Introduction to Kabbalah
The Written Torah and the Oral Torah
The prophetic experiences of the ancestors and founders of Judaism – Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob – are recorded in several important Biblical passages. Their intimacy with God gave them wisdom and insight, which they passed on to their descendants, the twelve tribes of Israel. Some of this tradition was committed to writing;[1] the remainder was transmitted orally from generation to generation.
The legacy that was handed down from generation to generation, gained the status of Divine Law when Israel stood at the foot of Mount Sinai and witnessed the Revelation. This in essence laid bare the hidden core of Divine knowledge. Until that time only a select few had managed, by virtue of their sanctity, to pierce the barrier between heaven and earth and attain this enlightenment. At Mount Sinai God revealed to Moses the entire complex of Divine wisdom and law[2] that is called Torah.[3]
The Talmud[4] explains that just prior to the giving of the Torah an argument ensued between Moses and the angels about whether it was appropriate that the Torah – God’s “hidden treasure” – should be revealed at all to mere mortals.[5] The angels argued that the heavens were a worthier place for the lofty Torah, “since Torah in essence speaks about the higher worlds, and only hints to matters in the lower world.”[6] It appears, however, that Moses presented a convincing case, for the Torah was given to him and the Jewish People on Mount Sinai in the year 2448 in the Hebrew calendar – 1,313 years before the Common Era.[7] According to the account given in the Talmud, it is clear that until this point in time, the Torah was concealed on high.[8]
When the Torah was given to Moses as the Written Law, it was accompanied by the Oral Law – the interpretation and rules of application of the Written Law. However, it was strictly prohibited for anyone to commit the Oral Law to writing for publication – “You have no permission to transcribe that which is transmitted orally.”[9] Although it is evident that many of the sages committed sections of the Oral Law to writing, this was generally only for their own private use, as a reminder of the contents of the laws.[10] These written documents were therefore referred to as “megillot s’tarim” – “concealed documents.”[11] In several passages, for example, the Babylonian Talmud reports that the famous sage Rav, nephew[12] and secretary[13]of Rabbi Chiyya (one of the most important sages of the Zohar), found such megillot s’tarim in his uncle’s house.[14]
It was only due to extraordinary circumstances, i.e. fearing that the entire oral tradition would be lost in the military conquests and attendant travails that beset that era, that Rabbi Yehudah HaNassi (the thirty-fourth generation recipient of the Torah from Moses) and other sages of his generation decided to commit the germinal form of the Oral Law to writing.[15] Rabbi Yehudah occupied himself with this task and brought it to completion in the year 189 of the Common Era, the year in which he passed away. He arranged the vast body of Oral Law into the six orders of the Mishnah:
From the days of Moses until the Holy Rabbi [Rabbi Yehudah HaNassi] no written work had been compiled from which to teach the Oral Torah publicly. Rather, in every generation the head of the Rabbinical Court, or the Prophet who lived in that generation, wrote for himself, as a reminder, all that he had heard from his teachers. He then taught the public orally. Similarly, each according to his ability, wrote for himself the explanation of the Torah and its laws as he heard them. In addition, [they also wrote down] those laws which each generation had derived by way of deduction. . . . rather than by way of direct tradition. And so it was until the days of the Holy Rabbi.[16]
The style and language of the Mishnah is incredibly compact, and it had to be accompanied, again, by oral explanation, called Gemara.
As the generations continued, and the adversities and calamities facing the Jewish people increased, Rabbi Yochanan, one of the great Talmudic sages living in Israel, resolved to commit the rudiments of the oral explanation and commentary on the Mishnah to writing. The resulting series of works was called the Jerusalem Talmud, or Talmud Yerushalmi, which was completed approximately one hundred years after the redaction of the Mishnah, or about three hundred years after the destruction of the Second Temple. Over one hundred years later, Rav Ashi and Ravina, two Talmudic sages living in Babylon, produced another version of the Talmud, a more comprehensive and complete one, known as the Babylonian Talmud, or Talmud Bavli. The latter was completed in the thirty-ninth and fortieth generations after Moses had first received the Torah, around the year 427, which coincides with Rav Ashi’s passing. Many other sages also wrote halachic (Jewish legal) and Midrashic works prior to the completion of the Talmud Bavli.[17]
Jewish mystical teachings were always an integral part of the Oral Law – transmitted together with the rest of the Oral Law by Moses to Joshua, and so on, through the era of the Prophets, and the Men of the Great Assembly, until the time of the redactors of the Talmud. The Five Books of Moses and the other Prophetic Books describe numerous mystical prophetic visions and experiences, but do not explain them or the methods used to achieve them. There is no doubt that explanation and the methods of achieving prophecy were expounded in an oral tradition, just like the rest of Torah. However, because of their esoteric nature, these mystical teachings were not published together with the remainder of the Oral Law.[18] Moreover, it was forbidden even to transmit these teachings on a broad scale: “One may not expound. . . . Ma’aseh Bereishit [the Work of Creation] to more than one student [at a time]; the Ma’aseh Merkavah [literally, Work of the Chariot, see below] not even to one student – unless he is wise and can understand these matters by himself” (Mishnah Chagiga 2:1). The Gemara explains: Rabbi Chiyya taught, “[One may not expound the Ma’aseh Merkavah to any student] but one may give him the ‘chapter headings,’” [i.e., the fundamentals, without lengthy explanation]. Rabbi Zeira added, “And then only to the Head of a Rabbinical Court, or to those who are properly wary.” Some maintain that Rabbi Zeira said, “And then only to the Head of a Rabbinical Court, and only if he is properly wary.” The Gemara then goes on to list various other conditions and limitations relating to the transmission of this esoteric wisdom (Chagiga 13a).
