Now let us examine some parts of the book of Zohar, which is part of the teachings of Kabbalah.
There is an opinion that Kabbalah is as the "soul" of the Torah. If this is so, then the Torah could be considered the "body" of Kabbalah. However, it seems unlikely that Kabbalah can cleanse its "body" of distortions, as it is evident that the "shepherds" of the Torah have already taken control over Kabbalah.
Here are examples of the spiritual level of Torah texts in Kabbalah are compared to the spiritual teachings of the sages of Kabbalah. If you compare these levels with spiritual vision, it can be recognised that they come from sources that are exactly opposite in their spiritual level.
The level of the integration of the Torah into the Kabbalah is marked with the number 1, and the texts of the Kabbalah sages are noted with the number 2.
Texts of spiritual level 1:
The Almighty created - what? - the heavens. The Torah itself is said to have preceded the creation of the world, as evidenced by the phrase that states the Almighty "looked into the Torah and created the world". The implication is, it follows that the Torah served as a kind of instruction for all that exists.*
Read the Holy Scriptures with the voice of Almighty - your own conscience. In doing so, you will discern what is true and what is false.
In the wording of the translation:
"And when the Almighty desired to create worlds and human beings… He contracted the light in the central 'point' so intensely that a vacuum was formed there, a small sphere surrounded on all sides by Or Ein Sof. In this vacuum, Or Ein Sof was present, but in a much lower concentration, which enabled the creation of a world where the objects of creation could exist" (Etz Chaim, 1:1).The act of concealment, the contraction... led to the formation of a vacuum, a sphere, which in Kabbalistic writings is referred to as "Tzimtzum" (contraction). During the process of Tzimtzum, a small sphere was created in which Or Ein Sof was, as it were, unknown, invisible, and concealed. This was done to allow the emergence of nature and human life within this vacuum, where the light no longer possessed its previous overwhelming power.
The wise ones will not include assumptions in the scriptures and present them as truth.
The Almighty created the evil inclination and provided its remedy - the Torah" (Kiddushin 30b).
The Torah, much like an antivirus program, has the power to eliminate the influence of the Yetzer HaRa - all "viruses" and impure thoughts - on a person's soul.
This means you are being asked not to doubt that it was the Torah that served as a remedy for the townspeople, even as the Torah adherents robbed them and killed infants.
Texts of spiritual level 2:
The sages write that one should not believe that the Almighty Himself is light or consists of light, for to think so would be to try to imagine the Almighty. But human beings are incapable of imagining or comprehending Him. This is why the sages chose the analogy of light - as the highest spirituality and reality known to us.
Well said and truly spoken by the sages. No one is capable of accurately describing the image of God, yet at every level of understanding, it corresponds to the soul's level.
Translation: "When the Almighty, blessed be His name, desired to create this world to bestow goodness upon His creatures, humanity…" (Etz Chaim, Shaar ha-Kelim 1).
From this sentence, it is evident that the merciful Almighty created humanity to bestow goodness upon them.
If the Almighty possesses an attribute such as mercy, He must express it in relation to others. For this purpose, He created His creatures so that this attribute could be exercised. It would have been within the Almighty's power to create a purely spiritual being, consisting solely of a soul, without being rooted in a body. Such a soul would receive goodness from Him, but only as an act of charity, for it would offer nothing in return. This feeling is inherent in each of us—the discomfort of receiving something unearned, as if it were given merely as alms.
However, the merciful Almighty gave the soul the opportunity to earn this goodness, so that it would not feel "incomplete" by receiving it undeservedly, only by His mercy. He wrapped the soul in a human body for a limited period of time, and since then the soul comes into this world to "earn" and "attain" the goodness of the Almighty. But sometimes the soul forgets its true purpose, the reason for its presence in this world, and becomes unduly distracted by material pursuits. It forgets that the true essence of a human being is a spiritual being housed in a body.
After a certain time, the soul will leave the body and return to its rightful place, where it will be accountable for its deeds. This is why a person's time on earth is limited, so that they do not waste it, but fulfil the mission given to them, pass their tests and earn their reward justly, rather than receiving it solely out of mercy.
