Learning and Teaching Kabbalah; The Writing of Kabbalah Simply Stated
I Introduction
The learning experiences I will discuss in this paper include private lessons with Rabbi Azriel Abraham of Jerusalem, reading scholarly books about Kabbalah, researching various interpretations of this philosophy since 1985, teaching at education centers and writing of the book, Kabbalah Simply Stated.
My learning experiences began in Jerusalem in 1985. I was on vacation and met Rabbi Abraham at a coffee shop. He introduced himself and we spoke for nearly four hours about Judaism, mysticism and Kabbalah. We liked each other immediately, and I was fascinated by his sixty years of esoteric knowledge. I asked him if we could communicate with each other when I returned to New York, and he said, “just call me.” We made an agreement to speak every Sunday morning for thirty minutes. Our Sunday morning conversations continued for five years. Sometimes, he would visit New York City and stay with me, other times I would visit him. We developed a very close relationship and wrote letters to each other frequently. Over thirteen years, not a month went by, when we did not communicate. Rabbi Abraham was my teacher, mentor and friend.
My introduction to Kabbalah included learning three fundamental concepts. These topics laid the foundations for my future understanding of this subject:
1) Ain Soph: nothing without-end; the incomprehensible source of all-that-is, was and
shall be;
2) Shemittot: cosmic laws of cycles and patterns observed in nature and;
3) Gilgul: revolutions of souls or transmigration.
These fundamental principles have been the key to my understanding of Kabbalah. The books I have read by scholar Gershom Scholem have provided detailed insights into these subjects. These fundamental principles led me into scholarly study. The scholars I found most helpful were Aryeh Kaplan, Isaiah Tishby and Gershom Scholem. They are prolific writers. They hone-in on the essential points of each subject and back-up their claims with credible sources. All three have made important contributions to the history of Kabbalah and the clarification of its teachings.
Rabbi Abraham introduced me to scholarly research in several areas. He spoke with me about topics he felt were pre-requisites. His teachings were based on The Zohar (The Book of Splendor, circa 1285) by Moses de Leon, The Sepher Yetzirah (300 CE, author unknown, circa 300 CE) and The Sepher ha-Bahir (The Book of Light, credited to Isaac The Blind, circa 1100 CE). These texts have been authenticated by language, syntax, grammar and references to earlier sources. My learning experiences included frequent conversations with Rabbi Abraham about many of the subjects analyzed by modern scholars. The Rabbi helped me to think creatively. He encouraged me to pursue an intuitive line of thinking on all subjects. He said, “never be afraid of offering your own interpretations, but make sure of one thing: you must back up your claims.”
II Ain Soph and The Godhead
The first topic I studied related to the nature of Ain Soph. I wrote about this subject at the beginning of my book on page 13. There is no anthropomorphic God in Kabbalah. He is not the old man with the white beard flying across the sky in a chariot. God is not a male in Kabbalah. God is an IT; unspeakable, unthinkable, omniscient and omnipresent. The IT has the same infinite, incomprehensible, ‘something and nothing’ description as:
1) Hegel’s Being and Non-Being;
2) The un-manifest Tao of Lao-Tzu;
3) Paramatma of the Hindus;
4) The Absolute Being of the Neo-Platonists;
5) The un-manifest Logos of pre-Socratic philosophy;
6) Amenominakanushi of Shintoism;
There are many more versions of IT in ancient and modern religions. I was excited, encouraged and enthusiastic about the universal nature of this most important Kabbalistic teaching. If Ain Soph (IT), is defined as ‘the nothing without-end’, IT is nameless. Therefore, if IT has no name, IT cannot be claimed by any person, organization or religion. This nameless, one, divine source eliminates the need for humanity to fight over whose God is the true God. If everything emanated from this one source, all souls must come from IT. Therefore, all souls must be made of the same essence, and division among people, based on their spiritual composition, becomes illogical. This first fundamental principle is the foundation of Kabbalistic philosophy. When I realized the significance of this universal concept, I knew that the study of ancient wisdom was right for me.
Many Kabbalah books discuss Ain Soph. I have learned through experience, there is no point in arguing about IT, because IT is a subjective concept that can never be proven. If this infinite energy source cannot be comprehended by a finite mind, no human opinion is right or wrong about IT. The Rabbi was very clever. He had a concise method for ending this type of conversation about IT. He explained that there is ‘relative truth’ and ‘absolute truth’. The difference is; the former is temporary, the latter, eternal. Since everything in the universe is temporary, everything before the universe must be eternal. When the universe comes to an end (Einstein’s Big Crunch, Hinduism’s Great In-Breathing), everything that existed in matter will disappear (a temporary universe). The only thing that will remain after the end of the universe will be Ain Soph. IT existed before the beginning of The Bible, so IT must continue to exist before the next beginning. Before the next beginning, can also be called ‘pre-Big Bang’. Therefore, IT must exist in some abstract form beyond the world of matter. This is about as far as anyone can go with this abstract conversation.
