Jewish mysticism, Kabbalah or the clarity of Scripture?

It was the hot New York summer of 2004 outside. I finally found an address in Brooklyn where I had an appointment. Inna, like hundreds of thousands of other Russian Jews, once left the former USSR. At that time, Inna had lived in the USA for about 25 years. In our phone conversation, I sensed a clear openness to spiritual things, but without knowing exactly what Inna believes in. All I noticed was that she was open, although her conversation bordered on occult practices.

I sat down on the chair opposite my interlocutor and we started a conversation. In five minutes, Inna told me that she has studied Kabbalah very deeply for 15 years and tries to have all the secret knowledge of the Torah, and also that the Torah is an encrypted message from the Creator, in which many names of God are hidden, and everything in the Torah is written in a secret code that one simply has to be able to read.

On a side note, at that time I knew about as much about Kabbalah as I know about nuclear physics now; maybe I was a complete zero in this matter! So I decided to listen more and ask questions.

According to Inna, the teaching of Kabbalah is a great spiritual work of concentration and prayerfulness. By making efforts on their behalf, a person can change and expand his consciousness, rising to a certain new level of thinking. Kabalists, according to Inna, are people who have been able to achieve the highest level of expansion of their consciousness.

How similar all this was to the teachings of the Bible, I thought. And yet it was not the Bible.

We continued to talk, but every time I tried to tell Inna something specific about the Torah, it caused her resistance and disagreement. I tried to remain delicate and did not force my opinion on her.

As I walked down the street, I kept thinking of a text from the New Testament: “Jesus answered and said to them: You are mistaken, because you do not know the Scriptures or the power of God…” (Matthew 22:29)

“You don’t know the Scriptures or the power” – this is exactly what happened to my interlocutor. She knew various secrets of science, the religion of Kabbalah, she even quoted certain passages related to the Torah (Deuteronomy 5), but if there was something in the Torah that contradicted her personal knowledge, she immediately rejected it and did not consider it true. Then, 13 years ago, I did not know what Kabbalah was and what it taught. But over the years, my experience in interacting with followers of this teaching has expanded and I have analyzed many aspects of this teaching for myself. Let’s try to answer some questions in order.

What is Kabbalah?

The word “Kabbalah” (קבלה) itself has the following translation – “receiving”. It is believed that when a person comes in contact with this teaching, he receives intimate and hidden knowledge. Kabbalists consider Adam to be the first person to receive this knowledge. According to them, Adam touched secret knowledge because his consciousness expanded, for example, he was able to give very accurate names to various animals that he had not seen before.

Kabbalists teach that through the teachings of Kabbalah and the expansion of our consciousness, man is able to know the world, its structure, and the Creator himself.

Where does Kabbalah begin?

Kabbalists believe that the Kabbalah originates from Abraham, that it was he, the forefather of the Jewish people, who had the “Sepher Yetzera” (Book of Creation, ספר יציריזה). Kabbalists believe that this teaching was carefully passed on only to prepared people, so that it would not reach, for example, wise people who had bad motives. This teaching is believed to have colossal power and energy and therefore should never fall into evil hands. The text of this book itself was written around 1-2. century AD. Its text is short, up to 2 thousand words.

Many famous rabbis like RamBaN (רמב”ן) kept and passed on the secrets of Kabbalah.

Historically, there is varying evidence of the actual appearance of the Kabbalah. The first mention of the existence of this book is believed to be from Rabbi Akiva (עקיבא) (100-120 AD), who was a popularizer of the Oral Torah and various occult knowledge. Jewish interpretations of Rabbi Akiva say that he had revelations and knowledge of the Torah that were not revealed even to Moses. By the way, at the beginning of the second century, it was Rabbi Akiva who declared one of his followers, Bar Kochba (שמעון בר קוחבא), as the Messiah, who began to wage a fierce war with the Romans. More than 500 thousand Jews died in these hostilities. Akiva himself was captured and killed.

The Rabbis claim that Kabbalah is an integral part of the Oral Torah, i.e. Jewish traditions and interpretations.

The heyday of Kabbalah dates back to the beginning of the 13th century. It happened in Spain. The famous Jewish teacher and leader of a Jewish school (yeshiva), Moshe Ben Nachman (RambaN) was a doctor by training, but he is considered the greatest interpreter of the Talmud and teacher of Kabbalah.

Through the many followers of this rabbi, the teaching spread across Europe, reaching both the Moroccan communities that lived in small numbers in the territory of modern Israel, and the Jewish communities in Germany…

In the 14th-16th centuries, various treatises related to Kabbalah were written, and at the beginning of the 17th century, Kabbalah flourishes the second time (this period is called the Luria Kabbalah after Rabbi Luria, who initiated this revival).

