Kabbalah

A popular Internet magazine in Spanish has published an article about the global crisis and Kabbalah’s explanation of it. Related Material: Kabbalah website in Spanish My blog in Spanish Share This

The kabbalists reveal a frightening truth: Every thought, every impulse, every reactive emotion that ignites in our minds caused by the ego, is the tool of the Opponent. Those thoughts and emotions do not belong to us. We only think they do. In fact, the only time we make contact with our soul and true happiness is when we resist those thoughts.When we recognize the voice of the ego as the voice o

Many of us have learned the spiritual importance of not judging people and situations, and seeing the good instead. Yet, many of us have difficulty acting this way. This week, I wish to explain the spiritual laws that underlie this teaching so that it may serve as an impetus for us to truly see the good in everything.Dormant Forces of Positivity and NegativityKabbalah teaches that we all have do

Life appears complicated, but it's not. We complicate our own lives. We create chaos out of order. We muck things up, continually making matters worse because we just don't understand what life is about or how it works.The first thing we need to understand is that life is as simple as darkness and Light. I am not speaking metaphorically when I say Light. Nor am I using the word darkness allegorica

Personally, I devote my life to plugging into the Light not only because I need answers, but because I know that my answers can benefit other people as well. This is what is called being a channel.We all have friends, family and colleagues who come to us with their own deep questions. The best thing to do is close our eyes (if we're alone), blank out our minds, cancel out all thoughts and percepti

Random is Never RandomTo get from point A to point B in life, we need to have some sort of plan as to how to get there. This goes for every aspect of our lives, from the physical to the spiritual. Whether it’s our schedule for the day, time spent with our family, or our spiritual work, we have a vision of the best course of action, and we do our utmost to act on that vision. Naturally, when o

A quick note for all you regular readers:Last year we started something called Best Kept Secret, a lecture tour traveling the U.S. delivering many of the life enhancing lessons you read here each week. I'm bringing it up now because we recently added new locations - including overseas. If you see shifts in your life as a result of Kabbalah, and wish to share, these lectures {no charge} are a great

Ridiculous SharingKabbalistic teachings are often based on the concept of as you act, so acts the Light of the Creator, meaning the way you treat others is how the Creator treats you. Therefore, if we want the Light to continuously share with us blessings and goodness, then we need to cultivate a consciousness of continuously looking to share with others. In fact, we need to be ridiculous in our

It's easy to give up on giving to others. Friends don't listen, people don't say thank you, it seems like nothing changes. But the Kabbalists explain the reason the world looks the way it does is precisely because too many of us give up. Our gifts remain ungiven.The Zohar says it like this, "the good is weak." There's no shortage of goodness in this world, but not enough of us are putting it to us

Even before the ink was dry on Madonna’s divorce decree, her rumored beau, Yankee slugger Alex Rodriguez, was beginning to distance himself from her beloved Kabbalah.A source close to the Kabbalah Centre says that A-Rod has backed out of attending private classes with spiritual leader Eitan Yardeni, canceling them at the last minute.“He hasn’t even finished Kabbalah 1 (the introduction to th

It was just days ago that Madonna and Guy Ritchie agreed on the terms of their messy divorce.Wouldn't you think that she and her alleged lover Alex Rodriguez would be on a remote island somewhere celebrating? Not so, as it looks like Madonna is less than pleased with A-Rod at the moment.The Yankees star has apparently called it quits on his preliminary Kabbalah classes for lack of interest. A sour

Varios medios andan reportando que Madonna está haciendo hasta lo imposible por traer a Britney de vuelta al rebaño de la Kabbalah. Ahora que las cosas se le pusieron fáciles a Madonna con su divorcio, sus energías están dirigidas a re-convertir a Britney y salvarla de de soledad.Según una noticia aparecida ayer en el Daily Mail de Londres, una fuente menciona que: "Madonna está convencida

Are you happy? Me, I don't always wake up happy. But I follow the advice my father and teacher Rav Berg gave me early on: build on the moment.The only thing we can do when faced with chaos and pain is accept things as they are and be happy in that moment. The genius of this logic is one moment is carried into the next. When we put all our effort into seeing the good, to pushing back the darkest do

Strengthening Our BlessingsFor most of us there is a disparity between the blessings we have and the joy we receive from those blessings. The question is what causes this disparity?The Zohar (foundational text of Kabbalah) reminds us this problem has been around for a long time. It surfaced in one of the earliest biblical stories, Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden. At that time, according to the

The Kabbalists teach, in order to reveal, you must first conceal.The seed must be concealed in the ground before the tree appears. The baby is concealed in the womb of the mother before it appears in the physical world. Any invention, whether it's the computer, a pencil, a potato chip - any invention - is first concealed in the mind of the inventor before it manifests physically.It's the same with

Scorpio began last Thursday. Brace your selves. There's a powerful duality at play now. We will have extraordinary insight into our lives and make many spiritual breakthroughs.Yet, at the same time there is the potential to be, well, not so nice.You are likely to experience extreme emotions and see things in black and white, all or nothing. When you find your thoughts headed down this road, ask yo

Preface to the Science of Kabbalah (“Pticha”) - Item 1, summary: 1. The Creator’s plan is to create the creatures in order to delight them. This is why He created the will to receive pleasure – the pleasure that He wishes to bestow. This desire is the creation that was created. The Creator’s desire to fulfill is [...]