An extended conversation on this subject is an exercise in futility. The concept, however, is one of the most intriguing mysteries the mind will ever ponder.
III Good and Evil
The second topic I studied was the nature of good and evil. I included a chapter in my book about this subject on page 61. I found the most interesting aspects of good and evil relate to the evolution of the soul. I learned that Kabbalah teaches the concept of a three-part soul. The first part is Nefesh, the breath of life; the second is Ruach, the spirit of the personality and the third is Neshamah, the eternal aspect. When introduced to this subject, my first impulse was to equate the trinity of the soul, with the Trinity described in The Nicene Creed. I felt that the concept of Father - Son - Holy-Spirit was the macrocosm of Neshamah, Ruach and Nefesh. I was also reminded of another trinity: Osiris (Father), Isis (Holy Spirit/Mother) and Horus (Son) of ancient Egypt. My inclination was to pursue this line of comparative thinking to learn more about universal patterns and symbols in other religions.
On the subject of good and evil, The Guide For The Perplexed by Maimonides, offers insightful explanations. Maimonides discusses the plight of Job and ‘why bad things happen to good people’. After reading The Book of Job, my first impression was that Job was not so ‘good’ after all. I noticed at the beginning of the story, Job’s sons held feasts inside his home on certain days. His sons invited their sisters to eat and drink with them, and, “when the feast days were over, Job would send word to them to sanctify themselves, and, rising early in the morning, he would make burnt offerings, one for each of them; for Job thought, ‘Perhaps my children have sinned and blasphemed God in their thoughts’” (Job 1:5). I began to wonder, what were Job’s sons and daughters doing during these feasts? What was going on with these boys and girls that caused Job to constantly atone for their sins? It did not sound like they were acting very ‘good’. My feeling was that something ‘bad’ was happening during those feast days. Especially, since Job “sent word” for them to cleanse themselves (Job 1:5). I spoke with Rabbi Abraham about why Job would allow his children to ‘sin and blasphemy God’. I asked him if Job‘s behavior could have been the cause of his suffering? The Rabbi told me, the Biblical writer was referring to specific sacrilegious events that Job did not terminate. Job’s failure to discipline his children may have been one of the causes of his suffering. The Rabbi agreed with my conclusions and was supportive of my method of evaluation.
Since Job allowed his children to hold these feast days in his house, he is responsible for the events that transpired during the feasting period. If he wanted them to sanctify themselves after the feasts, he must have known that they were up to ‘no good‘. Instead of stopping the feasts and disciplining his children, Job simply ‘sent word’ to them and prayed that they would stop their ‘bad’ behavior. Therefore, Job is not symbolic of the good man who suffers for no reason. Later in the story, Job’s children are killed as part of his penance. This action by God further corroborates the children’s role as one of the causes for Job’s misery.
I have always believed that everything happens for a reason. It was difficult for me to accept the popular interpretation that Job suffered for no reason. After visiting Safed, Israel and speaking with several Kabbalists at Ascent of Safed, I received further support for my theory. Rabbi Abraham encouraged me to read Maimonides’ commentary on The Book of Job and research this subject further. Maimonides gives additional reasons for Job’s suffering when he speaks to God at the end of the book:
“I know that You can do everything,
That nothing you propose is impossible for You.
Who is this who obscures counsel without knowledge?
Indeed, I spoke without understanding
Of things beyond me, which I did not know.
I will ask, and you will inform me.
I had heard you with my ears, But now I see you with my eyes;
Therefore, I recant and relent,
Being but dust and ashes.” (Job 42:2)
Job realizes he has been arrogant in his ways and ignorant about the nature of God. Now, he is ready to listen for the first time after losing everything he loved. Maimonides summarizes Job’s situation by concluding that he was a religious man who understood rituals, worship and prayer (“I had heard you with my ears“), but he had never experienced God (“But now I see you with my eyes“). Job humbles himself and acknowledges that he does not know anything about the nature of God. Job’s admission is reminiscent of Socrates’ declaration to The Oracle at Delphi. Socrates tells The Oracle that he doesn’t know anything, and The Oracle responds by telling Socrates, ‘that’s why you are the wisest man in the world’. The Kabbalistic message in The Book of Job is: it is not enough to take part in rituals, prayers and worship, if one wants to know God. The person, who wishes to commune with God, must experience God. In Kabbalah, this mystical experience is achieved through Kavvanah (Kabbalistic meditation). The goal of Kabbalistic meditation is to connect the essence of the soul, with the essence of The Godhead.
The Zohar mentions another form of evil known as Sitra Ahra. When reading about Sitra Ahra, I immediately thought of the Dark Side from Star Wars. During the emanation of The Tree of Life, the spheres or vessels broke, and their shards (Klippot) form the Sitra Ahra (other side). The Klippot and Sitra Ahra become the source of evil in the universe. Luria named the breaking of these vessels, the Tzim-Tzum - a contraction of light descending through Four Worlds on The Tree of Life.