Joseph Tabu, a student of the highly charismatic and energetic leader Rabbi Luria, points out the important connection Jews have with their ancestors who were great tzaddikim (righteous people) and how Jews can draw strength from their departed ancestors.

By the way, the same teaching is used by the Hasids of Breslav, who sing songs to the dead teacher, Rabbi Nachman of Uman. And Rabbi Israel Odesser claimed that he received the text of this song from Rabbi Nachman himself, who appeared to him in the 1930s of the last century.

What does Kabbalah teach about?

The main source of the teachings of the Kabbalist is, as I mentioned above, the books “Sepher Yetzera” and “Zohar” (“The Radiance”, سفر الزوهر‎, one of the main books of the Kabbalah). Kabbalists believe it was written in the 2nd century, but did not become famous until the 13th century. It is the book “Zohar” that is the basic textbook of Kabbalah knowledge.

The main teaching of Kabalists is their belief in the existence of 10 Sefirot. If you try to explain it in simple language, the “sefirot” are the channels or attributes of God by which He guides the world.

These channels are divided into groups. It is believed that each channel somehow comes into contact with God’s name and manifests in a person seeking knowledge.

Here is a translation of some of these channels into Estonian so that you, the reader, can understand more clearly what we are talking about.

For example:

Chochma is wisdom (divine revelation within us)
Daath is knowledge (deep understanding)
Chesed is mercy (kindness, love, warm emotion)

Kabbalists themselves believe that Kabbalah cannot be simply learned because it is sacred knowledge. If you have a desire, it will greatly help you to develop the necessary knowledge, but first it is recommended to study the Torah, then the Talmud, learn the original language (i.e. Hebrew), and only then, after a certain number of years, you can approach the Kabbalah. Some believed that only after the age of 40 a person can come into contact with the world of Kabbalah. Today, this limitation has been removed and simplified Kabbalah is available to everyone – just pick it up and learn it.

What is the difference between Kabbalah and Scripture?
This is the most important question for the believer, both Jew and Gentile. I will point out only a few differences between the teachings of Kabbalah and the Bible.

Kabalists of divine revelations

According to the teachings of Kabbalists, a person must make great efforts through meditation and prayer to expand his consciousness and understand the hidden revelations of the Torah. Many Kabbalah treatises specifically state that this knowledge is a secret, must be acquired and certain keys must be found to learn it.

Here are some quotes: “If the people of Israel are worthy, they will study the Zohar and through it escape from exile.”

And again: “Before the coming of Moshiach, all kinds of false teachings and evils will increase in the world. You can protect yourself from them by studying the Zohar daily. And despite the fact that a person does not understand anything about it, it is already enough to purify the heart. ”(Or Yasharim)

What does the Scripture tell us?

“Wonderful are Your testimonies; therefore my soul keeps them. The revelation of your words enlightens, He enlightens the simple” (Psalms 119:129,130). David says: yes, your revelations are amazing, but they are able to enlighten and admonish even the simpleton!

And again: “I did not speak in secret, not in the dark place of the earth; I did not say to the tribe of Jacob, “You seek me in vain.” I am the Lord who speaks righteousness and reveals the truth” (Isaiah 45:19).

Isaiah writes about God’s character and His knowledge for us. God does not tell secrets – He tells the truth, He reveals the truth. The Scriptures are against knowledge that is secret and inaccessible to man!

Kabbalists about the human soul and life after death

The famous kabbalist, today’s professor M. Laitman, who has been studying and teaching this topic for 50 years, said in one of his speeches about the soul: “I have no soul, I only have a dot in my soul. The heart that excites me, by which I understand what I must do, and which guides me. This is the other side of my soul.”

Kabbalah claims that the human soul has to climb a spiral staircase, going through all its corrections, until it becomes perfect. Kabbalists believe in reincarnation until the soul reaches its maximum spiritual height.

The book “Secrets of the Jewish Sages” contains a quote from the book “Guide to the world of Kabbalah” by A. Rybalka. The author himself studied Kabbalah for decades in one of Israel’s religious areas, Bnei Brak, where there are whole schools of initiates. Thus he writes: “The soul carries within itself traces of every body in whom it has lived for a long time from its many journeys…”

What does the Scripture say?