European Kabbalah Congress: Blackpool, U.K., November 7-9 You’re invited to the first ever Kabbalah congress in the United Kingdom! THERE IS STILL TIME TO REGISTER!! Information & Registration>> North America Kabbalah Retreat: St. Louis, November 14-16 Don’t miss out on the opportunity to reveal humanity’s common point of unity this November! REGISTER NOW! Informatio

Pop singing star Madonna is reportedly having religious counseling to help her get through her mean divorce from director Guy Ritchie. The former happy couple announced last week that they are splitting up following seven years of marriage and there has been intense media speculation regarding the financial and custodial settlement between the two. Madonna has carried on with her Sticky & Swe

There's no finer time of year to start something new than right now.Over the last couple of months we've been working hard on ourselves. Elul, Rosh Hashanah, the Ten Days of Repentance, Yom Kippur, Sukkot - it's all been preparation of our soil. Soul.I'm no gardener, but I know the quality of your crops depends on the quality of your soil. The more you till the soil [the process by which soil is p

In a telling interview, Guy Ritchie has revealed he doesn't get his soon-to-be ex wife Madonna's faith."I don't really understand kabbalah as a religion," Ritchie told Extra at the Toronto International Film Festival last month.Ritchie continued: "I don't think it's a religion as far as I'm aware."Madonna has said the Jewish mystical religion helped her become a better person."Kabbalah helped me s

What set Rav Isaac Luria (the great 16th century kabbalist whose teachings serve as a foundation for The Kabbalah Centre) apart from his fellow Kabbalists? According to oral teachings passed down through time, he was not unmatched in wit and wisdom. There were others who shared his scholarly abilities. Yet he was the one chosen to reveal the wisdom of the ages. Why?One word: joy. He did everything

Ten Days of Repentance. This is what the Kabbalists term the time we are now in. They are the days between Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur (beginning this Wednesday night.)Now it's test time!Whatever it is we asked for - and worked on during the month of Virgo and the holiday of Rosh Hashanah - we are now proving that we really want to live it.Bottom line: what are you willing to do to receive the Li

We're moments away from Rosh Hashanah [Head of the Year.] This is the time when the universe hits the refresh button on our souls. And in the remaining few hours, there is still time to engineer your year.All you have to do now is answer this question:What kind of year do I want to create?Visualize what you want. Is it more money? Love? Healing? Peace of mind? Peace in the world? Someone to ask yo

Why are we here? You know, planet earth, the grind of the mundane, the exhilaration of love and birth, the dread of what will be tomorrow, the roller-coaster ride of eternity.What's it all about?!Rav Ashlag says it's all about picking up our garbage.If you really understand that everything is Light and if you really understood that the only thing that creates separation between us and the Light is

Why are we afraid of taking risks? We're afraid to sacrifice our ego.Getting hurt, rejected, bloodied and bruised - this is all pain felt by the ego. When we're afraid to go onstage to address a crowd of 1,000 people, or trembling in our boots before asking someone out, is it our soul that's afraid? No.And by ego, I'm not referring to pride or self-centeredness. I'm referring to anything that's no

In many of my introductory emails, books, and live lectures, I begin by explaining the whole notion of Light and vessel, 1% and 99% realm. Yet, here we are, so many books and emails later, and I'm still explaining it in details as if for the first time.Why?Because the Light is a complex concept. We can begin to grasp the ideas of light and darkness, but to know what it means to experience Light on

It's been a risky week for those of you who've been following the risk-taking assignments in the dailies. Thank you for writing to me about your victories, and even your failures. (If you are not on the list, make sure to join so you can participate.)'Ask for It', Tuesday's exercise, led some students to be disappointed because they didn't get what they asked for. This brings up two important poin

Think of your life as a circle. You're standing right in the middle of it. Anything beyond the edge is your discomfort zone, things like public speaking, asking for a raise, starting something new, changing, even fears of spiders and snakes. It's all there.The quality and quantity of your fulfillment is determined by how often you expand your circle by taking risks. That's what it's all about.Tel

Many students write to me, frustrated that despite their spiritual efforts, they're still far away from their goals. Some deal with frequent depressions and feeling unsuccessful. Others deal with ongoing health issues. Still others feel terribly alone.They wonder what they're doing wrong.I simply tell them they're looking in the wrong place for their quick fix.You see, our souls yearn to connect b

Last week in Los Angeles I spoke about the idea of 'being connected.' I got an email asking me to better define that word. As I was writing the answer I realized this was a bigger issue that needs to be addressed for everyone.A human being in its inactive state is naturally connected to the Lightforce of the Creator. Imagine a line extending from you and reaching up to the Upper Worlds. If we sat

When I turned my computer on this morning a message came up on the screen: The network path was not found. This path has not been restored.Technically, I'm not sure what this meant. But spiritually, it spoke volumes.I've been at this 'spirituality' game a long time. Suffice it to say, I get it. I get what life is about and what my mission here is. I get that though life can be complicated, me

Madonna and daughter Lourdes Leon take a walk outside of the the Kabbalah Center in New York City on Friday night. Last week, the Material Girl received enormous press as she appeared down in the dumps last week, leaving the Kabbalah Center. Turning 50 this month, Madonna will be reaching yet another milestone...

