Gabriella Samuel - Kabbalah Handbook: A Concise Encyclopedia of Terms and Concepts in Jewish Mysticism

m ore and more people are reaching out in search of something on the spiritual and emotional level that will make a real and permanent difference in their lives. Institutions of all faiths have witnessed a dramatic rise in peoples desire to have deeper, more meaningful spiritual experiences. Jewish mysticism, the very foundation of Judaism and Christianity, offers answers to these seekers and provides the spiritual nourishment they seek, but it has remained largely hidden behind a veil of mystery and a virtually impenetrable wall of complex and foreign thought.

Over the centuries, when people have received glimpses of Kabbalah, it has proven to be immensely attractive. This has been true for centuries, and can be seen in the myriad efforts to adopt parts of Kabbalah into other practices and belief systems. I believe this attraction to Jewish mysticism is so strong because it is a response of the soul, a recognition of something of extreme spiritual value. In this regard, the infusion of Kabbalah into other areas has had an overall positive effect. On the other hand, in modern times, Jewish mysticism has often been exploited rather than tapped for its profound metaphors and answers to the age-old questions of pain and suffering and the meaning of life. Regardless, there are growing numbers of people from all backgrounds who have adopted some of the core practices of Judaism and who recognize a significant spiritual force in its rituals, which are largely Kabbalistic in nature.

By the seventeenth century, the songs, prayers, and rituals of the Kabbalists had thoroughly infused the religious and cultural life of the Jewish people, and they remain important parts of the liturgy to this day. The understanding of the mystical significance, however, has been nearly lost, especially in the past century. So we find today that the Jewish people sing songs, recite prayers, and engage in ritualsboth in synagogue services and at homethat have their origins in Kabbalah, and yet many, if not most, worshippers are unaware that they are engaging in Kabbalistic practices. To reconnect the rich mystical heritage of Kabbalah with the very rituals it birthedwhich still play prominent roles in Jewish religious life todayis among the aims of this book. Another aim is that this book will clarify, in readers minds, exactly what Jewish mysticism means in terms of doctrine, practice, and history, and further, will shed light on its enormous significance in the relationship between the human being and the Creator.

Historically, Kabbalahs influence on other traditions is very strong. For example, the infusion of Jewish mystical principles and practices into alchemy in the Middle Ages resulted in the transformation of alchemy from a purely matter-based practice into a new alchemy with a strong and inseparable spiritual dimension. Another example is the so-called Christian Kabbalah that arose in the early fifteenth century, when Kabbalistic thought was brought into the mainstream of Western philosophy. European occultists had a heyday incorporating the terms and symbols of Kabbalah into their systems, and it is this particular blending that gives rise to much of the confusion that exists today about what exactly Kabbalah is. The historical influences and mixtures that occurred among European occult systems, Western philosophy, mystical Christianity, and Jewish mysticism will probably continue to remain obscure. It is clear, however, that Kabbalahs holistic philosophyreplete with myth and metaphor, teachings on the dynamics of creation and destruction, and themes of revelation, exile, and redemptionhas timeless relevance, and application to a wide range of traditions and spiritual paths.