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Mysticism and mystical experiences have been a part of Judaism since the earliest decades before the Christian Era.

Mysticism and mystical experiences have been a part of Judaism since the earliest decades before the Christian Era.

Kabbalah is one of the most grossly misunderstood parts of Judaism. The mystical doctrines contained in it are said by its students and masters to have been revealed and entrusted to [[Ezra]] the Scribe 400 years before the appearance of [[Jesus Christ|Jesus of Nazareth]]. Mysticism is an integral part of [[Hasidic Judaism|Chasidic Judaism]], and passages from kabbalistic sources are routinely included in traditional Jewish prayer books.  

Kabbalah is said by its [[Apologistics|apologists]] to be one of the most grossly misunderstood parts of Judaism. The mystical doctrines contained in it are said by its students and masters to have been revealed and entrusted to [[Ezra]] the Scribe 400 years before the appearance of [[Jesus Christ|Jesus of Nazareth]]. Mysticism is an integral part of [[Hasidic Judaism|Chasidic Judaism]], and passages from kabbalistic sources are routinely included in traditional Jewish prayer books.  

Many traditional Jewish stories involve the use of hidden knowledge to affect the world in ways that could be described as magic, which was condemned by the Law of Moses. The Talmud and other sources ascribe [[supernatural]] activities to many great rabbis, claiming that some rabbis pronounced one of the names of God and ascended into heaven to consult with the God and the angels on issues of great public concern. One scholar is said to have created an artificial man by reciting various names of God. Much later stories tell of a rabbi who created a man out of clay (a golem) and brought it to life by putting in its mouth a piece of paper with a name of God on it. However, this area of Kabbalah is not something that is practiced by the average Jew, or even the average rabbi. There are a number of stories that discourage the pursuit of such knowledge and power as dangerous and irresponsible. As these stories demonstrate, this kind of knowledge was traditionally thought to be far too dangerous to be distributed blindly to the masses.

Many traditional Jewish stories involve the use of hidden knowledge to affect the world in ways that could be described as magic, which was condemned by the Law of Moses. The Talmud and other sources ascribe [[supernatural]] activities to many great rabbis, claiming that some rabbis pronounced one of the names of God and ascended into heaven to consult with the God and the angels on issues of great public concern. One scholar is said to have created an artificial man by reciting various names of God. Much later stories tell of a rabbi who created a man out of clay (a golem) and brought it to life by putting in its mouth a piece of paper with a name of God on it. However, this area of Kabbalah is not something that is practiced by the average Jew, or even the average rabbi. There are a number of stories that discourage the pursuit of such knowledge and power as dangerous and irresponsible. As these stories demonstrate, this kind of knowledge was traditionally thought to be far too dangerous to be distributed blindly to the masses.

==Misunderstanding and misrepresentations==

==Misunderstanding and misrepresentations==

Misunderstandings of kabbalism stem largely from the fact that the teachings of Kabbalah have been so badly distorted by mystics and occultists. Kabbalah was popular together with "spiritual" [[alchemy]] among Christian intellectuals during the Renaissance and Enlightenment periods, who reinterpreted its doctrines to fit into their Christian dogma. The same ideas of the macrocosm and microcosm in Jewish mysticism and [[Christian humanism]] were found in earlier Greek philosophy, that the whole of the great cosmos of the universe of spirit and matter as the whole body of God (''as above'') is found reflected in the minor universe of the human being, body, soul and spirit (''so below''), as the image of God and the image of the whole cosmos. The ten sefirot of the kabbalistic tree of life are frequently represented in graphic diagrams showing them as colored spheres superimposed over the image of the human body to demonstrate this correspondence of human and cosmos.

Misunderstandings of kabbalism stem largely from the fact that the teachings of Kabbalah have been so badly distorted by mystics and occultists. Kabbalah was popular together with "spiritual" [[alchemy]] among Christian intellectuals during the Renaissance and Enlightenment periods, who reinterpreted its doctrines to fit into their Christian dogma. The same ideas of the macrocosm and microcosm in Jewish mysticism and [[Christian humanism]] were found in earlier Greek philosophy, that the whole of the great [[cosmos]] of the universe of spirit and matter as the whole body of God (''as above'') is found reflected in the minor universe of the human being, body, soul and spirit (''so below''), as the image of God and the image of the whole cosmos. The ten sefirot of the kabbalistic tree of life are frequently represented in graphic diagrams showing them as colored spheres superimposed over the image of the human body to demonstrate this correspondence of human and cosmos.

