Kabbala 101

Kabbala #2 - Perceiving the Infinite

by Rabbi Shimon Leiberman

How can we get a glimpse of God? Kabbala reveals how the Infinite interacts with humanity.

Kabbala #3 - The Ten Sefirot

by Rabbi Shimon Leiberman

A Kabbalistic concept explaining the multiplicity of God's manifestations in the world helps us see how God is truly One.

Kabbala #4 - Why 10?

by Rabbi Shimon Leiberman

Ten Sefirot are not "ten" by chance -- their number helps us understand the design of the entire world.

Kabbala #5 - Prayer, Study and the Ten Sefirot

by Rabbi Shimon Leiberman

Prayer lifts us above a fragmented world, where we turn our focus to only One God, whose many attributes make up one cohesive union.

Kabbala #6 - The Sefirot and the Divine Plan

by Rabbi Shimon Leiberman

God funnels His will through the primary Sefirot of intellect, creating a world where each event and interaction is part of a larger, comprehensible pattern.

Kabbala #7 - Chochma: Inspired Intellect

by Rabbi Shimon Leiberman

Out of the Ten Sefirot, chochmah, wisdom is the trait which allows creating something out of nothing, for it truly comes from "nowhere."

Kabbala #8: Binah - Processing Wisdom

by Rabbi Shimon Leiberman

The second of the Ten Sefirot -- binah – is the womb where raw understanding is developed and processed.

Kabbala #9: Daat - The Bridge Between Idea and Reality

by Rabbi Shimon Leiberman

The third of the Ten Sefirot -- daat -- allows flashes of inspiration, once processed, to be brought to fruition.

Kabbala #10: Chesed - The World is Built on Kindness

by Rabbi Shimon Leiberman

The fourth of the Ten Sefirot -- chesed -- precedes all others because it is the only one that is unconditional and unmotivated.

Kabbala #11 - Gevurah: The Strength of Judgment

by Rabbi Shimon Leiberman

The fifth of the Ten Sefirot -- gevurah -- is the second sefira of action and one which brings strict justice into the world.

Kabbala #12 - Chesed and Gevurah: The Two Sided Approach

by Rabbi Shimon Leiberman

Chesed-kindness and gevurah-strength work in tandem, defining God's interaction with the world as a right/left pull/push phenomenon.

Kabbala #13 - The Interplay of Matter and Form

by Rabbi Shimon Leiberman

Creation of raw matter is an act of chesed-kindness. Giving form to creation requires the restraint of gevurah-strength.

Kabbala #14 - Love and Awe

by Rabbi Shimon Leiberman

The sefirot of "action" engender love and fear on our part, the two "wings" which we need to soar up to the heavens.

Kabbala #15 - Tiferet: Beautiful Synthesis

by Rabbi Shimon Leiberman

Of the Ten Sefirot, tiferet -- which literally means "beauty" or "glory" -- is the most central as it mediates between chesed ("kindness") and gevurah ("strength").

Kabbala #16 - Beauty as Mercy

by Rabbi Shimon Leiberman

The dynamic of interaction between the three sefirot of "action" can be compared to a courtroom where kindness, chesed, is the defender and judgment gevurah/din the prosecutor.

Kabbala #17 - History of Kabbala: Part 1

by Rabbi Shimon Leiberman

A mysterious dialogue between Moses and God gives us clues to the "ways of God" -- revelations of a deep mystical knowledge which enriches our understanding of the Torah.

Kabbala #18 - Center of the Earth

by Rabbi Shimon Leiberman

The sefirot of chesed, gevurah, tiferet -- kindness, strength and beauty -- have an interrelationship that serves as a model for understanding the relationships between the other sefirot.

Kabbala #19 - History of Kabbala Part II

by Rabbi Shimon Leiberman

The imagery of Kabbalah, which examines God's actions through metaphor, can never lead to the creation of images or the suggestion that the One God exists in fragments.

Kabbala #20 - Netzach and Hod: Means to an End

by Rabbi Shimon Leiberman

Just like a loving parent may seem cruel when harshly disciplining a child in order to instill good values, the "tactical" sefirot of netzach and hod are often not what they seem.

Kabbala #21 - Yesod: The Translator

by Rabbi Shimon Leiberman

The sefirah of yesod, "foundation," translates spiritual concepts into actions that unite us with God.

Kabbalah #22 - Yesod: Foundation

by Rabbi Shimon Leiberman

The sefirah of yesod anchors the world to its spiritual bedrock.

Kabbalah #23 - Malchut: The Kingdom Within

by Rabbi Shimon Leiberman

The last sefirah is the most important because God uses it to act through His creation.

Kabbalah #24 - Keter: The Sefirah That Isn't

by Rabbi Shimon Leiberman

Keter manifests itself in the world as inexplicable "will" that goes beyond reason or cause and effect.

Snow: The Dark Side

by Rabbi Boruch Leff

The blizzard hits and life goes haywire. Understanding the mystical challenge can make it a gorgeous blanket of snow.

Threadbare

by Rabbi Ahron Lopiansky

Is there any substance behind the latest fad: kabbalistic red strings?

Purim: The Holiday in Hiding

by Rabbi Emanuel Feldman

Revealing why the story of Purim is wrapped in a disguise and concealed behind a mask.

Dancing in the Streets_

by Rabbi Ari Kahn

The mystical roots of Tu B'Av -- one of the most important days of the Jewish year.

The Real You

by Rabbi Aryeh Kaplan

What is the root of immortality and the soul?

The Soul #1 - Who Needs It?

by Rabbi Noson Weisz

What is the function of the soul in this world?

The Soul #2 - What Do Souls Look Like?

by Rabbi Noson Weisz

Understanding the five levels of soul and how they relate to man and creation.

The Soul #3 - Ten Sefirot

by Rabbi Noson Weisz

Understanding the building blocks of spiritual entities.

The Soul #4 - To Catch a Thief

by Rabbi Noson Weisz

An in-depth, Kabbalistic view of the makeup of the soul, and the impact of sin.

Exile and Redemption Part 1: Holy Sparks

by Rabbi Pinchas Winston

Why have Jews been scattered to the four corners of the earth?

Holy Sparks #2: The Contractor Who Couldn't Say Good-Bye

by Rabbi Pinchas Winston

Nobody wants to overstay his or her welcome. Jacob spends just enough time in exile to gather the sparks.

Holy Sparks #3: Soul Food

by Rabbi Pinchas Winston

By ingesting food, we feed our soul the holy sparks hidden within.

Holy Sparks #4: The Purpose of Creation

by Rabbi Pinchas Winston

The physical world contains latent sparks of holiness, waiting for us to draw them out.

Holy Sparks #5: Why Not Antarctica?

by Rabbi Pinchas Winston

Some spots on earth are merely storage halls of Holy Sparks, until the time comes for each spark to be released.

From the Desert to the Holy Land - Current Events and Kabbalah: Part 2

by Rabbi Pinchas Winston

The Jews in Moses' time chose the barren desert over the Holy Land. Jews today are faced with the same fateful decision.

Climax of History - Current Events and Kabbalah: Part 3

by Rabbi Pinchas Winston

The flow of world events, highlighted by the September 11 attacks, point to the dramatic culmination of history.

Mystical Autumn Leaves

by Rabbi Boruch Leff

As the trees shed their leaves, I search for a kabbalistic understanding: Why did God create a world where I need to do all this raking?

The Mystical White Snow

by Rabbi Boruch Leff

The snowy streets are slippery and it's cold and wet. It's also a special time to get close to God.

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