Karen Berg - Two Unlikely People to Change the World: A Memoir

TWO UNLIKELY PEOPLE TO CHANGE THE WORLD

A Memoir by KAREN BERG

2019 Kabbalah Centre International, Inc. All rights reserved.

No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publisher, except by a reviewer who wishes to quote brief passages in connection with a review written for inclusion in a magazine, newspaper, or broadcast.

Kabbalah Centre Publishing is a registered DBA of
Kabbalah Centre International, Inc.

For further information:

The Kabbalah Centre

155 E. 48th St., New York, NY 10017

1062 S. Robertson Blvd., Los Angeles, CA 90035

1.800.Kabbalah www.kabbalah.com

Printed in Canada, August 2019

Hardcover ISBN: 978-1-57189-992-7

Paperback ISBN: 978-1-57189-993-4

Epub ISBN: 978-1-57189-995-8

Design: HL Design (Hyun Min Lee) www.hldesignco.com

Acknowledgments

This book has been such an important passage for me; it has granted me the rare occasion to pause and look back while running forward with all my strength. Its writing would not have been possible without the help of writer and editor, Susan Golant. For those of you who know me, the thought that I would sit for three years in front of a computer is about as likely as me flying to the moon. Susan helped me capture the Ravs story, my own, and the honest account of the creation of the Kabbalah Centre. It took thousands of pages of interviews, historical research, and plenty of writing and rewriting for her to help me find my voice.

A project like this, while it appears to carry my name, does not belong to any one person: It belongs to all those who shared the experiences they had with the Rav, to those who remembered things I didnt, to those who researched and found articles and lessons the Rav taught. It belongs to a global community of dedicated people who accepted the unlikely pair of the Rav and I and what was created through us.

Rav, you always have and still do fill every part of my being with purpose, with love, with life. Loving you and being your partner was my destiny and blessing.

To my children, you often paid for the decisions we made. Living a life shaped by a destiny to serve the world does not always make for a warm and secure childhood. Yet you accepted the story set before you, as hard as it was, with grace. Thank you for sharing the journey. I love you all so much and am appreciative of the people you have become.

To the Chevre, thank you for your commitment and for your desire to make this path your own. The Kabbalah Centre would not have been able to do the good that it has in the world without the group called the Chevre who strive to live the wisdom and be of service to humanity. Thank you to the staff, donors, and volunteers who share their talent, their time and their financial support so that others can learn this life-enriching wisdom and so we can turn on the lights every day.

To everyone who has shared their energy in whatever way in the pages of this book and to the history that it recounted, please accept my humble gratitude.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Foreword

This is not a traditional biography with a chronological enumeration of dates and places and events, because my husbands was not a traditional existence. Interwoven with details of his life and our life together, you will find a memoir of lessons he taught and ideas he was most fervent about. His every thought and action were part of a larger wholea profound knowledge of the universe that Philip Berg, who later became known as the Rav, acquired and then imparted. As his wife, I look back in these pages on our lives together, and Im reminded of salient moments that defined his character and destiny. I include here events that are representative of his passion and purposeevents that also shaped my own journey, our tumultuous marriage, and the creation of the worldwide network known as the Kabbalah Centre. Besides, its not in my nature to be strictly linear.

While this is not a book about the principles of Kabbalah, it is impossible to separate the man from the wisdom and the wisdom from the man. One of the central themes in the Ravs life and Kabbalah is lovethe love of every person, no matter their religious upbringing or deeds. Indeed, my husband eventually came to recognize that despite the fact that it had arisen from centuries of Jewish mystical thought, Kabbalah is for everyone regardless of their faith. And even though he was loving toward all, he was far from soft.

For the most part, his was a demanding kind of love one that asked others to step up. He would not censor himself if he saw that someone was being spiritually dishonest, and so to some he came off as challenging and even harsh. At other times, however, he was kindespecially if he sensed that a person was in great need of support. It is fair to say that he embodied both the tough and gentle sides of love. He also knew only one way to be: completely transparent and utterly truthful.

In many ways the Ravs life was not his own. Rather, it was a path set out for him as part of a lineage. In fact, the Rav and I did not have what most people would consider a personal lifeone that contained separate compartments for home, work, family, and friends. Instead, ours was a tapestry of many experiences sewn into one all-encompassing whole, framed by our relentless mutual desire to bring the Light and consciousness into this world, and by doing so to help people to improve their life and destiny.

* * *

The Bible portion Bahaalotcha explains that throughout their wanderings in the wilderness, the Israelites were led by the Cloud of Glory. Their journey was dictated by divine providence. This may sound inspiring and wonderful but like all connections with the Light in this physical world, it came with a price. The people were not asked where they wished to travel or whether or not they wished to stay in any one place. Rather, they dutifully followed the Cloud. Wherever it settled, they camped; whenever it departed, they followed.

Sometimes the region was unpleasant, yet the Cloud would remain. Sometimes the Israelites were led to an oasis with good water and cooling shade but the Cloud would not linger. They never knew the length of any stay. They might have just unpacked and settled in when suddenly the Cloud would direct them that it was time to go. The Israelites traveled this way for forty years. And in that time they journeyed through 42 stations, which are considered to be the 42 stages of life. At each location, the Israelites were presented with a challenge requiring them to make a spiritual choice.

My life with the Rav (which incidentally lasted 42 years from 1971 2013) was much like that of the people of the wilderness. We never knew where we would be called to go, how long we would stay, or what adventures would find us along the way, nevertheless that was how we lived. That was who the Rav was, thats the way he wanted it, and it suited me just fine.