"...I will not fool myself into thinking that Kings, Rabbis, Priest, Monks, Imams and Prime Ministers are going to change the world all by themselves.”I was in Madrid last week. The King of Saudia Arabia personally invited me to an interfaith summit that he sponsored for world spiritual leaders.It was pretty cool for a kid from Queens to be hob-nobbing with world leaders, dialoguing on the ills

כ' תמוז התשס"חFaunus 2232 Paths of Chochmah (Wisdom) according to the Gra.An interesting kabbalistic connection comes to light when considering Excalibur's legendary journey from the mystic water of the Lady's Lake into her mighty hand.The channels linking Chochmah (Wisdom, symbolized by water, #2 on the diagram) and Gevurah (Strength, symbolized by the left hand feminine power, #6 on th

Lately, there's been a lot of controversy surrounding The Kabbalah Centre. If I didn't know firsthand what these teachings have done for people - most of them regular people like you and me - then even I would question it.But I do know. And I know you can't strive to change the world without controversy. And Kabbalah is definitely no stranger to controversy.As a matter of fact, Rav Shimon Bar Yoch

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"A small hole in the body is the result of a big hole in the soul." -- Kotzker RebbeThis esteemed 18th century kabbalist known for his penetrating wisdom is giving us an important lesson. Anger, depression, regret, revenge - and all forms of negative emotions - are holes in the soul that create holes [illness] in the body.As the kabbalists have been teaching for 5,000 years, whatever shows up in o

Guy Richie and singing star Madonna have attempted to quash rumors that their marriage is in serious trouble, by stepping out in New York City with their children to attend Kabbalah services. The famous couple has been under intense media scrutiny amid rumors they are on the verge of a divorce. But the pair [...]

According to kabbalistic teachings, just as we are limited in our ability to see energy on a physical level, we are also limited in our ability to see the energy of fulfillment.Everything we want could be inches away from our lives, yet we pass right over it.The reason for this limitation is our five senses. Our five senses prevent us from perceiving total reality. We fail to see radio waves, atom

Kabbalists differentiate between two types of jealousy.The first is the one we're all familiar with, whether we want to admit it or not. It's the pinch in our hearts when our friend gets what we want. That part of us that says, "why him, why not me?"This is the worst type of jealousy we can ever have.When we question why someone else is getting something instead of us, that's it, we're cooked. Why

London, June 27 (IANS) Pop diva Madonna's husband Guy Ritchie has given up on Kabbalah and it is expected to put further strain on their marriage.Thesun.co.uk reports that Madonna has become more immersed in the faith, but Ritchie has given it up.'Guy has turned his back on Kabbalah once and for all. He has gone hot and cold on the religion in the past, but now he's given up on it altogether. It h

Is there someone in your life you are really trying to help? You know exactly what they need to do, they may even be open to listening to you, and yet after countless hours of explaining and pleading with them, they're still not changing?Or at least not as fast as you'd like them to?How frustrating is that?The Rav says the only way to help someone change is to "give them breathing space and listen

You may have noticed that the Tune Up is late. Since Sunday, our Customer Care department has been swamped with people asking if there was a problem with their email settings. No, your email works fine. I delayed the Tune Up for a few days to explain the following lesson.There is a basic rule of spirituality: If you don't crave, you don't get. Light only comes to a place where there is a strong de

With rumours again rife that Madonna and Guy Ritchie’s marriage is on the rocks, The Daily Mail is reporting that the couple have turned to the Kabbalah to help them through their latest problems. They have been having private ‘teachings’ at their local centre in Oxford Street, London, every Friday night. Perhaps appropriately for a couple who [...]

British press are again claiming that Madonna and Guy Ritchie are having marriage problems; the new claim is that Mrs. and Mr. Madonna are using Kabbalah to prevent a divorce.Madonna says not true. Not a week doesn’t go by with yet another Madonna Guy Ritchie divorce rumor. The newest claim is that “the couple have turned to [...]

Tonight is Shavuot, and together students all around the world will be raising the immortality rate. It starts at 9:30pm Pacific Standard Time, and you can watch via Live Streaming from California with Kabbalists Rav and Karen Berg, Yehuda and Michael Berg.Immortality. This is a topic my father and teacher Kabbalist Rav Berg has been talking and writing about for many years now. In his book Immort

This is not a strange childhood dream; it's the Greenwich Village studio space that belongs to the designer Donna Karan and is bustling with a New York-LA nexus of fashion and fame. Karan, Moore and her actor husband, Ashton Kutcher, are present for this high-powered fundraiser. Madonna is a co-chair. They are all friends, tied together originally by the red string of Kabbalah, the controver

Another good Kabbalah for beginners book. Like the rest of the books from the Technology for the Soul series, this one directs are attention back to our egos in hopes of learning how to truly defeat the pain in our lives.The idea is brought up that there are two forms of pain in this world:1. Pain in our ego which lasts a short while.2. Pain in our body or soul that lasts a lifetime.There are also

A new installment in the Technology for the Soul mini-book series. The newest of the series if not for being the most topical. I liked the book, it takes a different approach to the term "green". The book, instead of focusing on rules like turning the light off when you leave a room or separate your plastics from your garbage, focuses on "greening" up the Earth and not necessarily cleaning up the

The number one statement we need to understand this week is, we are not our bodies - we are only our soul.What's the body here for, you ask? It's the car on the road trip of life. It's the vehicle that allows us to do good actions in the world and to be a conduit for revealing positive energy.The body is a temporary means to an end. I think all of us have had those middle-of-the-night epiphanies,

כ'ז באייר תשס"חMab 28LOL. An example of a totally neanderthal understanding of witchcraft by a rabbi - Rabbi Bar Tzadok of Kosher Torah writes:If you see nothing diabolical in witchcraft, then you obviously know nothing about its practices or its practitioners.This is what real witchcraft is about: the casting of spells in an attempt to manipulate the minds and feelings of others, the s

