The magic door to Judaism - Page 2
From Griffith REVIEW Edition 7: The Lure of Fundamentalism
© Copyright Griffith University & the author.
Written by Lee Kofman
IT IS EMBARRASSING TO ADMIT, BUT LIKE BEGELFOUR, TSAP AND RIVA FURMAN, I too still crave answers. It has been years since I left my family's religious ways, rejected the morning prayers, long skirts and kosher food, but never Kabbalah. There is something very humane about its core concept – an attempt to decipher life's secrets – something rooted in childhood when we never tired of looking for that magical key, or words, to open the magical door.
I stare intently at Furman as she continues describing how Kabbalah is so complex and thorough, because it relates to each moment of a person's life. Her words echo the others. Eventually she adds, "Kabbalah emphasises personal responsibility and now I know that, as an individual, I still have the power to change things in the world." But what things? What is the secret of Kabbalah's appeal? Why has it been such a successful historical phenomenon, inspiring both Jewish and non-Jewish masses for centuries?
Partially, the answer would be to look across other religions. Like Hellenistic mysterias and Islamic Sufi, Kabbalah is linked to a natural sense of wonder, the promise of mystery and magic, the essence of any spiritual feelings before they were captured by religion. Mystic practices are the la crème de la crème for believers and also practical – sharing sacred secrets. The complicated rituals of mysteries are difficult to follow today, but many are eager to embrace the easygoing, eclectic Kabbalah. There are so many parallels between the Kabbalah, Hinduism and Buddhism – the cornerstones of the New Age – that the more appropriate question is: why has it taken New Agers so long to rediscover it?
Both Kabbalah and the Eastern religions share a belief in reincarnation (Gilgul in Hebrew), the unity of the cosmos and infinity (Ein Sof) and they all practise meditation. A major difference in approaches to meditation is that, according to kabbalistic teachings, the idea of breathing and emptying the mind for meditation is not an end in itself, its purpose is to master conscious thinking. Let the rabbis argue the differences, the New Agers don't mind.
The book Practical Kabbalah traces parallels between Eastern religions and Judaism along its entire narrative, despite its orthodox author. Its opening words define the Kabbalah as explaining "the eternal laws of how spiritual energy moves through the cosmos". It emphasises different principles that are common among New-Age gurus, such as "self work" (cheshbon nefesh in Hebrew) and the importance of intuition. There is even a brief description of the author's encounter with Dalai Lama (and a photo, of course) and some "recipes" of A Star of David meditations. Along with insights into kabbalistic teachings, Wolf often uses New-Age phrases, such as "everything that happens in our lives is a lesson to be learned" or "we must find the wisdom within ourselves". On the other hand, his book contains a refreshing message of the ultimate "Jewish wisdom": "One doesn't have to be a full-time saint to achieve greatness."
Even yoga is linked. Its Jewish version was introduced in the 13th century by Abraham Abulafia, a contemporary of de Leon, known among other things for his notorious attempt to convert Pope Nicholas III to Judaism, a venture that almost cost him his life. During the Inquisition, Abulafia, an influential kabbalist, made Judaism more pluralistic. He introduced the practice of numerology and preached the highest potentiality of the spirit, which he tried to achieve through yoga and meditation. He was also the first to allow the Christian notion of the Trinity into Judaism, thus making kabbalist teachings more universal and eclectic, and attractive to the non-Jewish world.
Abulafia's seeds have germinated in our era. According to prominent Israeli Rabbi Moshe Schatz, "Kabbalah teaches us not to reject anything. We can integrate the insights not only of science but of Buddhism, Hinduism – all human knowledge."
Not accidentally, both de Leon and Abulafia were originally from Spain when it had become a cradle of religious ecstasy and crusades; many thinkers longed to see the barriers separating Judaism, Christianity and Islam broken down. The current Kabbalah revival also coincides with the rise of religious fundamentalism around the world: the strengthening grip of Islamic ayatollahs, the intertwining of Christianity with American politics, the refusal of religious Israeli settlers to withdraw from the occupied territories and the violence of Buddhists against Muslims. The general interest in the New Age can be interpreted as a reaction and an attempt to fight the separatist tendencies of our times.
GENUINELY INTERESTING DEBATE ON THE NATURE OF REDISCOVERED KABBALAH OCCURS not in Hollywood's gossip magazines, but between academics, orthodox and non-orthodox, Jewish and non-Jewish Kabbalah scholars, as they argue the various ways to interpret and convey the Kabbalah. Some religious authors call Kabbalah a "back door to Judaism". Its emphasis on learning, self-improvement, search for meaning and inclusion rather than rituals may be a better-adjusted-to-modern-times version of Judaism. However, the danger is that, in its openness, Kabbalah may hold the same appeal as the New Age – with answers that do not leave room for intelligent debate on the nature of spirituality. Hopefully, the modern version of Kabbalah won't lose its tradition of study, which valued the process of deciphering the mystery and the philosophical complexities of essential questions, such as: why we are here? or, how do we lead a meaningful life? rather than trying to provide answers at the tempo of the internet and MTV.
Most of the orthodox world regards popularisation of the Kabbalah with scepticism, seeing it as a way of avoiding traditional Jewish ritualistic responsibilities. They even dispute the term "kabbalist", claiming that there are very few mekubalim, or true scholars of Kabbalah, who are authorised to teach this mysticism. These mekubalim are treated with majesty in the orthodox world; they often hold real courts with sets of rules and protocols to guide the relationship between them and their followers and visitors. For example, some courts maintain that everyone should always stand in the presence of the mekubal, and no one is allowed to shake his hand.
Yet the number of books being written by orthodox Jews on Kabbalah has increased markedly. Even orthodox Jews no longer maintain that kabbalistic studies be restricted to married male Torah and Talmud scholars aged over 40.
Tsap doesn't mind teaching non-Jewish students as he thinks this way he hastens Messiah's arrival, because it is said that when Dvar Torah (the Word of Bible) spreads to the world outside, the Messiah will come. Unlike many in his circle, he even approves of the Kabbalah Learning Centre, believing it will assist the Messiah's coming.
I CALL MY MOTHER. HER VOICE SOUNDS CLEAR EVEN THOUGH SHE LIVES IN NEW YORK now among her peers, the followers of Rabbi Lubavitch.
"Have you read my article?" I ask, quite fearful. There are so many ways to hurt her feelings and unfortunately I am good at this, especially since the divergence in our spiritual paths.
"It is well researched," she surprises me.
"Really?"
"Yes ..." she pauses for a moment, "Too much research. You misunderstand things. You can't explain Kabbalah intellectually. It is a passion, a feeling. You can't just go and write about it, it is something you live."
Click-clack. Click-clack. Is it the line or her typewriter? ♦