I was not enthusiastic about the concept of Sitra Ahra and the teachings of Isaac Luria (the Ari). I spoke with the Rabbi about my concerns and he told me that he was not a big fan of Luria either. We agreed that Luria changed the rules of Kabbalah from a study of the inner self to an outer quest to repair the universe. His philosophical additions to Kabbalah include the idea that each person should perform good deeds (Mitzvot), which will help repair the shattered vessels and the universe. Once the vessels of The Tree are repaired (Tikkun), the manifested part of God will be in balance again. Luria taught that the vacant space eliminated by the Tzim-Tsum would restore (Tahiru) ‘good’ in the world. Luria’s teachings about the reparation of the vessels turned the focus of Kabbalistic study to the outside world and away from the inner. He created the concept that humanity should perform good deeds for the sake of repairing these cosmic vessels. I wondered how he knew the vessels broke in the first place. I also felt that he was changing the esoteric aspects of Kabbalah to modernize the philosophy and change it into an organized religious movement. The same type of modernization took place when Gnosticism was abolished by the early Christian Fathers. Luria also tried to change Kabbalah into a dogmatic, religious movement.
IV The Tzaddik
The third topic I studied with the Rabbi was the nature of the Tzaddik. A Tzaddik is a wise, humble, righteous, pious, good, truthful and virtuous person. This individual has similar attributes to those of a Mahatma (great soul).
I have only known two people who fit this description - Rabbi Abraham and my great-great grandfather. Once again, Star Wars popped into my mind when I first read about the Tzaddik. I thought of Yoda and The Jedi as Tzaddiks, because they were illuminated from within. In the Bible, Joseph is the prototype of a Tzaddik, because he forgives his brothers for selling him into slavery.
In my view, Moses, David, Solomon and Elijah were not Tzaddiks. Moses did not give God credit for a miracle, so God did not allow him to enter The Promised Land. David arranged for the death of Uriah, so he could marry his wife Bathsheba. Solomon became obsessed with wealth and accumulation of gold. After Solomon met Sheba, he worshipped foreign gods and built statues to honor them. Elijah traveled to Mt. Horeb seeking praise from God after successfully establishing Yahweh (Adonai) as the one true God. He is not praised by God and does not receive the type of approval that Moses received.
Biblical characters who I do consider Tzaddiks include: Abraham, Joshua, Samuel, Jeremiah, Esther, Daniel and Ruth. I relate to these characters as Tzaddiks because they did not have inner battles with their ego-selves. They performed their natural duties and when the time came, they did what was right. There are many other examples of Tzaddiks in The Bible, but the ones I have mentioned are my personal favorites. Abraham destroyed idols sold by his family and established the ‘one God’ principle of monotheism. Joshua continued Moses’ mission and led the Hebrews over The Jordon River into The Promised Land. Samuel was God’s messenger and traveled tirelessly, while the Twelve Tribes made the transition from Judges to Kings. Jeremiah sacrificed his personal life and became a prophet. Esther had her defining moment when she went before the King. She was not summoned, which was punishable by death, but the King let her speak and she was able to save the Jewish people. Daniel would not compromise his Jewish beliefs by bowing down to the King as a god. Ruth - a Moabite - devoted her life to taking care of her Jewish mother-in-law (Naomi). Ruth stayed with Naomi after her husband had been killed, and together, they rebuilt their lives in Bethlehem.
Kabbalistically, the Tzaddik always has good intentions and pure motives. The Sepher ha-Bahir says that the Tzaddik corresponds to the seventh sphere on The Tree of Life. This sphere symbolizes the male reproductive organ. The female element (Shekinah) is directly across from the Tzaddik on The Tree. The qualities of the spheres changed over the next four hundred years. By the 15th century, the Tzaddik had moved to the ninth sphere, Yesod, and the lower Shekinah became the tenth sphere, Malkuth. These spheres (Sephiroth) are associated with the masculine and feminine sexual organs. I began to learn that ‘cosmic sex’ played an important role in Kabbalah and The Zohar. The sexual act became a symbol for the union of the male and female aspects of The Godhead. The Rabbi explained to me that the name of God as ‘yod-he-vav-he’ is the first clue to understanding the significance of male-female unity. He explained that when the letter yod is face-to-face with the letter he, this ‘backward-comma-like yod’ fits into the window of the upper left side of the letter he. This is symbolic of the phallus and the yoni coming together. The first he (higher Shekinah) gives birth through the bottom opening of the letter. She delivers a vav, who becomes the son of yod-he intercourse. The vav, when face-to-face with the final he, inserts its top line into the window of the letter he. This action is symbolic of the groom and bride coming together in cosmic harmony. I asked the Rabbi if the sexual nature of the Hebrew letters were personifications of a deeper esoteric meaning. He told me to think about this idea for a while and wait until the proverbial light bulb switched on in my mind. Over the next several weeks, I thought about Joseph Campbell and his stories of ancient civilizations, who worshiped the sun and the moon. I remembered the sun was associated with the masculine, and the moon with the feminine. I started thinking that the sun and the moon had one thing in common: they both provided light for the earth. Then, my light bulb came on; I remembered something I had just learned at a Kabbalah seminar, led by Z’ev ben Shimon HaLevi. The first point HaLevi made was that Kabbalah was all about light. With this thought in mind, I made the connection between the name of God and various aspects of light. Since the letters of The Tetragrammaton (yod-he-vav-he) can be arranged vertically, each letter can be aligned with one of the Four Worlds on The Tree of Life. I wondered if the yod could be symbolic of the sun, the letter he - the moon, the vav - the sun’s light and the final he - the moon’s light. The Rabbi explained that this line of thinking was correct, because the sun, moon and earth were all worshipped by the ancients. He also explained that the city of Ur, the home of Abraham, was known as the city of moon worship. The word Ur in Hebrew means light. The Rabbi asked me to think about the Biblical first day of Genesis 1:4-5:
“God saw that the light was good, and separated the light from the darkness. God called the light Day, and the darkness he called night. And there was evening and there was morning, a first day.”
