Kabbalah what is god

The Kabbalists introduced a distinction between the hidden and revealed aspects of God. This name was understood as the proper one for the hidden aspect of God. It suggests that God exists without implying anything about His character. According to the Kabbalists, God should be called It rather than He, although there is no neuter gender in the Hebrew language. According to these mystics, Ein Sof is not the proper object of prayers, since Ein Sof has no relationship with His creatures.

The personal aspect of the hidden God is mediated by the ten sefirot , ten knowable aspects of His being. There are, therefore, two natures of God, the infinite, unknowable essence and the ten discernible aspects. Specialty Products. Catalogs, Flyers and Price Lists. Open Access. Open Access for Authors.

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Although neither formal nor informal monasticism is sanctioned by Jewish mysticism, experiential Kabbalists tend to be ascetics. The practical dimension of Kabbalah involves rituals for gaining and exercising power to effect change in our world and in the celestial worlds beyond ours.

The true master of this art fulfills the human potential to be a co-creator with God. Historians of Judaism identify many schools of Jewish esotericism across time, each with its own unique interests and beliefs.

As noted above, Jewish mystics are not like monks or hermits. Kabbalists tend to be part of social circles rather than lone seekers. From these mystical works, scholars have identified many distinctive mystical schools, including the Hechalot mystics, the German Pietists, the Zoharic Kabbalah, the ecstatic school of Abraham Abulafia, the teachings of Isaac Luria, and Chasidism. These schools can be categorized further based on individual masters and their disciples.

Most mystical movements are deeply indebted to the writings of earlier schools, even as they add innovative interpretations and new systems of thought to the existing teachings. Whereas many religions conceive of God as a humanlike figure to whom they can speak and pray, Kabbalah views God as a boundless unknowable force. The finite human mind cannot ever truly comprehend God, but the collective faith and devotion of the followers of Kabbalah can make God whole and knowable once more. Understanding and cultivating the sefirot requires a lifetime of study and devotion, but Kabbalah provides even beginners with a way of knowing God in everyday life.

As kabbalists continue to study and honor the teachings of Kabbalah, they can ascend sequentially through each sefirah, in turn gaining a more and more profound understanding of their divinity. As Berg explains, the true meaning of fear in Kabbalah differs strongly from what most people expect it to mean. We tend to think of fear as a negative emotion, the source of anxiety and discouragement. Kabbalah instead presents fear as the primary motivator of every righteous thought and deed in the universe.

The first type of fear involves the things we hold dear in our lives on earth: our home, our health, our friends, and our possessions.

Fearing the loss of any of the above does not qualify as fear in Kabbalah.