Several different definitions have been given of Ma’aseh Bereishit and Ma’aseh Merkava:
Rambam (Maimonides) explains[19] that Ma’aseh Bereishit is knowledge of the natural realm (as distinct from the supernatural), and Ma’aseh Merkavah is divine knowledge, that is, knowledge concerning the existence of God and the Divine Names and descriptions used for Him; the categories of angels, the nature of the soul, and so on. Rabbi Menachem ben Shlomo Meiri (c. 1249-1315) describes Ma’aseh Merkavah as the knowledge of the angelic realm and the existence and unity of God.[20]
Rabbeinu Nissim[21] (Ran, c. 1290-1380) explains further that although Ma’aseh Bereishit refers to knowledge of the natural realm this does not mean “science” in the regular sense of the word, for it is not gleaned by scientific inquiry and observation, which merely studies matter; but rather by examination of the true form of things, which can only be known through Torah. Ma’aseh Merkava, however, is the knowledge of how these forms derive from Divine Names.
Rabbi Ovadiah Bartenura (c. 1445-1524) explains that Ma’aseh Merkavah is the practical use of Divine Names to enable the Kabbalist to view the angels in their various levels.
The Tosafot Yom Tov[22] (R. Yomtov Lipman Heller, 1579-1654) explains that both Ma’aseh Bereishit and Ma’aseh Merkavah refer to the practical use and methods of application of each of these branches of knowledge.
Several facts can be gleaned from the above: 1) That there was a secret mystical tradition in the time of the Mishnah, handed down from Moses via the Prophets, until it was recorded by Rabbi Yehudah HaNassi; 2) that there were two aspects of the mystical tradition as mentioned in the Mishnah – Ma’aseh Bereishit and Ma’aseh Merkava; 3) that the contents of this mystical tradition was a tightly guarded secret and was transmitted to only extremely select individuals in each generation.[23]
Kabbalah
These secret mystical traditions came to be known as “Kabbalah,” from the Hebrew word kabeil – “receive,” signifying the transmission of the esoteric tradition which was received by the leaders of the generation from the leaders of the previous generation. This tradition was interpreted and expounded in both its theoretical and practical aspects.
We have spoken above of Ma’aseh Bereishit and Ma’aseh Merkavah. A more modern classification of Kabbalistic wisdom distinguishes between its theoretical and practical aspects, or Kabbalah Iyunit (“contemplative Kabbalah”) and Kabbalah Ma’asit (“practical Kabbalah”).[24]
The Contemplative Tradition[25]
Kabbalah Iyunit, the category to which the majority of Kabbalistic texts in circulation today belong, sets out to explain the process whereby the created realm came into being as a finite, tangible existence through the will of the infinite Creator. Kabbalah Iyunit also analyzes the nature of the relationship between the Creation as it proceeds toward the fulfillment of the purpose for which it was created, and the Divine source from which it emerges. On a deeper level, Kabbalah Iyunit explores the complex nature of Divine reality itself – in particular, the paradox of God’s simultaneous transcendence and the consequent inability of human thought to grasp Him at all, together with His immanence and active and reactive relationship with Creation and humanity.
An additional aspect of the contemplative tradition is the use of various meditative techniques to ponder the Divine, the manifestations of Divinity and the esoteric underpinnings of the material world. These include the contemplation of Divine Names, of Hebrew letter permutations and of the ways in which the sefirot (supernal Divine forces, see below) harmonize and interact. Some ancient forms of Kabbalistic meditation produced a visionary experience of the supernal “chambers” and the angelic beings who occupy them. This is known as the Heichalot tradition.