Product Description By reading in this book, one develops internal observations and approaches that did not previously exist within. This book is intended for contemplation of spiritual terms. To the extent that we are integrated with these terms, we begin to unveil the spiritual structure that surrounds us, almost as if a mist had been lifted. Product Details Amazon Sales Rank: #515880 in

When the Israelites were wandering in the desert post-Egypt, it is written that they followed the cloud of honor; literally a cloud that showed them where to go, when to go, and when to stop. Nice. Too bad we don't have a cloud showing us the way to go in our lives.Well, we do. Not a cloud per se, but more like messages, signs. Have you ever had one of those "message" moments, something a friend s

Kabbalah teaches when a person dies, all the Light they've revealed through their actions is released into the universe.Thursday night — Lag B'Omer — marks the point in time when Rav Shimon Bar Yochai, author of the Zohar, left this physical plane. All the tremendous Light he channeled during his lifetime will be revealed on this one day.Think about what this means. The Light of Immortality th

By: Bnei Baruch Kabbalah explains that the whole of Creation, including us, constitutes a single desire – the will to enjoy. This desire was created by what the Kabbalists call “Light,” or “the Creator.” As the Light continued to influence the desire it created, the desire went through several stages of development, until it broke into tiny, particular desires called “souls.” And thi

"…when we mask ourselves from the world,we mask ourselves from ourselves,separating from the Light inside, our true essence.There can be no fulfillment living this way."- Karen Berg, Simple LightHow many people in your life are you totally honest with? How many people in your life are totally honest with you? Is there one person in your life with whom there are no blockages, no veils?Honesty truly is such a lonely word. We are terrified to say what's on our mind, either out of fear of what "they" will think, or not wanting to burden people with our terrible truths.One of the hardest things in Kabbalah - one of the hardest things in life — is to live in an emotional environment of truth. But we need it, especially now, during the Omer when there are other forces trying to bring us down.

The Ari teaches we decrease the Light flowing into our life when we hold onto grudges. Peek beneath the surface of your life and you'll likely find old ones that have not completely healed. It doesn't matter whether they're from far back or in the more recent past, these resentments are blocking your fulfillment, literally.This is the week to root them out.According to kabbalistic teaching, we are separated from God by a sequence of ten energy fields known as the sefirot (singular, sefirah). Together, arranged in right, left, and central columns, the ten make up what kabbalists call "the Tree of Life." As we increase our spiritual competency by ascending each sefirah, we simultaneously increase our spiritual capacity, giving us the ability to connect with and contain more and more Light. I

Madonna had done it again to upset the father of her adopted son David Banda by raising him in the Kabbalah faith. A source close to Madonna - who has two other children, Lourdes, 11, and... [[ This is a content summary only. Visit my website for full links, other content, and more! ]]

Sometimes what we argue about is what brings us together.I read that on a movie poster. Genius. It totally captures the energy of the coming week. Let's face it, we all have mothers, brothers, friends, colleagues who we…how do I say this politely…we can't stand. Just being in the same room with them sends us into an emotional tizzy.The Ari reveals an amazing secret about this. He says the people we hate the most come from the same soul root as we do. It is written that all of humanity comes from the soul of Adam; we are each correcting a different part of his ‘original sin.'Some of us come from the heel, some from the head, some from the heart. When we share a root soul with someone, it means we have come alive to correct similar attributes. Those of us from the head might be working

In Jewish law, there is a rule called the ‘tithe’ that states that everyone who comes to the temple must bring an offering of 10% of their salary to give as an offering.  And the Kabbalah peeps must love to see Madonna heading their way! The “Like a Virgin” singer was spotted arriving at New York...

There are days during the year that allow us to elevate above our short-circuiting world of chaos, to tap into a higher level of circuitry.These next eight days [April 19 — 27] - the holiday of Pesach - are such days. At this time we receive spiritual support from the universe that assists us in creating a stronger circuitry in the quality of our life.The meaning of Pesach is that every year on the 15th day of the month of Aries in the lunar calendar, we're supposed to celebrate Pesach by having a special dinner — without bread or anything leavened — while reciting stories from a book that is a remembrance of leaving Egypt, of redemption, and of our enemies some 3,400 years ago.That's what this holiday's all about.But, Kabbalistically, there's a powerful opportunity to transform and

The closer you get to cheap perfume, the worse it stinks.That's what's going on this week. We're getting closer to the cause of the stink in our lives.[Before I go on, I've included a link to a lecture I gave last week for the New Moon of Aries. Please WATCH IT HERE when you have a chance.]Back to the story, this week is the ramp up to the holiday of Pesach, the time in history when the Israelites escaped slavery in Egypt and parted the Red Sea. But you've been reading these Tune Ups for some time, so I don't need to explain to you that we are the slaves and Egypt is the devilish chatter in our heads — I can't do it, I hate you, I hate myself, this is all bull, I can't make a difference, my prime has passed...People today are dealing with more mental maladies than at any other time in hi

This is the second of the postings on the subject of Kabbalah. This time I hope to get into some of the concepts involved, but what we have to understand is that this is a huge subject and the concepts are difficult. This time I am basing much of the posting on the book “Mystical concepts in Chassidism” by Jacob Immanuel Shochet, Kehot Publication Society, Brooklyn NY 1988. I tried to explain last time, that Chassidism or Chassidut (in Hebrew) is a safe way of learning Kabbalistic knowledge, and it is based on the teaching of Rabbi Israel ‘The Baal Shem Tov’ (miracle worker) who initiated teaching Kabbalah in this manner. (we’ll hopefully have a posting on him later in this series). “The Baal Shem Tov propagated and disseminated ideas and ideals…in such ways and manners

