Does anyone here actually study the Kabbalah? My rabbi says that I should wait until I'm an adult to study it. I'd really like to, though. There's a sort of romance in mysticism... I'm not sure what it is, but it's there.
Traditionally Kaballah is the Jewish esoteric path to finding God within. That really sums it up. But as we know the Western religions have strict structures and this is really more business than anything else. I mean, there's the same amount more or less of chemicals that make up a rabbi, and a pope as a leper, or a common person. So there is no difference between any of us as far as ultimate worth. But hierarchy rules in Judiasm, and you'll find it in Kaballah in the tiers of the Otz Chiim, with all the powers, and so on. But just remember that one is the Kether, or actually one is the primordial three rings which exist before the Kether. Not sure if you will find fulfillment in this patriarchal religion as women really aren't allowed to study Kaballah in depth. AFAIK. I may be totally wrong here, am I? But that shouldn't stop you as Western mysticism is rife with Kaballah, especially in the secret orders like the Golden Dawn, and there are plenty of books. There's never a reason to wait to study about God and our place in the universe. Study and question everything, and never stop until you have all the answers. Wait! is not an answer. Find another more sympathetic rabbi.
my rabbi wouldnt help me and the local judaica shop wouldnt sell anything to me (ive been studying kabbalah since i was 16 and im a female... too young and wrong gender...) but i love it. go to a library or bookstore. ive gotten several books i really like and ordered stuff online. i cant imagine if i hadnt started studying kabbala what i would be like... Oh and go to www.kabbalah.com www.72.com im on kabbalah.com's mailing list and frequent the site. theres tons of stuff you can get as a young female, its just harder... you kind of have to go above people's heads... and be careful
Let's clarify here folks... Chodpa, it appears that you don't really understand kabbalah and Judaism too well. You speak of Western religions, and I would be VERY cautious including Judaism as a "Western" religion. Judaism isn't patriarchal, either. Some Jews and Jewish communities are patriarchal, however Judaism itself is not. And most certainly, the study of kabbalah is not. You are correct in making reference to business, however. There are far too many people trying to make a buck on the esoteric practices at the heart of Judaism, and pretty much ANYbody that says they'll teach a 16 or 17 year old kabbalah is just out to make a buck (or they're not really teaching you). Also, pretty much ANYbody with a website advertising their wares isn't teaching real kabbalah... Including the ones referenced by Bohemianchild. Mind you, this is all coming from someone who is also not learned in kabbalah. Really, the only true way to study kabbalah is to first gain a broad-based fluency in the Tanach, Mishna and Gemara. From there, you find a teacher to learn from who you feel comfortable with, and who probably doesn't have any books or websites or anything. The reason you're being turned away is probably because you're not approaching the right people, though even if you did contact the right people, you would likely be turned away until you have enough learning in the less mystical aspects of Judaism. The best thing to do is to find someplace to go learn in Israel, and find yourself a Rabbi. Get thee to a seminary! All of this being said, allow me to offer a website of a Rabbi who is truly learned in Kabbalah. I have learned from him, and he is one of very few in our generation who is teaching the truth. His name is Rav Avraham Sutton, and his website is www.geulah.org. Also, for anyone who tells you that you must be forty years old to study kabbalah, the Arizal, the most accomplished kabbalist of all time, died at the age of 39... Make of it what you will.
Shalom, I'm studying it for a while, check my name Although it's very difficult to understand it at my age, and when you're trying to understand it by yourself, it's worth trying it. You don't harm anyone, so why wait til you're older? There really is some sort of romance, that's because it's esoteric: only a few people understand it. But it is not wrong to start, it's quite interesting! Lehitraoth, Matthijs
Yeah, Judaism is definitly not a patriarchal religion. Part of the reason some people become Jewish is that the woman are generally treated well. Some synagoges are set up in a patriarcal way, but that is relatively few and it's not the whole religion. We're not all orthodox, remember. And I've met more woman that study Kabbalah than men.
i don't know but i've been told... studying kabbalah is "risky business" --- a lot of powerful energies may be awakened when focusing meditations upon the tree within, with its roots in the earth & its crown in highest spaces without name (ein soph?)... the tradtional reason for restricting the study to older scholars was to avoid a sort of psychic burnout (similar to indian esoteric tantra/kundalini practices, in some ways...) shalom
isn't it at the "top of the tree" ? perhaps analogous to "the shining void" in tibetan buddhism to an extent...
I think the real reason the restrict Kabbalah study is that a lot of people study it instead of Torah, as opposed to studying it with the Torah, as it was intended.
Sophia ~* A template of eyes, wave matrix of ethereal manifestation, unfolds as potentiality. Shekinah of the holy breath acts, shining beyond the center of will, surrendered to the universal causation. Brilliant unities, chorded enochian, are lawfully transliterated as an inter-folding, symbolic, chameleon-language clarity. Crowning nimbus of the unspoken word instantaneous. Gaze piercing the veils ephemeral. Honorable presence which cradles all. She forgotten, remembers the duty of anointing, with fire, the prepared. Left hand path of Kali and Rose. Right hand path of Mother and Caduceus. These inner roles of being are essential. Inside her sacred breast the immortal child is born witnessing, anew. What can be said of Wisdom? She is beyond Binah, for a tree is only knowledge. She who would be honored must be allowed, within, as baptism of burning. ~* Shalom (Inspired by Alex Grey in his artwork "Sacred Mirrors")
Sophia is a very modern image for me. I love to share what I see. It felt right so it flowed. Would you like to offer your insight for this forum?
It's beautiful poetry! Thanks for sharing it, I printed it and I read it over again before going to bed! Thanks
It just seems like its a poem about the sacred mirrors rather then kabbalah. There are some strange and very un-jewish/kaballah-ish things about it. It seems more like a poem, beautifully written, but still just calling on too many catch-phrases and popular ideas. "baptism" is most definately not a jewish idea, and doesnt belong in real kaballah. alot of it is sophistry and semantics. Please explore for us what you mean by "wave matrix" and how that ties into anything but theoretical physics and mathematics. " Shekinah of the holy breath acts," Shechina meaning god's presence, you are saying "gods presence of the holy breath" huh? I'm really trying not to come down to hard and seem like a total ass, its just that when you come into a religion and start adding your own things, it soon becomes something else entirely. It is a beautiful poem, but really not much more then that. also what really got me was mention of caduceus, which i know is the medical symob with the rod and the snakes. In more modern hebrew it sounds like "cadoochas", which is a slang for "kadachat", meaning..."shit".
In particular it is my poetic interpretation of what I saw and experienced when I embraced "Sophia" in Alex Greys' work "Sacred Mirrors." Thanks for any mention of beauty for this poem. My intention was but to share. Baptism has multiple definitions many of which relate to personal spiritual cleansing or an ordeal one goes through. In this forum my conception of the "wave matrix" would be similar to the function of Daath on the tree. More of a field between vibration intensities.. similar to ether or a void which light travels through. Yes, the holy breath or the animating life-force. I would enjoy your view of Shekinah or Shechina. I do not claim orthodox thought here nor a possession of wisdom. I do like to communicate and share. The caduceus symbol for me would be the spine as well as the brain... with the wings being consciousness. ~* All in love with bright blessings