What struck me at first, was evening came before the morning. I never realized this before. I wondered, ‘what kind of light were they speaking of, if the first evening and morning were ‘created’ three days before the sun, moon and stars?’ The only conclusion I could reach, was that the first morning was symbolic of light. I looked through my Kabbalah books seeking an explanation, and concluded, that this light from the first day was the primordial light of The Godhead. Sometimes, this phenomenon is simply called the light of pure spirit (un-manifested eternal energy). If the first morning symbolized primordial spirit, the second day symbolized the differentiation of spirit into matter: “God said, ‘Let there be an expanse in the midst of the water, that it may separate water from water’” (Genesis 1:6). The narrative continues, with the creation of the sky on the second day, and dry land on the third. This metaphysical phenomenon can be explained as pre-cosmic spirit devolving into pre-cosmic matter. This form of duality becomes the container for the animating force of life. On the fourth day, spirit and matter unite to form a universe and everything in it. I spoke to the Rabbi about my interpretation of these events and how they unfolded. He told me that I was on the right track.
In this paper, I have discussed spirit and matter because they relate to the nature of The Tzaddik. The Tzaddik (masculine) is symbolic of the phallus, sun, light and spirit. The lower Shekinah (feminine) is symbolic of their polar opposites: the yoni, moon, darkness and matter. There must be a balance of masculine and feminine energies to form a union between these two aspects of the Godhead. The same holds true for the balance between the sun and moon, light and dark and spirit and matter. The term, ‘hieros gamos’ (sacred marriage) is representative of the balance between polar opposites. This type of unification leads to oneness, love, peace, harmony, truth, righteousness and virtue. These are the essential qualities of the Tzaddik. In the future, when the time is right, unity will exist within every human being and, “on that day God will be one, and His name shall be one" (Zachariah 14:9).
IV The Divine Feminine
The fourth topic I studied was the divine feminine. In Kabbalah, Shekinah is the female dwelling presence. I wanted to learn more about this subject, because over thousands of years, traditional western religions have denigrated women. I was surprised to learn that Kabbalah recognized the need for balance between male and female energies. The Rabbi asked me to study the goddess Asherah, who is mentioned several times in The Jewish Bible. She is represented by 400 priests on Mt. Carmel, when Elijah sets up a contest between her, Yahweh and Baal to determine who the one, true God is. Three alters were built, and the people stood waiting to see which pyre would begin burning first. Yahweh’s pyre was hit by lightening and a fire began. Subsequently, Elijah declared Yahweh as the one and only God, and he immediately ordered the killing of Baal’s 450 priests. It is interesting to note, the 400 priests of Asherah were not killed. No mention is made of any repercussions for those who worshipped this goddess. Therefore, the Jewish people must have wanted to keep the goddess figure in their lives. This is one of the few passages in The Bible where the divine feminine is acknowledged.
Kabbalah’s treatment of the feminine principle is different from The Bible’s portrayal of the temptress. Adam’s first wife Liluth was a she-demon, but she was an invention of The Talmud. Some scholars claim she is part of Kabbalah, but that is because the medieval Kabbalists who studied The Talmud, incorporated her into Kabbalistic philosophy. Most scholars dismiss demons as a mythology of the times.
The Shekinah is the physical presence of God on earth. She is associated with the cloud over ‘The Tent of the Meeting’ during the time Moses set up camp at Mt. Sinai. When The Ark of the Covenant was at the front of the battle lines, Shekinah was there to protect The Ark and the Hebrew army. When The Ark was housed inside the tabernacle, Shekinah had a temporary home. When Solomon built The First Temple (circa 972 BCE), Shekinah has a permanent home in the Temple, inside The Holy of Holies. After the First Temple was destroyed, the Jews were exiled to Babylon, and it was thought that Shekinah was also in exile. When Shekinah did not have a home, the Jews concluded that God had abandoned them. After seventy-two years of exile, the Jews returned to Jerusalem and built The Second Temple that was destroyed in 70 CE by the Romans. Once again, the Jews were demoralized because Shekinah did not have a home.