A student recently wrote to me: "I want to stop judging people but I can't. It's like breathing, it's part of who I am and what I do. I'd have an easier time holding my breath. What can I do?"The great sage known as the Baal Shem Tov said something beautiful that speaks to this, but it's not poetry or philosophy or a metaphor or a nice way to live your life. It's reality what I'm about to share with you. Here it is:Whatever annoying behavior you see in someone else is inside you. That person is a mirror showing you what you've got to correct in your life. Somewhere within your consciousness, either on the surface, mid-level, or deep within, you have the exact same trait you are judging.Now we've heard this all before. People are mirrors, we get it Yehuda. But the Baal Shem Tov goes one ste

The energy of this month is all about coming out of the slavery of ego, our desire to receive for the self alone. It's about coming out of all that burdens us, situations we have no control over, limiting belief systems, caring what people think about us, and all the trappings of ego.During the holiday of Pesach, we can tap into this energy overnight, but we need to prepare. We can do this by seeking out uncomfortable and embarrassing situations. If our goal is to be free, we have to be willing to feel foolish. I know it sounds crazy, but imagine choosing to become embarrassed. It's such a paradox, but that's what we learn in our spiritual work: to turn into the face of discomfort instead of running away from it.Do something outrageously outside your comfort zone. What can you do to break

Everything is about the effort. If something comes too easily to you, don't trust it. If there is blood, sweat and tears involved, trust it. The Light is there.Why is life all about effort? Let's take thirty years of kabbalistic study and boil it down into four bullet points. And trust me, you can study what I am about to reveal to you for the next thirty years [or a lifetime,] understanding step by step the process of creation as revealed in Rav Ashlag's Ten Luminous Emanations. But we're busy people, so let's get to the point.God created perfectionYou and I are part of that perfectionWe inherited the DNA of God, and we said, "Hey, you know what, we want to also create perfection."God put up a curtain, and created imperfection so that we could create perfection again.That's it.Our imperfe

How do you have certainty when the doctor is calling with bad news, when the government is padlocking your front door, when your child is suffering from illness? Let's be realistic here, most of us aren't on that level, yet.For the rest of us who haven't yet mastered certainty consciousness, it's a process that looks like this: we have doubt, we acknowledge the doubt is from the Opponent, and we move on.Our souls don't know what fear, anxiety, or worry means. Depression? Never heard of it. It's only our ego that is blind to true reality, therefore allowing lack and uncertainty to resonate.Certainty means, although we are struggling on this path, we go forward anyway, constantly reminding ourselves, this doubt doesn't belong to me. It's the Opponent messing with my head. That's certainty. A

It's not so easy to be spiritual in tough times, is it? Why?Spirituality, by the kabbalistic definition, means facing chaos and transforming it into order. It means you walk into the eye of the hurricane and you turn it into a sunny day. That's the definition of spiritual.The chaos of life is what gives us the opportunity. Our instinct is to run from chaos. When there is a mortgage crisis, global crisis, political crisis, environmental crisis, it's an opportunity to be transformed into its opposite state. This transformation is not something that takes place externally, which is what the Opponent makes us think. Rather, it's got to be transformed within our own consciousness. Science teaches us the law of cause and effect. You plant an apple seed — that's the cause — and when the apple

Well! I got the chance to sneak out of work last night and head on over to the Kabbalah Center on East 48th for the Best Kept Secret free seminar. I had gone to a free lecture there before and I assumed this seminar would be different, and it was.For the most part....I arrived a half hour before the seminar started, to sign in, and the lobby was PACKED. They were signing people in, selling huge ass cookies, coffee, water, etc. and people were just mingling waiting to go upstairs for the seminar. So I signed in and stood by the elevators hoping to snag a seat in the back so I could observe from a far.Well I got upstairs in the first elevator group and they told me to sit in the front (damn!). Oh well. So I was dead center for the seminar...in between a hyper gay queen and an obviously strai

Let's face it, we've all hurt people in ways in which we'd hate to admit. And those of us who are aware of the universal law of cause and effect are concerned about the spiritual damage we have done. I wrote about this a few weeks ago and the response was overwhelming. Many of you really took the message to heart and began owning up to some behaviors you've been hiding from. I bring this topic up again because I cannot stress enough how important it is to hold ourselves accountable to our deeds. Because if we don't, the universe will. King David wrote, "I always hold my sins before me." All too often we remember the good things we've done and forget the bad. The Light, however, works in the opposite manner, remembering what is forgotten and forgetting what is remembered. When we draw atten

Love & light, Miriam NickolayKabbalah Centre - NY155 East 48th streetNY,NY, 10017212-644-0025 ext: 210 (main)646-839-3210 (direct) www.kabbalah.com | www.72.com | www.SFK.org

This week begins the historic story of Moses being chosen to lead the great escape from Egypt. If you've read this section in the Bible or the Zohar, you know that Moses was the most unassuming, humble man you could possibly imagine. When God chose him to be the leader of the Israelites, he was the type of person to have responded, "Who me?"How could the man who led 600,000 people out of slavery and who was the conduit for revealing the secrets of the universe have had such low self esteem?As the Zohar explains, Moses didn't have low self esteem. He was simply humble. The kabbalists have always emphasized that the greatest virtue a human being can have is humility. The whole idea is Moses wasn't perfect. His credentials for greatness were simply his ability to relate to everyone. This is something we can all aspire to become. As we fight to succeed in life, it might seem that it's the biggest and the best who wins. What Moses is teaching us is that a true success is someone

