Today I finished reading a book on a topic that has interested me since high school, Kabbalah. I became interested because of the similarities of my last name to this practice. As I read the book, I realized I was right on time - not 45 years late as the calendar may show from the time I had interest until I was ready to read about Kabbalah, or Jewish mysticism.
As I read the book, I had to return to view the author - so much of the information was almost identical to what I'd read and began to love about Richard Rohr's teachings. They were concepts I was not ready to read until I had matured in my faith - started my second stage of life. Slightly different language, but a new depth of understanding to the spiritual and Biblical truths I already embrace.
I not only was pleasantly surprised how the teachings mirror Rohr's teachings, but it helped me understand what Jesus was saying.
Here's a graphic of the Kabbalah Tree of Life. http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/d/d5/Ktreewnames.png/288px-Ktreewnames.png
Now I'll give some quotes from the book and comments.
Chapter 1: What is Kabbalah?
p. 1 "What is Kabbalah? Nothing short of an answer to the questions of our universe and the ages. More specifically, Kabbalah is the mystical, esoteric side of Judaism that delves into a deeper understanding of the Hebrew Bible (or Old Testament) beyond its literal interpretation to provide us with information abut the soul; the nature of God, Creation, and the spiritual world; and about our individual relationship to God and each other."
The book explains how Kabbalah is traced back to Moses when he was on the mountain receiving the 10 commandments; and possibly what Moses received was a fuller revelation then what Moses had been taught through tradition from the patriarchs. Through the centuries (millennium?) Kabbalah had times of greater popularity and times only a few were interested in its study.
p. 12 "Just as we are composed of an inner and outer layer--the physical and the spiritual--so, too, is the Torah (i.e. first 5 books of the Old Testament). The narrative Torah is the outer layer, while Kabbalah is the inner layers."
p. 14 Kabbalah masters...had a strong foundation in the literal interpretatios before they embarked on the spiritual journeys that led them to the knowledge of Kabbalah."
p. 18 "...four levels on which we can read and interpret the Torah: the literal meaning, the metaphorical meaning; the allegorical; and the secret or esoteric."
I have been wanting to learn new ways, besides literal, to discover deeper truths in the Bible - so it sounds like this might be a method. But one book is certainly not enough information to decide if this is a method for me. As I checked online, I found many occultists have adapted the Kabbalah to their teachings, too. Thus if I feel led this direction, I will have to use discretion and possibly spiritual direction to assure I don't derail my faith.
p. 20 "Further to these four levels of reading the Torah, the work also has, according to tradition, "seventy faces, meaning that spread among these four levels are seventy possible interpretations of the text. Think about the complexity of this."
It sounds a bit overwhelming. But it seems it would shove me out of black/white thinking if I accepted there was 70 interpretations and each one was as valid as the next. What a door to greater acceptance of self and others - to unity..... to shed the legalism that so easily trips me.
p. 25 "The purpose of Kabbalah is to teach us that there is a deeper truth to life and to bring us closer to God. The story of Genesis was not given to us to satisfy our curiosity, it was given to us to teach us the path from which we came, and thus to give us a map back to the source."
As I begin to know my Source (God through Jesus Christ), the better I know myself, accept myself, value myself and the greater propensity I have to know, value and accept others without trying to change them.... but trust God to change them in His timing. As I read the book, I could see Kabbalah would impact every part of life - from time management, emotions, intellect, relationships, ecology, compassion, giving, sexuality, etc. It seems very thorough - but what else would I expect from something that could be a help in redemption - of setting things (me since that's my locus of control) closer to God. Scripture to support that premise: "work out salvation with fear and trembling."
p. 28 "It [Kabbalah] is about living a conscious life, and this is an ongoing, lifelong process."
I've heard this from my priest - maybe in different words, but the concept. My interpretation: living aware of God in me, and God in the other - and honouring that. Not walking on auto-pilot and living by rote.
Chapter 2: A Brief History of Kabbalah
p. 32 "Some Kabbalists suggest that the coat of many colors that Joseph received from his father and of which his brothers were envious was actually a metaphor for the secret teachings of God that Jacob passed to his favorite son."
p. 38 "... about Ezekiel's account. The suggestion that God might be found anywhere by anyone who had the skills to reach him. God was accessible through a power that we possessed, if only we could learn how to develop it."
In the New Testament, we know we can do that through Christ, but to have come to that conclusion 1,000 years before Christ shows an enlightenment that surprised me - I knew King David had reached that knowledge, but hadn't thought of other Old Testament personalities who shared in that truth.
p. 40 "This is knowledge that cannot be obtained through mundane intellectual study. It comes only through deep meditation, through releasing the rational nature and allowing the spiritual nature to soar in the realms of the divine."
In just my few years as a novice meditator on the Word of God, I can see the wisdom and practicality of the above statements. What is so wonderful, is it's simple and do-able and, for this woman who struggles with legalism, meditation can't be done wrong!
The next part I'll just summarize. Just as chemistry has discovered bonds that hold electrons, neutrons and protons together, Kabbalah sees the Hebrew letters in words similar to the periodic chart. The letters tie together spiritual principles the same way elements are held together. It's like spiritual understanding paved the way to scientific understanding.
Chapter 3: Some Key Principles of Kabbalah
I often said, "Oh" and "Aaah" as I read this chapter. The concepts were easy to understand since I was taught by my father when I was a child to see God in science and in nature.
According to this chapter, the equivalent of black holes were already a spiritual concept centuries before scientists found them and named them. Instead of using quotes, I'll summarize my understanding. When God chose to create, everything was filled with himself - so he had to contract himself to have a space to create something new - what we call Creation. One example the author used was taking a square piece of paper and cutting a round circle in the middle - then cutting the circle portion into tiny stars until all the pieces were star shaped - then putting them back in the circle. Another example given was breathing - God inhaled part of who he was so he could exhale creation - all was his breath.
p. 82 "It is as if God sucked in a part of the light that was Him, and then blew out a smaller stream of it. The black space created is at the center of the universe and into this space the emanation is sent. Recall that Arthur Waskow suggested that the name of God, YHWY, is the sound of breath. God 'breathes' the letters of his name into the emptiness to create the universe."
Rohr and my priest often teach the last half of the above paragraph; however, I love the deeper (to me) understanding of black space and creation being part of the God-breath, especially when I inhale and exhale His wonderful name. Although it may be an anthropomorphism, I think of God breathing now - still creating, still breathing more life into me (and you, dear reader) since each of us is one of His creations. I like the thought of when I meditate that God's exhaled breath is my inhaled breath, and as I exhale, he inhales it. It's probably that way when I'm not aware or not meditating - but just how spirituality works.
As the author discusses breathing in and out - or stepping back and moving forward, she says on page 84: [stepping back and forward]..." led Kabbalists to the concepts of sinning and making mistakes as steps toward redemption and renewal."
I hadn't thought like that. Yet, in hindsight I can see each sin and mistake has brought me to a new level - of self awareness, self-denial or God-awareness and grace. This "narrow path" is often meandering through the mountains and valleys and not straight or easy.
p. 93 "For Kabbalists, Creation is not a question of Darwin or
God, but of Darwin and God. They see no contradiction between the two
paths. As far as they are concerned, scientists and theologians are
describing the same events. Scientists are describing Creation as it
occurred on the material level--involving measurable energy forces and
matter--and theologians are describing Creation as it occurred on the
immaterial level - the source behind those energy forces and matter."
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That's the first three and now it's time to decide if I want supper or to just go to bed and sleep. I'll comment on a few more chapters in the next few days.
Blessings to those who read here.
