Kabbalah Basics

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The Kabbalah teachings are based on a number of books.

The most well know are the “Book of Creation” and “the Zohar” (literal translation- The book of Splendor). Those books are considered the spinal column/essence of the Kabbalah.

Some of the books written on the Kabbalah contain several different methods of its implementation.

These are “the Kabbalah” written by Moses Ben Jacob Cordovero (the Ramak.  This book also describes the Lurianian Method (established by Ha-Ari - Rabbi Isaac Luria in the 16th Century).

Research on the Kabbalah, show that it is popular to separate between secret knowledge discovered in ancient times, the methods of understanding Jewish Kabbalah methods made popular from the middle ages in Spain, which have survived until modern times.

According to this form of Kabbalist writing, Ashkenazi tradition, the Gaonim (geniuses) and other Talmudic Sages are not regarded as being part of Kabbalah. On the contrary Kabbalists themselves do not accept this point of view, and used to attribute the Kabbalah towards the ages and decades of Jewish history.

The research study of Kabbalah defines remains from ancient secret doctrine already from period of Talmudic Sages. These sprinklings of knowledge can be found in Babylonian Talmud especially in Festival Offering chapter (Hagigah).

In the Talmudic period, secret knowledge of Kabbalah were known as secrets of the Torah, tales of Beginning or Merkabah (as described in Book of Ezekiel 1:10). Because of its influences in mystic circles of people this knowledge was limited in certain ages and incredibly outstanding groups of students. There was also limitations according to form of teaching

(For example, not in public, not in a written form, only through word of mouth from teacher to student and vice versa)

In Talmudic history there were certain Sages that disagreed regarding the importance of study of Kabbalah.

Kabbalah also possesses Messiah motives. Shabtai Tzvi was one of the most popular False Messiahanics who succeeded in causing his followers to believe in his being as the Messiah in large sectors of Jewish, Christian and Muslim communities in 1666. His conversion to Islam was made in order to save his life, but was interpreted as descent ion order to raise sparks of negativity.

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