In more recent times, many have wrenched kabbalistic symbolism out of context for use in tarot card readings and other forms of divination and magic that were never a part of the original Jewish teachings. This fact does not stop many New Age practitioners from falsely (and often, with full awareness, deceitfully) claiming that they are.  

In more recent times, many have wrenched kabbalistic symbolism out of context for use in tarot card readings and other forms of divination and magic that were never a part of the original Jewish teachings. This fact does not stop many New Age practitioners from falsely (and often, with full awareness, deceitfully) claiming that they are.  

Any "how-to" books on the subject of "practical kabbalah" can be safely dismissed as not authentic Jewish tradition because true kabbalistic practices and techniques are never distributed impersonally to a faceless general public. They have always been thought by those who have entered deeply into Kabbalah to be far too dangerous to be distributed to the common masses, and for this reason much of the deeply esoteric Kabbalah has never been entrusted to writing. Only disciples who have full knowledge of Torah and all of the Talmud, who are at ''least'' 40 years old, of proven sound mind and mature and devout disposition, and have been carefully tested and chosen by the teacher (they are never chosen by themselves), are secretly recruited for study and training and given, by slow and patient degrees, over a period of a decade or more, eventually, full knowledge of genuine Kabbalah. Those who truly know Kabbalah are over 60 years old.

Any "how-to" books on the subject of "practical kabbalah" can be safely dismissed as not authentic Jewish tradition because true kabbalistic practices and techniques are never distributed impersonally to a faceless general public. They have always been thought by those who have entered deeply into Kabbalah to be far too dangerous to be distributed to the common masses, and for this reason much of the deeply esoteric Kabbalah has never been entrusted to writing. Only disciples who have full knowledge of Torah and all of the Talmud, who are at ''least'' 40 years old, of proven sound mind and mature and devout disposition, and have been carefully tested and chosen by the teacher (they are never chosen by themselves<ref>Jesus as a true rabbi emphatically stated to his disciples, "You have not chosen me, but I have chosen you." Those self-chosen individuals who have heard and read about Kabbalah, who have convinced themselves that they are inwardly called to study and master its secrets, and, after seeking for a teacher whom they themselves have decided to regard as genuine (based on standards that they have decided to apply for discernment), who present themselves to a reputed master of Kabbalah as ready candidates self-prepared for study, have by this very fact already proven themselves to be full of arrogant self-pride and delusion, and therefore absolutely unqualified to enter into its study. A genuine teacher of Kabbalah will dismiss such seekers with respectful advice to pursue "more useful studies" and no longer waste their time and their youth with such matters. There are an abundance of charletans and pretended masters of secret doctrines who are ready to receive them as disciples, "teachers" who have no knowledge of the truth, but who are very eager to receive both their adoration and their money. See 2 Timothy 3:1-9.</ref>), are secretly recruited for study and training and given, by slow and patient degrees, over a period of a decade or more, eventually, full knowledge of genuine Kabbalah. Those who truly know Kabbalah are over 60 years old.

Today, many well-known celebrities have popularized a new age pop-psychology distortion of kabbalah. It borrows the language of kabbalah and the forms of Jewish folk superstitions, but at its heart it has more in common with the writings of [[Deepak Chopra]] than with any authentic Jewish source.

Today, many well-known celebrities have popularized a new age pop-psychology distortion of kabbalah. It borrows the language of kabbalah and the forms of Jewish folk superstitions, but at its heart it has more in common with the writings of [[Deepak Chopra]] than with any authentic Jewish source.

[[Gnosticism]]

[[Gnosticism]]

==External link==

 

==External links==

[http://www.thefreedictionary.com/kabbalah kabbalah (dictionary.com)]

[http://www.thefreedictionary.com/kabbalah kabbalah (dictionary.com)]

[[category:Judaism]]

[[category:Judaism]]