Rabbi Abraham explained to me that by 100 CE, the Kabbalist Rabbis realized that any monument, Temple or shrine associated with Shekinah, would eventually be destroyed. They realized how depressing it was for the Jewish people to lose their sacred sites to an enemy. The concept of Shekinah, as an entity associated with physical structures, came to an end. The Kabbalist Rabbis decided to change the meaning of Shekinah from an outer dwelling presence to an inner one. The part of the soul called Neshamah (the eternal aspect) became known as ‘the Shekinah within’. This change corresponded with the Greek notion of the soul being called ‘she’. There was also a correspondence with the female Hebrew letter ‘he’ that appears twice in God’s sacred name. On The Tree of Life, the first ‘he’ became known as ‘the higher Shekinah’ and the final ‘he’ became ‘the lower Shekinah’ or Matrona.
My knowledge of Shekinah was helpful when reading The Da Vinci Code by Dan Brown. The main character, Dr. Robert Langdon, wrote a book entitled, The Sacred Feminine. As I read the book, I began to recognize many Kabbalistic concepts that related to Shekinah. In my view, the only claim that Brown can substantiate, is the loss of the divine feminine during the time of Jesus. This loss caused an imbalance between the masculine and feminine energies. I thought about Genesis 1:27, “And God created man in his image, in the image of God he created him; male and female He created them.” This is the Biblical starting point for the balance between male and female archetypes. I realized that all human beings have a certain balance of testosterone and estrogen in their bodies. I also thought about the soul as a sexless entity in balance. If transmigration of the soul occurs, every soul will experience a balance of being male and female. For unity to exist, these two energies must be equal in strength.
The Da Vinci Code brought this discussion onto the world stage. Brown reminds us of the day when matriarchal societies existed. He mentions the worship of the goddess as a tribute to ‘Mother-Earth’. She is the life-generator and the feminine aspect of nature that gives birth to all things. I began to research this subject further, and discovered that the divine feminine was honored in ancient agricultural communities.
Kabbalah is one of the few traditions to keep the divine feminine as a central aspect of its philosophy. Judaism tried to regain the male-female balance in The Bible with the addition of the Books of Esther and Ruth (It is interesting to note, that God does not make an appearance in either book). In The New Testament, the male-female balance begins with the miracle of Mother Mary’s immaculate conception. However, when Jesus begins his ministry, he does not have a female counterpart. This limits God to having a son, but no daughter. This is the best point Brown makes in his book. There should have been a divine female in the gospels’ stories to balance-out the male energy of Jesus. Brown tries to make the case that Mary Magdalene should have been that female counterpart to Jesus.
V The Adam Kadmon
The Rabbi recommended I read, The Sixteen Crucified Saviors, by Kersey Graves. I learned that the Son-of-God, who is born of a virgin, dies on a cross (or tree) and is thereafter resurrected, is an old myth that has been told in many cultures all over the world. I am not suggesting that the story of Christianity is the continuation of this myth, but there are striking resemblances between the sun gods of ancient cultures, and the Son-of-God archetype whose description begins in The Book of Isaiah.
In my book, page 72, I discuss Jesus’ title as, ‘the last Adam’. This phrase comes from the writings of Paul and has Kabbalistic significance. In 1 Corinthians, Paul is referring to Jesus as the “the last Adam”. He says, "The first man Adam was made a living soul; the last Adam was made a quickening spirit"(15:45). Paul is using a well-known Kabbalistic phrase referring to The Adam Kadmon or ‘man’ created on the sixth day of Genesis (the first Adam). When Ezekiel, Daniel and Jesus refer to The Son of Man, they are referring to the Kabbalistic archetype of The Adam Kadmon. This definition of A-dam Kad-mon is, ‘the one and only (or only begotten) Soul of all humanity.’ Eventually, this first Adam splits apart (or is crucified) into trillions of little souls. Each one becomes a Son of Man as it strives to reach spiritual perfection. When these trillions of souls have achieved their highest levels of consciousness, they reunite (or resurrect) to form ‘the last Adam Kadmon’. This resurrection of the last Adam Kadmon occurs when the universe comes to an end (end of times or Einstein's Big Crunch). When examining the sayings of Jesus, it becomes apparent that he was familiar with the teachings of Jewish mysticism. In my view, his message comes from ‘the oral tradition’ (early Kabbalah). Jesus is delivering one of Kabbalah’s primary teachings: through the power of your inner self, you will find, “the Kingdom of Heaven is within you” (Luke 20-21) .