These techniques are also sometimes used as a means of rectifying imperfections in the soul, rather than producing spiritual knowledge or elevation.
The Practical Tradition
The practical tradition of Kabbalah involves techniques aimed specifically at altering natural states or events – techniques such as the incantation of Divine names or the inscription of such names, or those of the angels, upon amulets. On occasion, these methods have been used to fashion a golem (humanoid) or some other creature.[26] However, Kabbalah ma’asit is meant to be employed by only the most saintly and responsible individuals and for no other purpose than the benefit of man or the implementation of God’s plan in creation.
The great kabbalist, Rabbi Isaac Luria, known as the holy Ari (1534-1572), admonished his disciples to avoid the practical arts of Kabbalah, as he deemed such practice unsafe so long as the state of ritual purity necessary for service in the Holy Temple remains unattainable.
In essence, however, there is no clear demarcation separating the contemplative elements of Kabbalah from those aimed at influencing or altering existence. Just as kabbalah iyunit, through its system of kavanot (guided meditations), can influence the configuration of Divine forces impinging upon our reality, so too is the efficacy of “practical Kabbalah” predicated upon the knowledge of Kabbalistic theory and doctrine.
Historical Development
The primary source book of the contemplative tradition was the Zohar and related works, written by Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai (2nd C) and his circle and their disciples through several generations. Within the broader context of the contemplative tradition, three stages of conceptual development can be discerned, spanning three historical eras. Rabbi Moshe Cordovero (Ramak c. 1522-1570), author of Pardes Rimonim, systematized and expounded upon the entire body of kabbalistic thought up until his time. He resolved many apparent contradictions and hundreds of long-unanswered questions.
His primary focus was to systematically describe the evolution of the various planes of reality (the Worlds) and their structural hierarchy – the sefirot – which he understood as an array of Divinely emanated forces which serve to mediate between the infinite Creator and His finite Creation. The sefirot emerge in a given sequence and act as the underlying formula for all creative process within the universe. By identifying the characteristics of the sefirot and the causal sequence in which they operate one is able to understand the inner spiritual structure of the physical universe, but not necessarily how the spiritual dimensions and the physical world interact. This became clearer in the second stage of the development of kabbalistic thought.
The second era of development began immediately after the passing of the Ramak, with his successor Rabbi Yitzchak Luria, the holy Ari. The Ari presented a radically new description of the evolution of the spiritual universe, focusing on the dynamic interplay of forces within Creation made possible through the clustering of individual sefirot into complex and interactive partzufim, (sing. partzuf) “profiles.”[27] Unlike the Ramak's system, wherein the sefirot appear as discrete and autonomous forces advancing the evolution of the Creation, the Ari's system posits a universe constantly interacting with itself, engaged in the perennial conflict between good and evil which will only be resolved through the advent of universal redemption--a redemption that man can either hinder or expedite through his own actions.[28]
According to this perspective, the chief dynamic of Creation is not evolutionary, but rather interactive. What this means is that higher strata of reality are constantly interacting with lower strata, like the soul within a body, thereby infusing every element of Creation with an inner force that that connects it to more transcendent levels.
However, affecting change in a person’s daily life (and all the more so in the world in general) requires a complex system of meditations, called kavanot, were appropriate for those possessing lofty souls, and who had worked strenuously on refining and purifying themselves. Such requirements were clearly difficult for the average individual to achieve.
The system of Hasidism (Chassidism), the third stage of development granted the average individual, even one who had not purified and refined himself, the ability to transform his/her natural faculties into Godly faculties, and for his/her human intellect to comprehend Godliness.[29]
This third stage of development began with Rabbi Israel Ba’al Shem Tov, (1698-1762) the founder of Hasidism, and his disciples. The philosophical system of Chasidism was firmly based upon the teachings of classical Kabbalah; nevertheless it outwardly emphasized the simple and joyful service of G-d, particularly through prayer and acts of kindness.
The philosophical aspect of Chassidism in particular was greatly enhanced and expanded upon by Rabbi Shneur Zalman of Liadi (1745-1812 CE), a disciple of Rabbi Dov Ber, the Maggid of Mezritch, the successor to the Ba’al Shem Tov.
In Rabbi Shneur Zalman’s works the abstract and often impenetrable formulae of classical Kabbalah are recast in terms of ordinary human experience, based on the verse, "from within my own being (literally 'from my flesh') I see God" (Job 19:26). His teachings describe the correlation between man’s inner experience and the supernal forces discussed in classical Kabbalah. Hence, he relocated Kabbalistic contemplation from the realm of philosophical abstraction into the sphere of immediate psychological insight.