Pain has its place. When we experience it, when we undergo grief and heartache, the hurting purges ego and self-interest from our nature. The soul - our true self - shines brighter in that moment.This is why we suddenly feel a sense of love and unity with others when disaster strikes. Our egos diminish from the emotional pain and our souls suddenly blossom.So why hasn't the pain you've experienced in your life left you full of the endless joy that comes with the Light?The problem with pain as a path to the Light is that, with few exceptions, the changes in the ego are only temporary. Over time, the ego slowly but surely regains its strength and reclaims control. The soul's influence gradually begins to fade. Your good mood, new priorities, and caring feelings give way to rotten moods and intolerance. Priorities shift from family back again to 70-hour work weeks. Suddenly, you no longer want to change the world. You just want to change your car for one that's nicer than your best fr

Success Without the Side EffectsWe all know stories of men and women who achieved great things in their careers, but at severe cost to their families, their piece of mind, and their personal lives as a whole. This is not what the creator intended!Kabbalah teaches that we can have success in every area of our lives - in fact, anything less isn't really success at all.FREE INTRO LECTUREMonday, Dec 17 at 7:00PMFor more information call 212.644.0025155 E 48th Street, New York, NY 10017kabbalah.com

The greatest challenge in a relationship is to learn how to be unconditional. Having expectations and conditions in a relationship is ultimately about being a victim. Every time we catch ourselves complaining - especially about the same thing - we are expecting the other person to make the relationship better. It's very possible that something is not right, but if it is the same issue and it is a source for fighting, being a victim is not going to strengthen the relationship. Being a victim hurts the relationship because it injects the energy of "poor me" which is the opposite of Light.The powerful thing is to look inward and ask,What about me can I work on to bring better communication?There's a kabbalistic concept called receiving for the sake of sharing. There are different ways to express giving. One of them is giving whatever the receiver wants: love, affection, wisdom, lessons, strength, time, energy, money, etc. But there is another way, and that is asking for help an

One of The Kabbalah Centre's teachers shared with me this week the following quandary:Let's say you've really been going against your nature in a particular area of life: Restriction, self-control, whatever you want to call it. And then, let's say, you lose control, short-circuit, give in to your selfish desires. How far back do you fall? Back to the beginning of when you started restricting? Or just a little ways back?It’s a great question. And the answer lies in another kabbalistic saying:greater than the 'sin' itself is the sin of guilt.When a person makes a mistake in judgment - hurts, cheats, lies, steals, etc - the negative action takes but a few seconds or minutes. The guilt however, the self-deprication and bad memories can last a lifetime. And while it’s vital to the correction process to feel pain about our misdeeds, it is just as vital that we move on. Otherwise it’s like days, weeks, months or years of disconnect.This week, use the energy of Chanukah (the holida

Nature calls it animal instinct. Kabbalah calls it desire to receive for the self alone. Whatever you call it, we all know it, those moments when the beast inside takes over and we can’t control ourselves.You might remember what it was like growing up, when kids were trying drugs or drinking and you had this one voice that said, “Get out now!” and another that said, “Stay!” We still struggle with these voices.The Biblical character Joseph certainly knew about these competing voices. This week the Zohar tells us of an epic struggle he had overcoming his sexual desires. The story takes place after his jealous brothers sold him into slavery. Potiphar, a captain of the Pharaoh's guard, bought Joseph to serve as his slave, and upon realizing his talents, Potiphar quickly made Joseph overseer of the household.Potiphar wasn’t the only one who noticed Joseph’s greatness. Potiphar's wife also recognized it, and she soon tried to seduce him. She was known as the most beautiful wo

Protection against the Evil Eye A person possessed of an evil eye carries with him the eye of the destroying negative force; hence it is called "destroyer of the world," and people should be on their guard against them and not come near them so that they should not be injured by them! [Zohar I, p.68b]The Evil EyeThe Red String protects us from the influences of the Evil Eye. Evil eye is a very powerful negative force. It refers to the unfriendly stare and unkind glances we sometimes get from people around us. Envious eyes and looks of ill will affect us, stopping us from realizing our full potential in every area of our life.Long ago, the ancient Kabbalah scholars revealed a powerful technology of protection. Its purpose is twofold: to protect us from the envious looks of others, and to help us eliminate feelings of jealousy and resentment in ourselves. The technology is the Red String: a strand of Red wool worn around the left wrist.The teachings of Kabbalah do not include prohibition

Imagine two pipes transporting water from point A to point B. The first pipe is clogged with all sorts of junk, causing the water to dribble out. The second pipe is clear and free, allowing the water to flow infinitely.This simple metaphor explains what happens when we hold on too tightly to how we think people, situations, and ourselves “should” be. When we are control junkies, micromanaging every little detail, unable to open to another view of things, we block the flow of Light into our lives.So here is where I tell you to open up and let the Light in. But don’t confuse this with “let go, let God”, because that’s not entirely how it works. God, the Light, the Creator, Jesus, Allah, or however you connect to the source of all good, is not going to hand you everything on a silver platter. You still need to work your butt off in this life. But the more you remind yourself, “I don’t see the bigger picture,” the more divine assistance you will receive.I had a student a