I have been criticized for including Jesus in my book. Some other Kabbalists have been annoyed with me for suggesting that Jesus had studied Jewish mysticism. My question to them was, “What other traditions could Jesus have been studying?”. He was born a Jew and never denied his Jewish roots. ‘The oral tradition’ (mysticism) was popular at the time and philosophers, like Philo Judeaus, were writing esoteric essays combining Platonism and Judaism. Since there is no evidence to suggest that Jesus was familiar with Buddhism, Hinduism or Zoroastrianism - by the process of elimination, I believe he was a Jewish mystic. He spoke in esoteric parables that his disciples had a hard time understanding, and he spoke of “the Father in secret”, who was symbolic of the eternal aspect of the soul (Matthew 6:6). Jesus’ teachings refer to the power inside every human being to achieve perfection (Neshamah). These are the same principles Kabbalah teaches. Many people feel threatened when hearing about similarities in Judaism and Christianity. Some are so attached to their religious beliefs that they don‘t want to hear any ideas outside of their dogmatic ideology. Many people have been led to believe that their religion is superior to all others, and no similarities exist among the world’s religions. Even the suggestion of universal spiritual teachings can be offensive to some. Regardless of how others feel, this is the area of study that I enjoy most. Learning about the essential unity of all religions is my passion. In my book, I have attempted to help others by explaining that no one religion has a monopoly on wisdom or truth.
V Transmigration
My learning experience included a fifth subject: transmigration of the soul. Many of my students have asked, “is transmigration the same as reincarnation?” Transmigration is similar to reincarnation in the sense that the soul continues to incarnate on earth as it strives for spiritual perfection. The original Kabbalistic teaching says that only those who disobeyed the First Commandment were subject to transmigration. The process of transmigration was a punishment that kept the soul from entering ‘the world to come’. When The Zohar was written (circa 1285 CE), transmigration (Gilgul), became a popular topic of study. By the 15th century, transmigration was the accepted theory for the continuing cycle of life and death.
I learned that there are similarities and differences between the Hindu system of reincarnation and Kabbalah’s theory of transmigration. The Hindu soul can devolve backward into the animal kingdom, whereas in Kabbalah, souls remain in the human kingdom. An interesting article by Moses ben Nahman (Nahmonides) describes Job’s sufferings as the painful effects from past lives. This idea is similar to the Hindu system of karma - every action creates a cause and effect. In Kabbalah, karma is called ‘the residue’ (Klippot), and it latches onto the soul. Negative tendencies of the personality carry forward into the next life. The Egyptians, Cathars, Gnostics, Buddhists, Shintos, Sufis and Taoists have similar doctrines in their religious systems.
Transmigration also refers to the eternal energy of an individual’s soul (Yechidah-Chiah). This energy first manifests itself in the mineral kingdom as part of a life-wave. Eventually, this life-wave raises its consciousness to become the life force of the plant kingdom. Millions of years later, the life wave graduates to the animal kingdom, and finally, it moves up to the human kingdom. Pythagoras taught a similar doctrine that includes his version of the life force, known as the monad. The Hindu system has a life force called, Atman-Buddhi. In these traditions, the same theory of spirit and matter coming together, create forms in the universe (as taught by Plato). This creative, animating force of spirit and matter, propels all of nature forward. Spirit needs matter as its vehicle; every spark of light needs its ray; every sound vibration needs its musical tone.
VI The Astral Body
The Rabbi introduced me to the concept of the astral body. He explained it as an electrical double of the physical body. In Scholem’s book, On the Mystical Shape of the Godhead, he says that this concept poses many difficulties for scholarly study. He refers to Genesis 1:26, where the astral body is referred to as “the image or tzelem body”.
The first problem, is defining what constitutes an astral body. It has been called the aura, the psychic body and the container of the soul. The Rabbi explained to me that ancient Chinese physicians were well aware of the astral body. They began using acupuncture five-thousand years ago to balance the astral with the physical. They believed that disease began in the astral form, which eventually, manifested in the physical body. The Zohar refers to the tzelem body as an etheric double that surrounds the body. In Scholem’s book, he cites a passage from an Oxford manuscript of the Shushan Sodot: “Know that the complete secret of prophecy to a prophet consists in that he suddenly sees the form of his self standing before him, and he forgets his own self and ignores it….and that form speaks with him and tells him the future. And concerning this our sages said, ’Great is the power of the prophets, who made the form appear to them to resemble its Former’” (1509).
Kabbalah teaches that the astral body can be separated from the physical body. The waking consciousness of the person can then be transferred to the astral body. There is nothing new about this phenomenon in the history of mysticism. The Egyptian mystics meditated inside the Great Pyramid and purportedly separated from their astral bodies. Their astral forms would leave the Pyramid through small square portals that pointed toward different stars. When they returned to their physical bodies, they had gained superior knowledge. These Egyptian Pharaohs and mystics wrote inscriptions in their tombs claiming to have visited ‘The Far World’.
The Hindus claim that Mahatmas, Avatars and highly advanced spiritual beings can leave their bodies at will. After the crucifixion, Jesus enters his ‘light-body’ and appears to Mary Magdalene and many others. Therefore, the astral body is a well-known spiritual phenomenon. Sometimes, it is called an apparition. According to Kabbalah, the astral body is a second garment that each person slips into after the physical body dies.