Employing the structure of the soul as an allegorical model for understanding the deepest mysteries of the universe, Chassidism was able to both elevate the consciousness of the ordinary Jew as well as expand the conceptual territory of Kabbalistic reflection, allowing for a fuller appreciation of G-d’s omnipresence within Creation, and man’s position in the Divine Creative plan.
References:
[1]. Maimonides, Yad, Avodah Zara 1:3: “Abraham... wrote books on the subject [of theology.]”
[2]. Maimonides, Yad, Introduction. See also Yerushalmi, Pe’ah 2:4; Megillah 4:1; Sifri, Ha’azinu (32:2).
[3]. This term sometimes used to signify the Written Law found in the Pentateuch, and at others, as a generic term including the entire body of Jewish religious literature and oral law.
[4]. Shabbat 88b-89a. Gemara is one of the sections of the Oral Law, as will be explained below.
[5]. Elsewhere the Talmud (Pesachim 54a; Midrash Tanchuma 90:12) explains that the Torah actually preceded the world by 2,000 years. Some comment that this cannot be meant in a chronological sense, since time was created together with the rest of creation, but rather in the sense of spiritual gradations. Hence, the Torah is 2,000 spiritual levels above the world and is therefore too spiritual to be revealed here, other than to select individuals of superior spiritual stature..
[6]. Asarah Ma’amarot, Rabbi Menachem Azarya of Pano, Ma’amar chikur HaDin, section 3, chap. 22; Shnei Luchot HaBrit 13b ff.
[7]. Seder Olam Rabbah; Seder HaDorot.
[8]. The fact that Abraham Isaac and Jacob also observed the entire Torah even before it was given (Yoma 28b) was due to their unique spiritual prowess; not to the intrinsic nature of Torah as revealed law.
[9]. Gittin 60b.
[10]. Rambam (Maimonides) Yad, Introduction.
[11]. Shabbat 6b, 96b; Bava Metzia 92a.
[12]. Pesachim 4a.
[13]. Bava Kamma 99b.
[14]. Shabbat; Bava Metzia ibid.
[15]. Gittin ibid.; Rambam ibid.
[16]. Rambam idid.
[17]. Rambam ibid.
[18]. Although they may have been part of the 600 orders of Mishnaic teachings prior to their redaction by Rabbi Yehudah HaNassi. (Shem HaGedolim מערכת ספרים s.v. זהר.)
[19]. Moreh Nevuchim part 1, Introduction; Yad, Yesodei HaTorah chaps. 1-4.
[20]. Commentary to Chagiga 11b.
[21]. Drashot HaRan Derash 2.
[22]. Rabbi Yom-Tov Lipman Heller in his commentary on the Mishnah Chagiga 2:1.
[23]. It is interesting to note that the very same Rabbi Chiyya who was reported to have possessed various megillat s’tarim teaches us in Gemara Chagiga about the transmission of the mystical tradition. Although we cannot automatically conclude that he had written documents pertaining to the secret tradition, it is nevertheless a reasonable assumption, and might well be worth further examination, especially since his name appears in literally hundreds of places in the Zohar.
[24]. See Tiferet Yisrael’s commentary to the mishnah in Chagiga op. cit.
[25]. For a more detailed analysis of the following, see Rabbi Yitzchak Ginsburgh’s teachings, published by Gal Einai – www.inner.org.
[26]. Cf. Sanhedrin 65b; R. Yaakov Emden's Megilat Sefer, p. 4 and Mitpachat Sefarim, p. 45a.
[27] The ten sefirot exist not only as individual manifestations of divine attributes, but are also arranged in various distinct configurations, each called a partzuf -- "visage" or "profile"-- each with ten sefirot of its own. All the partzufim are described by names that characterize the way they function as partzufim. The partzuf of the inner aspect of keter is called Atik or Atik Yomin, the partzuf of the outer aspect of keter is called Arich Anpin. The partzuf of chochma is called Abba, the partzuf of bina is called Imma, the partzuf of the six sefirot from chesed to yesod is called Zeir Anpin, the partzuf of malchut is called Nukva. Furthermore, each of the partzufim from Abba downwards has a higher element (the mochin [intellect] of the partzuf) and a lower element (the middot [emotions] of the partzuf) -- in Abba these are chochma and Yisrael Sabba, in Imma they are Bina and Tevuna, in Zeir Anpin they are Yisrael and Yaakov, in Nukva they are called Leah and Rachel.
[28] See “Three Stages” at www.inner.org
[29] On the Essence of Chassidus, chap. 1.