This is the week in which we first hear of the famous Biblical story of Jacob's ladder. As the story goes, Jacob is traveling in the desert to meet up with his brother Esau. Along the way Jacob stops to sleep, and he dreams of a ladder with angels going up and down. We can look at this as a nice, mythical story, or we can draw lessons for our own life.The Zohar teaches us that during sleep a part of our soul detaches from our body and travels back to its source, an eternal realm beyond time, space, and motion. Our soul communicates with us from this place, sending us messages about what we need to change, dangerous situations to avoid, methods for removing our fears, opportunities coming our way - everything.During the waking state we're usually oblivious to the messages the Light is sending us, but in the dream state we can't escape ourselves. We step outside and take one big look at our lives - where we've been, where we are, and where we're headed.That's why kabbalists do

As students of spirituality, we are constantly reminded to examine our thoughts and actions in order to root out what Kabbalists call the desire to receive for the self alone. So, many of us look at our positive actions and conclude, "I am good, but I'll never be as righteous as the people I hear about in the Zohar and the other ancient texts." And we look at our negative actions and think, "I'm not as bad as others." The result is we fall into this grey zone of spiritual mediocrity - almost good, almost bad, but in truth, we're neither.When you think about it on a superficial level, this sounds like a good place to be. However, if an angel came down now and showed us our true greatness, we'd understand how much more we are capable of achieving. Conversely, if we were shown how thoroughly steeped in the desire to receive for the self alone we are, we'd want to stop and change immediately.The message here is that this needs to be our greatest fear - a person that is all positiv

By: Darnell IsteadIs Kabbalah wisdom? Where can you find it? How can you achieve it?Kabbalah is the oldest and most significant wisdom in our history. Through the wisdom of Kabbalah we are able to achieve a higher level of our existence. By understanding our true purpose in life, we can achieve limitless possibilities. In turn, we will also experience deep tranquility and perfection.Kabbalah meditation is evidently able to offer solutions to problems, and creates peace in place of disorder. In addition, Kabbalah meditation can give us the answer to the most-sought after question of our existence, "Who am I?"When literally translated, Kabbalah means "to receive." This reception is the eminent purpose of Kabbalah. When you practice this form of meditation, you will be instructed on how to receive. What do you wish to receive from life? Kabbalah meditation will help you to learn to wish for non-physical things from life, and will also help you to obtain them.An ancient text known as the Z

How do we invite so much judgment into our lives?Kabbalah says that the world is strategically arranged so that all the people in our life - from our closest friends to our most casual acquaintances, from our dearest family members to strangers who pass us on the street - share negative traits similar to our own. Here's how it happens: the garbage of others will be shown to us during the course of our daily life. The moment we choose to pass judgment on those traits, we have pulled the trigger on ourselves. In other words, our words, when spoken against another, can cause a guilty verdict to be rendered on us. Once we cast, what kabbalists call "the evil eye", on someone else, we open the door for the evil eye and the forces of reckoning to come upon us.So, it's up to us to take care of ourselves. It always will be.Conversely, if we withhold judgment on a person, then judgment can never befall us. Imagine the possibilities. What a kind, merciful, and forgiving world we could i

Love is in the air. And this is a week to deepen our understanding of it, so we can experience more of it.Rav Yehuda Ashlag, the great 20th-century kabbalist and founder of The Kabbalah Centre, taught that what we truly love about other people is the Light within. The more we focus on seeing a person's Light, the deeper we will care for them. He reveals that the true purpose of the institution of love is to teach us how to love the Light force of the Creator.Think about it. What is the thing that shakes, rattles, and rolls us more than anything? Love. For most of us, when we don't have love, we feel like we don't have anything at all. We're especially in touch with this emptiness when a relationship ends.But the secret is, loving another person is not the goal - it is the means by which we achieve the goal. And again, the goal is to love the Light of the Creator, not only in another person, but in everything.Think about your favorite place in nature. You know that peace that co

While conventional religion says the original sin of Adam was part of man's error, kabbalah teaches in fact it was part of the initial thought of creation. We were destined to fall.Why? Because even before the world was created, before sun and moon, land and sea, night and dark, we were one with the Light. We were fulfilled - too fulfilled - so we asked for a playground where we could play the role of Creator. And then the world was created. That's the short story.It says in a kabbalistic prayer, 'the manifestation of every action is already included in the inception of the first thought." The kabbalists teach the sin was encoded in the act of creation because it was part of the deal. We needed to fall so we could pick ourselves up.I can tell you as a parent of small children, there is nothing more difficult than watching your child fall down and scrape their knee. But even though it hurts your heart, you know deep down in your soul that falling is the only way they are goin

Look around you. There are a lot of unhappy people in the world. How can it be that most people are not happy? Did the Creator create the world purely for us to be miserable and suffer?No, the world was created only to benefit humanity, where all Creation could live together in perfect harmony and joy.If that is true, what seems to destroy our happiness and prevent us from being happy? Before we can answer this question, we need to find the cause of our unhappiness; the same way a doctor cannot suggest a prognosis to an illness without first diagnosing the disease. The most important lesson we must learn is that if we really want to be happy, the only way to do it is to appreciate what we already have - and not envy what the other person has.Envy is the cause for all unhappiness. The desire to have what another person has, and being busy with it all the time, takes our focus away from appreciating all the wonderful things we have. This creates a false sense of lack, resulting i