The Rabbi pointed out a Biblical reference about the tzelem body. He explained, when mythical Adam and Eve were in The Garden of Eden, they were light beings living in their astral bodies (naked). When God evicts them from The Garden, they fall to earth and subsequently, God “makes them garments of skin” (Genesis 3:21). In this metaphorical story, Adam and Eve fall from the astral world down to the physical world.
People who have experienced the NDE (near-death experience) have reported being outside their bodies while being pronounced dead. Their astral bodies move to the top of the room and hover over the body until they see a tunnel. This common experience is the best evidence for validating the existence of the astral form. Thousands of people have reported experiencing this phenomenon.
Kabbalistically, the tzelem body is an intermediary between the physical world and the second world on The Tree of Life, known as Briah (creation). In my book, page 93, I explain the process of the after- life, and the continuity of consciousness after death. When the tzelem body dissipates, the soul stays in its world of rest until the time comes to incarnate once again.
The tzelem body is one layer of our being. The Rabbi used the metaphor of an egg to explain the multi-level nature of our being. He asked me to think of an eggshell as our physical body; the membrane inside the shell as the astral body; the soul as the albumin (white part) and the life essence (Yechidah-Chiah or monad) as the yolk. A few weeks later, I thought that a flame would also be a good metaphor for this structure. The black smoke from the flame (carbon) symbolizing the physical body; the yellow glow - the astral body; the blue glow - the soul; and the clear, inner center - the life essence. The Rabbi liked this correspondence.
VII First Teaching Experience
After knowing the Rabbi for ten years (1995), he encouraged me to teach a Kabbalah 101 class. I did not like the idea, and explained to him that I do not enjoy public speaking. I was always a nervous speaker and dreaded the thought of being a teacher. He told me to calm down and consider myself a facilitator, who is going to lead a discussion group. I said I would think about it, but had no ambition for going in this direction. I was very happy when he dropped the subject.
Four years later, in June of 1999, I woke-up and decided it was time to start a Kabbalah study group. I called the local Jewish Community Center and they were interested in a Kabbalah class for their adult education program. I offered to teach the class free and asked them not to charge a fee for those attending (this way nobody could ask for their money back). They agreed to my proposal, but they needed to ask for voluntary donations. I agreed to start the class after they publicized it in their newsletter. I was a nervous wreck at the first class, but luckily, only ten people attended. The discussion was informal and uplifting. People were laughing and actually enjoying themselves! A year later, the average attendance was 30 -50 participants per class, and my nerves were under control. From 1999 until today, I am constantly learning how to be a better facilitator.
VIII The Book
By 2001, I was traveling across Florida offering monthly Kabbalah classes at the West Palm Beach JCC, and other JCC’s in Tampa, Davie and Boynton Beach. I felt these classes were my basic training for learning how to present the material and answer questions. In 2002, I was speaking to a philosophical organization in Deerfield Beach, FL, when I met Muriel Trachman. She had written sixteen books during her tenure as a teacher. She asked me to have coffee with her to discuss the idea of writing a book. Muriel is one of the most forceful, persistent and intelligent individuals I have ever known. She hammered away at me over a period of several months, stressing the importance of being an author. I kept putting her off, but I admired her tenaciousness and perseverance. Eventually, I broke the news to her that I did not have time to write a book. I just could not bring myself to sit down at the computer and start writing. That is when she lassoed me. She said if those were my only objections; she had a solution. She recommended jotting down notes on 3x5 cards, and then go back, and review my notes with the Rabbi. She captured my attention when she said, “you had many conversations with the Rabbi, so why not reconstruct those discussions and write the book in dialogue?” With Muriel’s insight and inspiration, I was ready write the book. Page 3, bears the inscription, “Special thanks to Muriel Trachman who has been my guiding light of inspiration from the inception of this book to its completion. Muriel’s unflinching optimism and relentless encouragement gave me no other choice but to write this book.”
While writing the book, I sensed a need for diagrams to explain the concepts visually. At one of my Kabbalah classes, I made an announcement that I needed an artist to contribute to my book. After the class, a woman told me about her nephew (Nick), who was attending The Ringling School of Art and Design in Sarasota. She gave me his phone number and we met the following week. Nick and I made an agreement to work together, but I warned him that I was going to be fussy about the drawings. I wanted him to know in advance that he would be doing plenty of revisions. Nick has a low-key disposition, and during the process of completing thirteen drawings, I tested his limits. When he was finished with the illustrations, we were both happy with the final results, and I was one step closer to completing the book.
I remembered when visiting Safed, Israel, I took a tour of The Safed Kabbalah Art Museum. I looked up the Museum on the internet and found it was owned by Phillip Ratner of Bethesda, MD. I called Phillip and asked him if I could include some of his original Kabbalah art in my book. Fortunately, he was open to the idea. I sent him a rough draft of the book with diagrams. Within two weeks, he called me and gave me permission to use his artwork. He also gave me permission to use one of his drawings for the front cover of the book. The fourth page includes an essay by Phillip Ratner entitled, Kabbalistic Dreams.