The prophetic experiences of the ancestors and founders of Judaism – Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob – are recorded in several important Biblical passages. Their intimacy with God gave them wisdom and insight, which they passed on to their descendants, the twelve tribes of Israel. Some of this tradition was committed to writing;[1] the remainder was transmitted orally from generation to generation.
The legacy that was handed down from generation to generation, gained the status of Divine Law when Israel stood at the foot of Mount Sinai and witnessed the Revelation. This in essence laid bare the hidden core of Divine knowledge. Until that time only a select few had managed, by virtue of their sanctity, to pierce the barrier between heaven and earth and attain this enlightenment. At Mount Sinai God revealed to Moses the entire complex of Divine wisdom and law[2] that is called Torah.[3]
The Talmud[4] explains that just prior to the giving of the Torah an argument ensued between Moses and the angels about whether it was appropriate that the Torah – God’s “hidden treasure” – should be revealed at all to mere mortals.[5] The angels argued that the heavens were a worthier place for the lofty Torah, “since Torah in essence speaks about the higher worlds, and only hints to matters in the lower world.”[6] It appears, however, that Moses presented a convincing case, for the Torah was given to him and the Jewish People on Mount Sinai in the year 2448 in the Hebrew calendar – 1,313 years before the Common Era.[7] According to the account given in the Talmud, it is clear that until this point in time, the Torah was concealed on high.[8]
When the Torah was given to Moses as the Written Law, it was accompanied by the Oral Law – the interpretation and rules of application of the Written Law. However, it was strictly prohibited for anyone to commit the Oral Law to writing for publication – “You have no permission to transcribe that which is transmitted orally.”[9] Although it is evident that many of the sages committed sections of the Oral Law to writing, this was generally only for their own private use, as a reminder of the contents of the laws.[10] These written documents were therefore referred to as “megillot s’tarim” – “concealed documents.”[11] In several passages, for example, the Babylonian Talmud reports that the famous sage Rav, nephew[12] and secretary[13]of Rabbi Chiyya (one of the most important sages of the Zohar), found such megillot s’tarim in his uncle’s house.[14]
It was only due to extraordinary circumstances, i.e. fearing that the entire oral tradition would be lost in the military conquests and attendant travails that beset that era, that Rabbi Yehudah HaNassi (the thirty-fourth generation recipient of the Torah from Moses) and other sages of his generation decided to commit the germinal form of the Oral Law to writing.[15] Rabbi Yehudah occupied himself with this task and brought it to completion in the year 189 of the Common Era, the year in which he passed away. He arranged the vast body of Oral Law into the six orders of the Mishnah:
From the days of Moses until the Holy Rabbi [Rabbi Yehudah HaNassi] no written work had been compiled from which to teach the Oral Torah publicly. Rather, in every generation the head of the Rabbinical Court, or the Prophet who lived in that generation, wrote for himself, as a reminder, all that he had heard from his teachers. He then taught the public orally. Similarly, each according to his ability, wrote for himself the explanation of the Torah and its laws as he heard them. In addition, [they also wrote down] those laws which each generation had derived by way of deduction. . . . rather than by way of direct tradition. And so it was until the days of the Holy Rabbi.[16]
The style and language of the Mishnah is incredibly compact, and it had to be accompanied, again, by oral explanation, called Gemara.
As the generations continued, and the adversities and calamities facing the Jewish people increased, Rabbi Yochanan, one of the great Talmudic sages living in Israel, resolved to commit the rudiments of the oral explanation and commentary on the Mishnah to writing. The resulting series of works was called the Jerusalem Talmud, or Talmud Yerushalmi, which was completed approximately one hundred years after the redaction of the Mishnah, or about three hundred years after the destruction of the Second Temple. Over one hundred years later, Rav Ashi and Ravina, two Talmudic sages living in Babylon, produced another version of the Talmud, a more comprehensive and complete one, known as the Babylonian Talmud, or Talmud Bavli. The latter was completed in the thirty-ninth and fortieth generations after Moses had first received the Torah, around the year 427, which coincides with Rav Ashi’s passing. Many other sages also wrote halachic (Jewish legal) and Midrashic works prior to the completion of the Talmud Bavli.[17]
Jewish mystical teachings were always an integral part of the Oral Law – transmitted together with the rest of the Oral Law by Moses to Joshua, and so on, through the era of the Prophets, and the Men of the Great Assembly, until the time of the redactors of the Talmud. The Five Books of Moses and the other Prophetic Books describe numerous mystical prophetic visions and experiences, but do not explain them or the methods used to achieve them. There is no doubt that explanation and the methods of achieving prophecy were expounded in an oral tradition, just like the rest of Torah. However, because of their esoteric nature, these mystical teachings were not published together with the remainder of the Oral Law.[18] Moreover, it was forbidden even to transmit these teachings on a broad scale: “One may not expound. . . . Ma’aseh Bereishit [the Work of Creation] to more than one student [at a time]; the Ma’aseh Merkavah [literally, Work of the Chariot, see below] not even to one student – unless he is wise and can understand these matters by himself” (Mishnah Chagiga 2:1). The Gemara explains: Rabbi Chiyya taught, “[One may not expound the Ma’aseh Merkavah to any student] but one may give him the ‘chapter headings,’” [i.e., the fundamentals, without lengthy explanation]. Rabbi Zeira added, “And then only to the Head of a Rabbinical Court, or to those who are properly wary.” Some maintain that Rabbi Zeira said, “And then only to the Head of a Rabbinical Court, and only if he is properly wary.” The Gemara then goes on to list various other conditions and limitations relating to the transmission of this esoteric wisdom (Chagiga 13a).
