to humanity. But we can experience the works of God.

So what are we studying in Kabbalah?

The answer is that while God Himself is Ein Sof, He has created a place of interaction between Himself and humanity that is, for our sakes, bounded and defined. This is called The Wisdom of Kabbalah -- and this is the realm within, (it is in our DNA) in which we can make use of our understanding and knowledge.

This is what is at work in the wisdom of Kabbalah -- which is contained in the rules and laws of the Torah, the first 5 books of the Bible, and decoded by the Zohar. If we are to receive fulfillment in our lives, we must learn to love others as God loves us, unconditionally; to give is to receive; love thy neighbor as thyself; give charity; learn why you are on this planet; what is your specific purpose here; why is there “evil” in the world; how do we remain connected to God and remain happy and fulfilled in every area of life? We learn in Kabbalah that the Creator wants us to be fulfilled all of the time. Studying and understanding the Zohar and wisdom of Kabbalah allows us to gradually develop a certainty of the Divine Will for our lives and our Divine assignment in the world. This is the subject matter of Kabbalah. Yet in reaching a deeper understanding of Kabbalah, we get a glimpse of God Himself.

Dave Hunt has been leading spiritual book study groups in the Clearwater area for 15 years. For more information or to join a group, call Dave at 727-463-5211 or