After writing and re-writing the book for over a year, I was running out of inspiration. Attempting to perfect the book became an obsession. I was tired of staying up until 3 am, banging away at the keyboard. In March 2003, the book was finished.
The book was first published in late 2003 by Sinclair Books. I was unhappy with their distribution system and waited until the contract expired in 2004 before seeking a new publisher. To find a new publisher, I went through my own library and made a list of the publishers of the books I owned. I sent a copy of my book to each one, and waited to hear back. Within a month, I received a barrage of reject letters and returns. I was quite discouraged, when one day a letter came from Paragon House in St. Paul. Their editor, Rosemary Yokoi, liked the book and wanted to discuss the possibility of entering into a publishing agreement. After jumping for joy, I called Rosemary and we began our discussions. I was thrilled that Paragon House wanted to publish the book. They are a well respected publisher, specializing in scholarly books about philosophy and religion. I could not have hoped for a better publisher to accept my book.
Within a few months, Paragon House released the book through Continuum Publishing of New York, London, Asia and South America. The book reached the number three spot on Amazon.com for best sales in the category of Kabbalah. While surfing the internet, I found it selling everywhere from Wal-Mart to Barnes and Noble. Hundreds of stores were stocking the book and sales were good.
Paragon House launched a publicity campaign and I was interviewed by over a dozen radio stations across the country. One day, I received a call from Fox Cable News. They wanted to interview me on live television from their station in Tampa. The next morning, I was picked-up in a limousine, and driven to the TV station. I was on the air speaking about Kabbalah by 1 pm. The fifteen-minute interview went well, and sales of the book soared in the weeks that followed. Fox called me again two months later, and another interview was arranged.
IX Classes and Guest Speaking
After the initial publicity campaign, life settled down, and I began concentrating on improving my classes. By 2005, I was teaching at The Longboat Key Education Center, Unity of Sarasota, and The Center for Positive Living. I had guest speaking engagements at The Brandeis Women’s Alumni Association, many local synagogues, churches, philosophical and religious organizations. In July of 2005, I was invited to speak at Temple Beth-Tikvah in Greenacres, FL. I decided to speak about ‘Kabbalah and The Da Vinci Code’. The Da Vinci Code film had just been released one week prior to my presentation, and the Temple sent out press releases about the event. The Temple administrator called to tell me, they were expecting up to 180 people to attend. I told her that I was comfortable with a big audience. By this time, I had been in front of over 200 people at The Boynton Beach JCC.
I studied and prepared this lecture for a month. I had 30 pages of notes on every aspect of Kabbalah’s link to Dan Brown’s novel. The day of the event over 650 people attended. They had to move the attendees into the sanctuary, so everyone could have a seat. The Temple Rabbi jokingly said to me, “I should only have such an attendance on Yom Kippur”. My wife came up to the platform and said, “this is the Woodstock of Kabbalah”. The humor had a calming effect, and I was ready to begin.
All the time I spent preparing for this lecture paid off. If I had not done my homework, I would have been nervous and distracted. Fortunately, I felt confident and well prepared. I knew this was a special moment in my life. It was an honor to have the opportunity to introduce so many people to the teachings of Kabbalah. I knew Rabbi Abraham was smiling down on me that day. It was his wish that I would share his teachings with others. Now, I was doing just that.
My experience of learning and teaching Kabbalah over the last 22 years, has led me to an understanding of who I am. There is a strong desire that I cannot explain, that draws me to the study of universal esoteric philosophy. My passion for the subject is energizing and fulfilling. My life has changed for the better as a result of finding this path, and practicing its principles. I have no ambition for fame, fortune or glory. I simply want to keep learning and teaching universal spiritual wisdom. I admire the writings of Emerson, Huxley, Joseph Campbell, Plato, St. Thomas Aquinas, Jung, Alan Watts, Plotinus, Sir James Frazer, Swedenborg, Ghandi, Bhagavan Das, Lao-Tzu, Confucius, Maimonides and many other ‘universalists’.
Works Cited
Brown, Dan. The Da Vinci Code. London: Bantam Press, 2003.
Graves, Kersey. The World’s Sixteen Crucified Saviors. Kempton: Adventures Unlimited
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Jacob, Moses ben. Shoshan Sodot. Oxford Ms., Kiev: 1509.
Maimonides, Moses. The Guide for the Perplexed. 2nd Edition ed. Trans. M. Friedlander,
PhD. New York: Dover Publications, 1956.
Scholem, Gershom. On The Mystical Shape of the Godhead. Trans. Joachim Neugroshel.
New York: Schocken Books, 1976.
Tanakh ~ The Holy Scriptures, The New JPS Translation According to the
Traditional Hebrew Text. Philadelphia, New York, Jerusalem: Jewish Publication
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Waxman, Robert. Kabbalah Simply Stated. St. Paul: Paragon House, 2004.
