10 Minute Topics: Jewish Mysticism

The next in a weekly series of 10 minute topics teaching about various topics within Judaism. This week's topic is: Jewish Mysticism.

Mysticism and mystical experiences have been a part of Judaism since the earliest days. The Torah contains many stories of mystical experiences. The Talmud speaks about the existence of the soul and when it becomes attached to the body. Jewish tradition tells that the souls of all Jews were in existence at the time of the giving of the Torah. These souls were present at Mount Sinai and agreed to the Covenant.

Category:

Education

Tags:

• Judaism
• Jewish
• Kabbalah
• Zohar
• Mysticism
• Reincarnation
• Sefirot
• Magic
• Soul
• Omer
• Tanya
• Zalman
• Talmud
• Tanach
• Bible
• Old
• Testament

[martialtaichi]

I'm not sure how you can say there is nothing wrong with magic when it says in Devarim / Deuteronomy 18: 10 Let no one be found among you who consigns his son or daughter to the fire, or who is an augur, a soothsayer, a diviner, A SORCERER, 11 ONE WHO CASTS SPELLS, or one who consults ghosts or familiar spirits or one who inquires of the dead. 12 For anyone who does such things is abhorrent to the L-RD, and it is because of these abhorrent things that the L-RD your G-d is dispossessing them B4U.

[becomingjewishorg]

Jewish Mysticism has nothing to do with "magic". It is a deeper understanding of Hashem and His creation - along with our place in this world.

Any "magic" performed by rabbis and sages was done only with the help of Hashem and by calling upon Hashem.

[martialtaichi]

I'm sorry if my words offended you - I know it is not the same as magic that seeks to invoke other forces, but trying to create changes in the world through ritual means that are not just directly asking HaShem through prayer - I just don't get that aspect of kabballah - it seems like a form of attempted manipulation akin to magic, rather like the prohibitions in Devarim. I think you even used the term "magic" in the film - why not just ask Him for whatever it is you want?

[becomingjewishorg]

I wasn't offended.

I am not a student of Jewish Mysticism and I am just a novice at how it all works.

The ritual aspects of it - from my understanding - are a very tiny amount of what Jewish Mysticism really is all about. Its chief purpose is to explore deeper levels of understanding regarding Hashem and His creation.

[YoungOldWomen]

Really useful info. I had no idea that what these other people out there were teaching is not Kabbalah. Some how I know in my heart that what they said was wrong but I had no idea how it was wrong.

Thanks for posting.

[becomingjewishorg]

This is one of the reasons to thoroughly check out any "center" or teacher who is teaching (selling?) Kabbalah.

[Sychonaut13]

@martialtaichi Didn't Jesus try to explain that we have these abilities in Matthew 17:20? Quantum physics is proving that consciousness has an effect on things, and this shows that your everyday perception is akin to magic. Hermes Trismegistus is believed by some to be Noah, and that is the first documented form of universal manipulation I know of.

[juliohermesp]

thanks for this beautfull work

[pljanes]

Thanks for posting, the discussion of the levels of the soul is very good.

[KingSilent1]

funny how the guys who were soothsayers, sorcerers, and ghost talkers were probably the most intelligent of the era, the real Wise

[YoIsJAY]

Thank you ...

[Lanfeust22]

shut up you DEVIL WHORE your a lying bitch you know very well you got rapped by your father so don't lie this is missleading info about kabbalah with the freakin hebrew letters you can acces another realm it opens portals to the underworld so go FUCK your SON aswell to keep the tradition and go sacrafice some babies nasty bitch.

[ponderer2009]

[Contined from above] I can understand the narratior's defensiveness against kabbalah distortionsm, which undermine more beautiful, ancient, and complex traditions. ]

But new readions always begin in this way. First they are seen as aberrations or false teachings. Later they becomeaccepted as valid traditions in their own right. So let us not be too quick to judge here before several more centuries at least. This is the natural course of faith. Out of Hinduism came Buddhism for example...

[ponderer2009]

This was very interesting and educational. Thank you.

One thing...the author is very critical of "alternative" or newer "distortions" of the Kabalah. I