Excellently said. The Almighty does not create "biorobots" but rather creates souls and the conditions for those souls to grow. However, it is not accurate to say that the soul descends into this world to grow. The soul does not descend, but is born here to grow into the worlds of eternity. The concept of the soul descending to Earth is taken from the religions of India.
The purpose of creation was to create a human being with the freedom of choice. This choice lies in recognizing that there is a reality beyond this world, outside of physical existence - a spiritual reality. A person must strive against their vices and negative traits, against the material part of their "self," and make every effort to approach the spiritual reality that exists beyond them, beyond this world. To achieve this goal, humans were granted the freedom of choice: to indulge in the material and distance themselves from the spiritual or to attempt to overcome their material nature and draw closer to the spiritual. It is entirely up to the individual which choice they make and which side prevails in this struggle.
"The purpose for which this world was created is for humans to recognize the Almighty." In other words, they are to discover their Creator and acknowledge His greatness amidst the chaos of worldly life. The Zohar states that this is the main objective of a person’s life. This task is not always easy, but humans come into this world equipped with all the necessary tools to help them (and they should!) fulfill the mission ahead - to "find" the Almighty in this world. Through the correct choice between the spiritual and the material, between good and evil, and between right and wrong, individuals must align their attributes with those of the Almighty. They should not say, "If this trait exists within me, if I was born with it, then it must be so." People come into this world to work on themselves. They must improve their traits, using the attributes of the Almighty as their ideal, and take responsibility for their actions.
To ensure that humans fulfill their purpose on Earth and do not let their lives pass in vain, believing they have an eternity ahead and countless opportunities to find the right path, the concept of death was introduced. Death is meant to limit the span of human life on Earth and serve as a constant reminder that this world is not theirs to claim but a place where they are meant to accomplish a specific mission.
Before the flood, generations lived for 700, 800, or even 900 years. However, instead of using this time for self-improvement and betterment of the world, most squandered it in idleness and indulgence. As a result, the Almighty later shortened the time allotted to humans for self-improvement and correction of their errors, limiting human life to 120 years.
Well said, that's right.
Even before the Flood, the lifespan of humans grew shorter due to the sins of the generations. When people noticed this, they began to value time more and ceased to believe that an endless eternity lay before them. The purpose of humanity, placed in this world full of temptations and trials, is to overcome them and find the light by realizing that there is a true reality beyond this world, one that sustains all visible things and is eternal. Those who face these trials with honor and resist temptations receive their reward from the Eternal in the world to come as a right, not as charity. Therefore, the primary task of humanity is to use the freedom of choice wisely and strive for constant self-improvement.
Life is not singular; the body is merely a temporary vessel, and the soul is reborn until it has corrected all its flaws. In fact, it is sent into the world precisely for this purpose.
If a person fails to correct these flaws, the soul risks being transferred (in whole or in part) into the body of an animal, insect, or even an inanimate object. The soul will reside in these beings for a prescribed period, during which it undergoes purification and atonement for sins committed in previous lives. Unlike humans, these beings lack free will and cannot sin; they merely fulfill the tasks assigned to them from above.
This is why the great Ari HaKadosh, who was deeply knowledgeable about these processes, taught that plants and animals should be treated with respect. It is not permissible to step on insects, kill animals, or cut down trees or pluck leaves without a valid reason. Within any animal or plant may reside a human soul that failed to achieve correction in its previous reincarnation and was sent into this world for tikkun (spiritual rectification).
For this reason, he walked cautiously through the streets to avoid accidentally stepping on even the smallest insect.
Well said, wise, humane, based on conscience.
"You shall have no other gods before Me" (Exodus 20:3).
During the time of the Second Temple, the Jewish people were able to observe and fulfill all 613 commandments. However, as we know, the Temple was destroyed approximately 2,000 years ago. Today, the commandments that pertain specifically to the Temple cannot be carried out, but it remains important to study and understand them. The commandments that can still be observed should continue to be upheld.
The Temple is already built, but the servants of religions have not recognized it. The fact of the indestructible Temple is contained in the first part of the book. The sages of Kabbalah are advised to pay special attention to the first part of the book, which was compiled by the will from above, and to show respect to the Almighty for the gift He has revealed to the world.
*The text is interpreted from Kabbalah Centre International - Zohar
The book, its translations and information about the book in various languages