Do you find it difficult to give? To be kind? To share your love?Kabbalists refer to the ability to give as the Light of Mercy. This week is all about connecting to and drawing down this energy for the whole year.During Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur, we worked on purifying our desire to receive for the self alone. But as much as we receive energy from reading the Zohar, from spiritual connections, and from sharing, without the Light of Mercy within us, none of the blessings will ever be manifested.If we want to translate this to day-to-day behavior, it means behaving with basic kindness and human dignity, and constantly concerning ourselves about the welfare of others.This point bears repeating: we can study, share, and sacrifice all day, but unless we consider other human beings as our equals, nothing will be revealed, ignited, or manifested. My father and teacher Rav Berg often says, everything in life goes up in price - real estate, stocks, diamonds - but when it comes to human

Welcome to the kabbalistic new year of 5768!I hope you are filled with the anticipation, excitement and fuel to make this your best year yet.Wherever you were during Rosh Hashanah, whatever consciousness you maintained, the real value begins now. The infusion of Light our souls received on the birthday of humanity is only as powerful as we make them. We must keep our eyes on the goals:• no more blaming - ourselves or others• being a channel and praying for others• not allowing our previous failuresto prevent us from taking risksand committing to better ourselves.Cosmically speaking, we are still in a process of setting up our New Year. If we can all commit to staying proactive for this week, there is no telling what kind of Light we will reveal in our lives and for the entire world. Our destinies have not yet been sealed for the coming year, and the energy of the coming days is there to support us in our quest for starting over.Be happy. Be kind to others. Be honest with you

Happy Birthday Adam and Eve!The first day of Rosh Hashanah (this Wednesday) is the actual day on which Adam and Eve were first created. The Zohar teaches that you, me, and every soul past, present and future, originated within the soul of Adam and Eve. Every year at this time we each return to this embryonic state for 48 hours, and create a blueprint for the coming year.Embryo. A teeny-tiny-itsy-bitsy entity invisible to the naked eye, yet containing within it not only the entire life that will grow out of it but all the future lives that will issue forth from that child.Kabbalah teaches that Rosh Hashanah is the embryo of your coming year. Practically speaking, all your actions, behavior, and thoughts during these two days determine how your destiny will unfold in the forthcoming days.Knowing that your fate is in your hands, the question becomes,"What am I gonna do about it?"Here's something you can do. Make two lists: one containing all the things you want in the coming year;

כ" באייר תשס"זJacob Da Jew thinks I'm Wiccan (see comments). I'll say it again.I am not a Wiccan witch. I'm a kabbalistic Jewitch who incorporates elements of Celtic witchcraft and Native American shamanism into my practice. Celtic witchcraft is not Wicca either, even though Wicca also incorporates elements of Celtic witchcraft into its system. In other words, Celtic witchcraft and Wicca are independent of one another, though related. Wicca is a religion. Celtic witchcraft is a practice of witches with Celtic heritage who may or may not be secular and who may or may not be religious.So, I suppose one could say witchcraft, in general, is like kabbalah - there are many forms of it, and while it can constitute an independent religion of its own, it may also be practiced within the sphere of any other religion or spiritual practice. There are many eclectic witches who practice the craft within the context one of the more mainstream religions. Neither negates the other, despite

What is Kabbalah? by Michael Laitman Although its origins are rooted in deep antiquity, from the time of ancient Babylon, the science of Kabbalah has remained virtually hidden from humanity since it appeared more than four thousand years ago. This very concealment has sustained Kabbalah’s undying allure. Renowned scientists and philosophers of many countries, such as Newton, Leibniz, and Pico della Mirandola, have investigated and tried to understand the science of Kabbalah. However, to this very day only a few know what Kabbalah really is.The science of Kabbalah does not speak about our world, and therefore its essence escapes people. It is impossible to comprehend the invisible, the imperceptible, and that which has not been experienced. For thousands of years, humanity was offered a wide variety of things under the name “Kabbalah”: spells, curses, and even miracles, all except for the science of Kabbalah itself. For over four thousand years, common understanding

SEO Series No. 4These then are the search terms used in Google, Yahoo, and MSN related to Kabbalah and some variant spellings I tried. The estimated number of times the term is searched a month follow...

ט' בניסן תשס"זIt was asked on a forum I belong to "how to tap into" storm energy. This person's question led me to realize that I tap into storm and weather energy naturally and without intention.This energy can build up in me to annoying proportions and a few nights ago, I had to experiment with various methods by which to release and ground it well enough to enable me to go to sleep. I got rid of enough of it to go to sleep, but I'm not sure that just releasing it wildly (undirected) into the world is a good thing. But, I didn't know what else to do with it. I released it in a rather odd manner and trusted my gut even though it might seem weird if I wrote how I did it. I feel I was deeply guided as I did it and all is fine, but still, I did it in ignorance and I am uncomfortable with remaining ignorant on the matter.I understand that weather can affect all people to greater and lesser degrees - I'm not talking about normal effects the weather can have on biology. My bo

Info Official Site Tracklist 1. Therion - Der Mitternachtslowe (5:38) 2. Therion - Gothic Kabbalah (4:33) 3. Therion - The Perenial Sophia (4:54) 4. Therion - Wisdom and the Cage (5:01) 5. Therion - Son of the Staves of Time (4:47) 6. Therion - Tuna 1613: Momentum Excitation (4:23) 7. Therion - Trul (5:11) 8. Therion - Close Up the Streams (3:55) 9. Therion - The Wand of Abaris (5:51) 10.

Kabbalah, Science and the Meaning of Life Because Your Life Has Meaning - by Rav Michael Laitman, PhD   Kabbalah, Science & the Meaning of Life traces the milestones of the evolution of science with which we are familiar, such as Newton’s and Einstein’s theories but goes further to present the science of Kabbalah as the basis [...]