In the Bible we see clarity on this matter. Solomon speaks clearly and concretely: “For the dust will return to the earth as it was, and the spirit will go to God who gave it…” (Ecclesiastes 12:7)

Nowhere in Scripture will you find any discussion of the soul’s otherworldliness or the soul’s ability to move from body to body. Paul also writes clear instructions to his fellow tribesmen: “And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment…” (Hebrews 9:27)

We will not now go into all the questions connected with the transition to eternity and what constitutes soul and spirit. Scripture gives us a clear mechanism: death and transition from the physical world to the spiritual world, not reincarnation as the Kabbalah teaches.

Kabbalah about sin

Kabbalists believe that repentance as written in the Scriptures is not necessary at all. The Kabbalist does not need repentance – he uses introspection and, as it were, decides for himself to rise above his egoic state. This is called “rising from the ego level to the Creator level”. In other words, the analysis is enough – and this action will draw light for your correction.

A famous Kabbalah teacher was once asked if he had any sins. He replied, “I have no sins, or rather, perhaps according to your understanding I have them, but according to my understanding I have none. The concept of sin has been developed in us by society, nothing more. When we think about sins, we fall into self-condemnation and even depression.”

Kabbalists also believe that a person does not need to be reprimanded – the soul itself must go through certain eddies and understand what is right and what is wrong.

What does the Scripture say?

We know from the Scriptures that in ancient times, when a Jew realized his sin, he confessed, i.e. told God what he had done and then offered a sacrifice for that sin. The concepts of sin, rebuke and forgiveness were established by God himself.

“If he remains guilty of any of these things, he must confess what he has sinned against! 6 And he must bring to the Lord a female animal, a lamb or a goat, as an atonement for his sin that he has committed,” (Lev. 5:5-6).

Remember David and his repentance when the prophet Nathan came to rebuke him: “God, have mercy on me according to your great mercy and blot out my transgressions according to the abundance of your mercy. Wash me from my iniquity and cleanse me from my sin, for I confess my iniquities, and my sin is always before me” (Ps 51:3-5).

David judges himself, repeatedly asks God for forgiveness and mercy for the crime he committed against Uriah’s house. Much more can be said about the teachings of Kabbalah. But we who read the Scriptures clearly understand that the Kabbalah taught in Rabbinic Judaism has clearly distorted both the image of God and His teachings, beginning with the Torah. Unfortunately, Kabbalah is associated with esoteric knowledge, so its followers emphasize that this teaching is a great secret, revealed through special codes and efforts.

Kabbalistic teaching penetrated Judaism and greatly damaged it. I remember talking to a man who was studying to be a rabbi in a yeshiva. “Do you need repentance?” – I asked him. “Of course not, because I have a Jewish soul and it is enough for me to follow orders,” he answered. This teaching is also part of Kabbalah. “Then why does the Almighty speak in hundreds of places in the Tanakh (Old Testament) about the repentance of the Jews, since they too had Jewish souls?” – I asked. He couldn’t answer me.

Several years ago I met some young Hasidic guys in Jerusalem. They sang loudly in Hebrew a song with the words: “He is the king of Israel, he is the king of Jerusalem!” I stopped them and started a conversation with them: “Which king are we talking about? Who is this king of Israel and Jerusalem?” They showed me a photo of an elderly rabbi. “Why is he the king of Israel? After all, David was the king of Israel and Jerusalem? – I asked. They laughed in my face and said: “Don’t you understand? He has the spirit of David! He went through all the generations of this man, and now the spirit of David lives in him, so he is our king of Israel!# “And how many people usually come to your services like this?” – I specified. “Up to 20 thousand!” – they answered.

Unfortunately, this apostasy is not new among the people of Israel. For example, we read the book of Esther and see that the main character of this book is named after the Babylonian deity Morduch. The name is of Persian origin (Morduk is a Persian deity, translated as “son of the world mountain”). With the destruction of the Temple and the rejection of Jesus’ Messiah status and the establishment of Rabbinic Judaism, a portion of Israel became bitter and followed teachers with a different heart and different beliefs, not based on Scripture. No wonder Jesus says “you know neither the Scriptures nor His power.”

Some believers decided that this was the end for Israel. But the Bible continues the story of the Jews, and the same God, from whom our nation partially left, openly says: “And thus all Israel will be saved at last, as it is written: “A deliverer will come from Zion, he will remove ungodliness from Jacob. And this is my covenant with them, if I take away their sins.'” (Romans 11:26,27).

We live in amazing times and today we are witnessing the greatest revival of Israel yet! That’s bigger than the 1st century AD! Despite our partial backsliding from God, the Savior still came out of Zion. His name is Yeshua and throughout the world he saves and cleanses hundreds of Jewish souls!

Anatoly Emma / cis.jewsforjesus.org

Source: https://ieshua.org/evrejskij-mistitsizm-kabbala-ili-yasnost-pisanij.htm