Beyond
Madonna - The Kabbalah According to the Great Scholars
What is the Kaballah?
by Robert Waxman
When I began studying Kabbalah in
1985, very few people knew anything about Kabbalah. Now, thanks to
Madonna, the word "kabbalah" has become a hot topic of conversation in the
media, on the internet and at cocktail parties.
Along with this fabulous
publicity, many people have asked, "Is Kabbalah a cult?" "Is it a
religion?" and "Is it only for Jewish people?" So, the time has come to
clarify what Kabbalah is, and what it's not.
Kabbalah is not a cult. There are
some Kabbalah organizations that have a cult-like atmosphere, but this is
a common abuse of trust that develops in all faith-based movements.
Kabbalah is not a religion.
Kabbalah is an ancient, universal, wisdom tradition that's existed since
time immemorial.
Kabbalah is not just for Jewish
people. All faiths and denominations are welcome to study and learn the
beauty of Kabbalistic truths. The first proposition in Kabbalah includes
unity, oneness and universal love. Kabbalah is truly for everyone!
Kabbalah holds the key to many
mysteries of The Bible. For thousands of years it was known as "The Oral
Wisdom Tradition" which was passed down from one generation to the next by
word of mouth. Kabbalah offers answers to many of the most profound
questions ever asked by the greatest minds that have ever lived:
1) How did the universe begin? 2)
What is the purpose of life? 3) What happens after death? and; 4) Are we
spiritual beings having a physical experience? Or are we physical beings
having a spiritual experience?
These are just a few of the
questions that Kabbalah can explain in detail. When Kabbalah is studied in
universities, students are required to read classic books written by the
great scholars. Three of these brilliant scholars include: Gershom Scholem,
Aryeh Kaplan and Isaiah Tishby. These teachers/authors have made essential
contributions to the study of Kabbalah. These intellectuals have made it
possible to separate fact from fiction, so Kabbalah can be studied as a
serious subject of inquiry.
To many people, Kabbalah seems to
be a collection of wild fables, volumes of words and numbers, vague
symbolism and inconsistent methods of decoding the secrets of The Bible.
This is why it's so important to study the teachings of the great
scholars. These critically acclaimed writers spent their lives
researching, translating and interpreting the true teachings of Kabbalah.
Their explanations are factual, logical and solely based upon the original
texts written by the most influential Kabalists throughout history.
Kabbalah is not a haphazard
collection of facts. It is based on the fundamental natural laws of the
universe, and the unfolding of these laws as they evolve outwardly. These
teachings are derived from timeless, universal truths that lead to inner
illumination.
Kabbalah is not taught as a
speculation. It is a body of knowledge that can split into sections, and
then understood as a whole. Some students may be confused after separating
the teachings into various categories, but they will eventually understand
the full meaning of Kabbalah, when these sections come together and form
one unified philosophy.
A natural question for the student
of Kabbalah to ask is: "What type of activities should be supported in
this busy world of family, career and daily responsibilities?" The student
of Kabbalah is a friend to all movements of pure intent. Students should
select for themselves their favorite fields of activities and pursue them
with passion and enthusiasm.
The true Kabalist is a
philanthropist, an honest upright individual, and one who has a genuine
feeling of love, compassion and respect for all humankind.
Robert Waxman is
a writer and educator of Kabbalah. He is the author of the best-selling
book, "Kabbalah Simply Stated." He is a founding member of "The Kabbalah
Education Network" and teaches at The Education Center and The Open Center
in Sarasota, Florida. For additional information visit his websites at
http://www.robertwaxman.com and
http://www.bobwaxman.com. There is a listing of popular links to
Robert Waxman site
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