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Finding Answers in Kabbalah
by Helene Ciaravino
At various times throughout our lives—and more often for some people than others—we find ourselves exploring the “big questions.” Why do I exist? Where did I come from? Where am I going? Why do beings suffer? Can I attain total peace and fulfillment in this world? These and other related explorations are addressed in Kabbalah study. Kabbalah—sometimes written ads Kabbala or Cabala—is the Jewish mystical movement that arose in twelfth century Europe. This branch of Jewish thought provides a method by which the human being can grasp his position in the universe. It not only requires familiarity with the Torah and Talmud, but also prescribes numerous meditation and prayer techniques that enable the practitioner to gain greater insight into the spiritual realm.
Through Kabbalah, the practitioner seeks to understand the spiritual forces that permeate everything in the universe—how they work, and why they are occurring as they are. Language and symbolism are extremely precise in Kabbalah study, and therefore must be used very carefully. Every word, letter, number, and accent of the Scriptures is studied for the mysteries it is believed to contain. Kabbalists use material terms to describe the spiritual realm. It is important to understand the mental images called forth by these terms do not actually exist in the spiritual realm, but are only symbols. The person who is not well studied in Kabbalah may mistake the symbols and labels for reality. That would be incorrect.
There are generally two systems of Kabbalah. The first is The Order of the Creation of the Worlds and Spirit. It studies the spiritual forces that stem from the Creator, and pass through a number of worlds before they reach their own. The second system is Comprehension or the Steps of Prophecy and Spirit. This system is concerned with the spiritual forces that are born in our world, and travel back up to the Source or Creator. The forces of the second system are reliant on the laws of the first system, and these laws are learned during Kabbalah studies. Once the laws are understood, a person can act accordingly to fulfill his purpose in this world, which is to attain the highest understanding of all creation.
Once the practitioner achieves the knowledge of the spiritual forces—instead of merely the material forces—in everything, he can watch the visible world occurring as though he were an observer. He is said to understand suffering and even achieve perfection in this world. The Kabbalist is then able to control his own life, and is not influenced by the limits of time and space that are so anxiety-provoking for humanity. Tranquility and joy result.
While Kabbalah studies were at one point highly secretive-and due to the difficulties and intensities of the methods—taught only to very learned Jewish men after the age of forty, the practices have now been opened up and even popularized. The best known Kabbalah text is the Zohar, a mystical commentary on the Torah. Written by Moses de Leon, in the thirteenth century, the Zohar is a foundational text, and is a primary source of information for those interested in learning more about Kabbalah.
Copyright © 2001
by Helene Ciaravino
From How to Pray by Helene Ciaravino (Garden City Park, New York: Square One Publishers, 2001).
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