Understanding the Depths of Kabbalah
Kabbalistic Insights from the Zohar on Parashas Terumah 5783
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Within the Zohar on Parashas Terumah is an interesting, fundamental article called Sifra DeTzniuta (The Book of Concealment). While the Sifra
DeTzniuta is extremely deep, we can find an understanding in its introduction, in which it discusses general rules.
Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai says that there is a benefit to knowing those rules for someone who is already at a certain level of understanding of the wisdom of the Kabbalah. He provides a parable, and that is what I will focus
on.
The parable is about a person who lived between the mountains and did not come into the city. He grew wheat and ate the wheat berries in a simple, natural way. One day, he came to the city and they gave him bread to eat. He asked, “What is this thing?” They said to him, “It is bread.” When he tasted it, he said, “Very nice! What is it made
from?” They answered, “Wheat.” Then they gave him cake. When he tasted the cake, he said, “Wow! What is it made from?” Once again, they answered, “Wheat.” He discovered that all kinds of things were made out of wheat. So, this person concluded that he did not need all of those things because he grew the wheat they were made of.
When rules
are not enough
Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai is revealing that many people make this same mistake with the wisdom of the Kabbalah. They think they have the rules and it is enough for them. They are satisfied with a general understanding. They do not have the small, fine answers that are the real taste, the real pleasure of the wisdom of the Kabbalah.
It can be hard for people who are exploring kabbalistic meditations to get the understanding that is needed for the Kabbalah of the Rashash. Why? Because the Rashash is very much about the details of the Kabbalah, and the details make it complex. So, many people conclude that the Kabbalah of the Rashash is not for them, and they go instead to the Kabbalah of the Ramchal or Chasidus, which are also very good. Nevertheless, there is great benefit in
making the effort to understand the fine details within the wisdom of the Kabbalah. That is the message of this introduction of the Sifra DeTzniuta: when you have the details, then you can benefit from the rules.
Someone who has the rules and does not have the details does not really get the pleasure of the wisdom. We want to receive the message
Hashem is giving us regarding how we should progress and grow within our service to Hashem through the wisdom of the Kabbalah.
We need to put in the time and effort to understand the new answers and the details. That is deep learning. That is what every person who is interested in the Kabbalah has to at least keep in mind as a goal, as a
purpose—to progress to serious learning, to understand not only the general rules but also the new answers. According to the tradition that I received from the kabbalistic yeshiva of Beis Eil in the Old City, the fundamental book that is giving us all those details is the Eitz Chayim of the Arizal, with the commentary of the Rashash.
To learn the
Eitz Chayim from beginning to end, which is a big task, takes a few years. Someone who is learning the Eitz Chayim with the commentary of the Rashash will have those details, those new answers of the Kabbalah. After he has that, he can have the pleasure of the learning of the Zohar, the rules of the Kabbalah, and the application of the meditation that comes with it. That would be the real, meaningful meditation that is the tradition that I have and, b’ezras Hashem, am trying to transmit to my
students.
With the help of Hashem, we are about to start a new course for those who want to become more seriously involved in learning Kabbalah, especially of the Arizal, specifically, as well as to have a taste of the Kabbalah of the Rashash, with kabbalistic meditations, applications of the Shaarei Kedusha (Gates of Holiness), for example, and
other great kabbalists. Members of our Sefiros Membership Program will soon have the opportunity to enroll in the above program as virtual students, so stay tuned for announcements.
Shabbat Shalom Umevorach,
Rabbi Ya’akov Avraham Shepherd
Rosh Yeshiva &
Kollel
Yeshivas HaMekubalim Nefesh HaChayim
King David Kabbalah
https://kingdavidkabbalah.com
