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I have watched the video clip and already learned a lot, so I am very exited to proceed.
However, I would like some clearification on the topic of the relation of Kabbalah to eastern teachings. I do understand that they are not the same and that Kabbalah is no religion. But how are they connected? If Kabbalah predates all religion and is at the root of all religions, is it safe to say that for example Hinduism is an (very distant) interpretation of Kabbalistic teachings? And for that matter; are all religions interpretations of the fundamental teachings of Kabbalah?
Hi Nathan,
I’m not an expert in religions so I cannot comment on what is taught there. But in general, most spiritual methods, religions, philosophies, and even sciences in one way or another stem from the wisdom of Kabbalah. Either as a stepping stone for a person to develop through until his point in the heart awakens (such as many eastern traditions), or from an attempt to copy and implement this wisdom (like what early philosophers tried to do, which later on turned into modern sciences), or as a side effect of the concealment of this wisdom (which is how the modern religions and spiritual paths emerged).
Check out this blog post from Rav Laitman for more details: https://laitman.com/2008/11/the-origin-and-purpose-of-eastern-teachings/
Albert @ KabU
Shalom
so this is week one? How do i know when it starts or ends. Or is this done in my own time?
i ordered the books today. Are those for this 5 week course?
G-d bless
Hi Brad,
Yes this is week 1. Every week a new week opens up for self study.
As for the books, yes the recommended books will be used for this 5 week course and the next one. You can read through Kabbalah Revealed and Attaining the Worlds Beyond from beginning to end. This will give you a strong foundation. Kabbalah for the Student is a textbook of source articles. It can be a bit more challenging. We’ll be studying from it together throughout all the courses.
For more technical support, you can use the “Need Help?” button in the bottom right.
Albert @ KabU
Thank you so much for the course. As one of the instructors mentioned , in order to understand the Holly book we need to understand the language of the upper world (Ein Sof) . Do you have any courses to learn that?
Hi Elham,
It’s not enough to study the language of roots and branches, because it’s not something you learn but rather something that comes with spiritual attainment. Without spiritual attainment, we cannot truly understand these things. It’s like a blind person that is trying to study colors. He can learn the wavelengths behind each one, the different feelings they all evoke, but ultimately he will never truly understand colors. But if this blind person was to undergo an operation and gain his sense of sight, how easy and simple it would be to teach him colors. We would simply point to it and say “this is red”.
It’s the same with the language of roots and branches. It’s currently impossible for us to truly grasp these things. But once we gain our “spiritual sight” we would pick these things up very easily and naturally.
Check out this blog post from Rav Laitman for more details: https://laitman.com/2011/02/why-do-we-need-the-language-of-branches/
Albert @ KabU
Hey there friends,
I have a question: Its about this chapter: “Chapter 2 – Spiritual Path, pp. 31-39 pdf”
As I understand I should read the texts and hope for heve a feeling? Is this?
How many times shoud I read?
See you latter.
Hi Ricardo,
Yes, you can say that we read in order to extract the light from the text. That light will begin to gradually change us and build these spiritual structures within us, until we will begin to feel what we’re reading about in practice.
Check out this blog post from Rav Laitman for more details: https://laitman.com/2013/02/sunbathing-in-the-rays-of-the-reforming-light/
As for how many times you should read it, there is no magical formula here. It’s up to you. Keep in mind that every time we read, the light gradually changes us. As we change, we will begin to experience the text differently. In other words, I can read the same article today and tomorrow, and tomorrow I’ll experience it completely differently. It’s not about memorizing anything, but rather the more we invest into reading the Kabbalistic text, the more light we extract, and thereby the more we change and experience it differently.
But don’t focus on reading it mechanically a certain amount of times, rather set aside some time on a regular basis to return to the Kabbalistic texts, lessons, etc. Such a habit of regularly returning to the source of the light will help you throughout your entire spiritual development.
Albert @ KabU
dearest teacher,
would i be wrong to say that the torah is speaking to us not only in riddles but that we also miss most of it’s teaching because we only read the letter of the words (face value)?
if i may use the levitical laws and the lay-out of the tabernacle as an example:
we read about the person walking to the tabernacle with his sin offering and all we see is a sinner, but its not about that person but its teaching me about myself…
do i realize that the person with the animal on his way to the door of the tabernacle already did repentance (i mean he already is holding his offering in his hands), and what is he taking to the door of the tabernacle (animal (rich), two doves (middle class) or flour (poor)), which teaches me that they do have financial needs or not and what i need to do to assist such a person.
it’s teaching me not to judge but to think about what is said behind the physical words.
hope it makes sense
Hi Davison,
Yes, you can say that you’ll be missing out by reading it at face value. Furthermore, you can also say that you will also be missing out by extracting morals from it.
Kabbalists use the Torah primarily for the Ohr (light) that is in it. This is a special force that has the ability to correct our egoistic nature. As a result of this correction, we become similar to the Creator, to His qualities of love and bestowal. As a result of becoming similar to Him, we reveal Him in practice, in our lives. This is what the Torah is intended to help us to do.
Morals on the other hand don’t correct our egoistic nature, they simply band-aid it up, making it look pretty. So Kabbalists are not interested in using the Torah to extract morals from it.
Check out this blog post from Rav Laitman for more details: https://laitman.com/2016/05/dispelling-myths-about-kabbalah-part-4/
If you’re interesting in learning how to properly decipher the Torah, check out the books: Disclosing a Portion or The Secrets of the Eternal Book.
Albert @ KabU
if one is aligning to abba’s word (torah), isn’t that to aligning to his moral standard?
can you maybe give me an example of what you mean?
Hi Davison,
Kabbalah talks about acquiring a new nature. Morals on the other hand don’t change our nature, it’s a continuation of the same nature.
Our nature is our ingrained operating system. Let’s say that I have a Windows PC. I have a few programs installed on it. Changing our morals is like picking which program to install on that PC. I can install Word, Powerpoint, Excel, etc. But regardless of which application I install on it, I will always be working with the same Windows operating system. In other words, regardless of the morals a person chooses to follow, that person will continue to exist within the same egoistic nature he was born into.
Whereas changing our nature is like switching to a completely different operating system, like to a Mac. Or in the Kabbalistic sense, we’re talking about acquiring the nature of bestowal.
As for studying “Torah”, it’s not about memorizing a few pages from a book. Rather it’s about having an intention for the light to change you through the study. We’ll learn about this in the upcoming lessons, in the meantime, check out this blog post from Rav Laitman for more details:
https://laitman.com/2013/02/sunbathing-in-the-rays-of-the-reforming-light/
Albert @ KabU
google translation of the questions:
Why were the texts written by the Kabbalists using the language of the branches? Please
Is it to protect their wisdom that you hid it?
______________________________________________________________
Yes, on the one hand, you can say that it’s to protect the wisdom. On the other hand, the language of roots and branches is the ideal form for passing spiritual information. There are no words or objects in spirituality, it’s a world of forces. But each of these forces have a corresponding corporeal branch in our world. So by using the names of the corresponding branch, Kabbalists can point out and talk about its spiritual root.
Check out these blog posts from Rav Laitman for more details:
https://laitman.com/2010/12/the-spiritual-decoder/
https://laitman.com/2013/09/from-root-to-branch/
Albert @ KabU
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