Several different definitions have been given of Ma’aseh Bereishit and Ma’aseh Merkava:
Rambam (Maimonides) explains[19] that Ma’aseh Bereishit is knowledge of the natural realm (as distinct from the supernatural), and Ma’aseh Merkavah is divine knowledge, that is, knowledge concerning the existence of God and the Divine Names and descriptions used for Him; the categories of angels, the nature of the soul, and so on. Rabbi Menachem ben Shlomo Meiri (c. 1249-1315) describes Ma’aseh Merkavah as the knowledge of the angelic realm and the existence and unity of God.[20]
Rabbeinu Nissim[21] (Ran, c. 1290-1380) explains further that although Ma’aseh Bereishit refers to knowledge of the natural realm this does not mean “science” in the regular sense of the word, for it is not gleaned by scientific inquiry and observation, which merely studies matter; but rather by examination of the true form of things, which can only be known through Torah. Ma’aseh Merkava, however, is the knowledge of how these forms derive from Divine Names.
Rabbi Ovadiah Bartenura (c. 1445-1524) explains that Ma’aseh Merkavah is the practical use of Divine Names to enable the Kabbalist to view the angels in their various levels.
The Tosafot Yom Tov[22] (R. Yomtov Lipman Heller, 1579-1654) explains that both Ma’aseh Bereishit and Ma’aseh Merkavah refer to the practical use and methods of application of each of these branches of knowledge.
Several facts can be gleaned from the above: 1) That there was a secret mystical tradition in the time of the Mishnah, handed down from Moses via the Prophets, until it was recorded by Rabbi Yehudah HaNassi; 2) that there were two aspects of the mystical tradition as mentioned in the Mishnah – Ma’aseh Bereishit and Ma’aseh Merkava; 3) that the contents of this mystical tradition was a tightly guarded secret and was transmitted to only extremely select individuals in each generation.[23]
Kabbalah
These secret mystical traditions came to be known as “Kabbalah,” from the Hebrew word kabeil – “receive,” signifying the transmission of the esoteric tradition which was received by the leaders of the generation from the leaders of the previous generation. This tradition was interpreted and expounded in both its theoretical and practical aspects.
We have spoken above of Ma’aseh Bereishit and Ma’aseh Merkavah. A more modern classification of Kabbalistic wisdom distinguishes between its theoretical and practical aspects, or Kabbalah Iyunit (“contemplative Kabbalah”) and Kabbalah Ma’asit (“practical Kabbalah”).[24]
The Contemplative Tradition[25]
Kabbalah Iyunit, the category to which the majority of Kabbalistic texts in circulation today belong, sets out to explain the process whereby the created realm came into being as a finite, tangible existence through the will of the infinite Creator. Kabbalah Iyunit also analyzes the nature of the relationship between the Creation as it proceeds toward the fulfillment of the purpose for which it was created, and the Divine source from which it emerges. On a deeper level, Kabbalah Iyunit explores the complex nature of Divine reality itself – in particular, the paradox of God’s simultaneous transcendence and the consequent inability of human thought to grasp Him at all, together with His immanence and active and reactive relationship with Creation and humanity.
An additional aspect of the contemplative tradition is the use of various meditative techniques to ponder the Divine, the manifestations of Divinity and the esoteric underpinnings of the material world. These include the contemplation of Divine Names, of Hebrew letter permutations and of the ways in which the sefirot (supernal Divine forces, see below) harmonize and interact. Some ancient forms of Kabbalistic meditation produced a visionary experience of the supernal “chambers” and the angelic beings who occupy them. This is known as the Heichalot tradition.
