Kabbalah Basics

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What is Kabbalah interpretation of a prayer? Is it different in any case from our regular understanding of this issue?

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The majorities of people that believe find a prayer as significant and give it importance. Even those who do not define themselves as believers, in time of trouble turn to a supreme power that in their opinion should help them out their trouble. To the majority, through their prayers they turn to G-d in order to satisfy their needs, either in matters of health or livelihood. Sometimes it is in thanksgiving for the success they have achieved.

Kabbalah gives a different meaning to the prayer. According to Kabbalah, prayer is a tool for a man to be a ruler of his own destiny. This connection tool enables a person to reach his destination and achieve his original purpose.

In order to understand Kabbalah approach to a prayer issue we should examine a basic element in Kabbalah teaching – idea / concept of vessels and lights. Light is any kind of fulfillment attributed to aspect of abundance, love and pleasure. Vessel, as opposed, is an aspect of receiving and containing a pleasure. There is a difference between Light and Vessel and it some especially in it its spiritual form. Light as a sharing giving form, vessel – receiving, attracting.

Also a human consciousness integrates two of these aspects. Being in a physical body (vessel), for instance we contain a form of light that comes in form of spirit (soul) inside us.

When Kabbalah wisdom comes to research a prayer concept – it comes to investigate it in those two aspects of light - our intention and vessel, actual words or scripts we pronounce.

In such a matter, for Kabbalists this manifests itself in a kind of conscious effort that someone who prays inputs in his prayer, and it is considered as a light aspect in comparison to the vessels aspect of the words in prayer.

This is a root for a famous phrase of 16th Century Kabbalist Ha-Ari who said – prayer without an intention is like a body without a soul. This means there is no reason in a prayer without the proper intention of the person praying.

This, for example, is why instead of a praying for a livelihood, according to Kabbalah, a man should pray for the certainty that a light gives everything we actually need.

There are two basic faith axioms according to Abraham the Patriarch, who was te first to reveal the  ancient wisdom secrets of Kabbalah. First, that a Creator is good and his light is positive. This means that a nature of a Light is a giving and sharing.

And secondly - the only way to connect to it, is by becoming a giver or a person who shares without any ulterior motives. This also means that the only way for us to receive abundance, according to Kabbalah, is only by sharing it.

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These two aspects of faith are two main aspects of Kabbalah and Judaism Teachings. We also learn that the infinite light is in every place must heal and share its nature of abundance to all. But if we still feel a lack of something this points on absence of one of the two next –

(a) Lack of faith that Creator fulfills our every need,

(b) Shape of our intention is directed to receiving instead of sharing.

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According to Kabbalah, in order to connect to aspect of Light, we should use Hebrew Letters. Hebrew letters are tools as well as vessels used by Kabbalah students (and also teachers) to establish a connection to an aspect of Light.

Reading in Zohar (or scanning), meditation in 72 names or Ana Be-Koah (an ancient powerful kabbalistic prayer that contains 42 Holly names) – bringing us closer to consciousness level of sharing. Using meditation on Hebrew letters, as according to Kabbalah, our consciousness is getting up and so enables a whole new level of understanding or perceiving reality – holding two contraries in one perspective.

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As the  great Shamai and Hillel (great ancient Kabbalists from around 100 BC) who disagree regarding  the approach for the correct method to study  Torah as well as carrying positive actions (mitzvoth) – and so seemingly establishing opposing ways to connect to the Light.

As to right and left sides of spiritual connection means also certain aspects of general and private issues, we learn that truly spiritual person must find a way to hold opposing sides in one theme.

Kabbalah reveals that no right either left in separately is not “right”. But only two of them in one, or our perception of them united is an only consciousness that enables to hold the Tree of life, consciousness of unity and abundance that our heads turned to.

Observing in presence of Creator in every detail and perception of our unity with Him that requires us to be like him – become good – is what enables us to complete two in one – my desire to receive as  opposed to sharing intention of a Creator.

According to Kabbalah, a real prayer is what actually gives us an opportunity to receive that new form of sharing that is unnatural to us by any other means.

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