These techniques are also sometimes used as a means of rectifying imperfections in the soul, rather than producing spiritual knowledge or elevation.
The Practical Tradition
The practical tradition of Kabbalah involves techniques aimed specifically at altering natural states or events – techniques such as the incantation of Divine names or the inscription of such names, or those of the angels, upon amulets. On occasion, these methods have been used to fashion a golem (humanoid) or some other creature.[26] However, Kabbalah ma’asit is meant to be employed by only the most saintly and responsible individuals and for no other purpose than the benefit of man or the implementation of God’s plan in creation.
The great kabbalist, Rabbi Isaac Luria, known as the holy Ari (1534-1572), admonished his disciples to avoid the practical arts of Kabbalah, as he deemed such practice unsafe so long as the state of ritual purity necessary for service in the Holy Temple remains unattainable.
In essence, however, there is no clear demarcation separating the contemplative elements of Kabbalah from those aimed at influencing or altering existence. Just as kabbalah iyunit, through its system of kavanot (guided meditations), can influence the configuration of Divine forces impinging upon our reality, so too is the efficacy of “practical Kabbalah” predicated upon the knowledge of Kabbalistic theory and doctrine.
Historical Development
The primary source book of the contemplative tradition was the Zohar and related works, written by Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai (2nd C) and his circle and their disciples through several generations. Within the broader context of the contemplative tradition, three stages of conceptual development can be discerned, spanning three historical eras. Rabbi Moshe Cordovero (Ramak c. 1522-1570), author of Pardes Rimonim, systematized and expounded upon the entire body of kabbalistic thought up until his time. He resolved many apparent contradictions and hundreds of long-unanswered questions.
His primary focus was to systematically describe the evolution of the various planes of reality (the Worlds) and their structural hierarchy – the sefirot – which he understood as an array of Divinely emanated forces which serve to mediate between the infinite Creator and His finite Creation. The sefirot emerge in a given sequence and act as the underlying formula for all creative process within the universe. By identifying the characteristics of the sefirot and the causal sequence in which they operate one is able to understand the inner spiritual structure of the physical universe, but not necessarily how the spiritual dimensions and the physical world interact. This became clearer in the second stage of the development of kabbalistic thought.
The second era of development began immediately after the passing of the Ramak, with his successor Rabbi Yitzchak Luria, the holy Ari. The Ari presented a radically new description of the evolution of the spiritual universe, focusing on the dynamic interplay of forces within Creation made possible through the clustering of individual sefirot into complex and interactive partzufim, (sing. partzuf) “profiles.”[27] Unlike the Ramak's system, wherein the sefirot appear as discrete and autonomous forces advancing the evolution of the Creation, the Ari's system posits a universe constantly interacting with itself, engaged in the perennial conflict between good and evil which will only be resolved through the advent of universal redemption--a redemption that man can either hinder or expedite through his own actions.[28]
According to this perspective, the chief dynamic of Creation is not evolutionary, but rather interactive. What this means is that higher strata of reality are constantly interacting with lower strata, like the soul within a body, thereby infusing every element of Creation with an inner force that that connects it to more transcendent levels.
However, affecting change in a person’s daily life (and all the more so in the world in general) requires a complex system of meditations, called kavanot, were appropriate for those possessing lofty souls, and who had worked strenuously on refining and purifying themselves. Such requirements were clearly difficult for the average individual to achieve.
The system of Hasidism (Chassidism), the third stage of development granted the average individual, even one who had not purified and refined himself, the ability to transform his/her natural faculties into Godly faculties, and for his/her human intellect to comprehend Godliness.[29]
This third stage of development began with Rabbi Israel Ba’al Shem Tov, (1698-1762) the founder of Hasidism, and his disciples. The philosophical system of Chasidism was firmly based upon the teachings of classical Kabbalah; nevertheless it outwardly emphasized the simple and joyful service of G-d, particularly through prayer and acts of kindness.
The philosophical aspect of Chassidism in particular was greatly enhanced and expanded upon by Rabbi Shneur Zalman of Liadi (1745-1812 CE), a disciple of Rabbi Dov Ber, the Maggid of Mezritch, the successor to the Ba’al Shem Tov.
In Rabbi Shneur Zalman’s works the abstract and often impenetrable formulae of classical Kabbalah are recast in terms of ordinary human experience, based on the verse, "from within my own being (literally 'from my flesh') I see God" (Job 19:26). His teachings describe the correlation between man’s inner experience and the supernal forces discussed in classical Kabbalah. Hence, he relocated Kabbalistic contemplation from the realm of philosophical abstraction into the sphere of immediate psychological insight.
Employing the structure of the soul as an allegorical model for understanding the deepest mysteries of the universe, Chassidism was able to both elevate the consciousness of the ordinary Jew as well as expand the conceptual territory of Kabbalistic reflection, allowing for a fuller appreciation of G-d’s omnipresence within Creation, and man’s position in the Divine Creative plan.
References:
[1]. Maimonides, Yad, Avodah Zara 1:3: “Abraham... wrote books on the subject [of theology.]”
[2]. Maimonides, Yad, Introduction. See also Yerushalmi, Pe’ah 2:4; Megillah 4:1; Sifri, Ha’azinu (32:2).
[3]. This term sometimes used to signify the Written Law found in the Pentateuch, and at others, as a generic term including the entire body of Jewish religious literature and oral law.
[4]. Shabbat 88b-89a. Gemara is one of the sections of the Oral Law, as will be explained below.
[5]. Elsewhere the Talmud (Pesachim 54a; Midrash Tanchuma 90:12) explains that the Torah actually preceded the world by 2,000 years. Some comment that this cannot be meant in a chronological sense, since time was created together with the rest of creation, but rather in the sense of spiritual gradations. Hence, the Torah is 2,000 spiritual levels above the world and is therefore too spiritual to be revealed here, other than to select individuals of superior spiritual stature..
[6]. Asarah Ma’amarot, Rabbi Menachem Azarya of Pano, Ma’amar chikur HaDin, section 3, chap. 22; Shnei Luchot HaBrit 13b ff.
[7]. Seder Olam Rabbah; Seder HaDorot.
[8]. The fact that Abraham Isaac and Jacob also observed the entire Torah even before it was given (Yoma 28b) was due to their unique spiritual prowess; not to the intrinsic nature of Torah as revealed law.
[9]. Gittin 60b.
[10]. Rambam (Maimonides) Yad, Introduction.
[11]. Shabbat 6b, 96b; Bava Metzia 92a.
[12]. Pesachim 4a.
[13]. Bava Kamma 99b.
[14]. Shabbat; Bava Metzia ibid.
[15]. Gittin ibid.; Rambam ibid.
[16]. Rambam idid.
[17]. Rambam ibid.
[18]. Although they may have been part of the 600 orders of Mishnaic teachings prior to their redaction by Rabbi Yehudah HaNassi. (Shem HaGedolim מערכת ספרים s.v. זהר.)
[19]. Moreh Nevuchim part 1, Introduction; Yad, Yesodei HaTorah chaps. 1-4.
[20]. Commentary to Chagiga 11b.
[21]. Drashot HaRan Derash 2.
[22]. Rabbi Yom-Tov Lipman Heller in his commentary on the Mishnah Chagiga 2:1.
[23]. It is interesting to note that the very same Rabbi Chiyya who was reported to have possessed various megillat s’tarim teaches us in Gemara Chagiga about the transmission of the mystical tradition. Although we cannot automatically conclude that he had written documents pertaining to the secret tradition, it is nevertheless a reasonable assumption, and might well be worth further examination, especially since his name appears in literally hundreds of places in the Zohar.
[24]. See Tiferet Yisrael’s commentary to the mishnah in Chagiga op. cit.
[25]. For a more detailed analysis of the following, see Rabbi Yitzchak Ginsburgh’s teachings, published by Gal Einai – www.inner.org.
[26]. Cf. Sanhedrin 65b; R. Yaakov Emden's Megilat Sefer, p. 4 and Mitpachat Sefarim, p. 45a.
[27] The ten sefirot exist not only as individual manifestations of divine attributes, but are also arranged in various distinct configurations, each called a partzuf -- "visage" or "profile"-- each with ten sefirot of its own. All the partzufim are described by names that characterize the way they function as partzufim. The partzuf of the inner aspect of keter is called Atik or Atik Yomin, the partzuf of the outer aspect of keter is called Arich Anpin. The partzuf of chochma is called Abba, the partzuf of bina is called Imma, the partzuf of the six sefirot from chesed to yesod is called Zeir Anpin, the partzuf of malchut is called Nukva. Furthermore, each of the partzufim from Abba downwards has a higher element (the mochin [intellect] of the partzuf) and a lower element (the middot [emotions] of the partzuf) -- in Abba these are chochma and Yisrael Sabba, in Imma they are Bina and Tevuna, in Zeir Anpin they are Yisrael and Yaakov, in Nukva they are called Leah and Rachel.
[28] See “Three Stages” at www.inner.org
[29] On the Essence of Chassidus, chap. 1.
posted by Rabbi Moshe Miller at 11:57 AM
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