What is Kabbalah? - Tree of Life
According to the mystics we have finished clarifying the Tree of knowledge of Good and Evil and are ready to eat from the Tree of Life. It is specifically through the study of Kabbalah that we facilitate the entry into this sublime and climactic existence.
What is Kabbalah? - A Matter of Misunderstanding
Some contemporary mystics still voice concern about people studying Kabbalah. There are several reasons for this:
a) Kabbalah uses metaphors and anthropomorphisms in reference to the Divine. People who are unfamiliar with the nature of the spiritual realm may take the metaphors literally, and end up attributing physical qualities to G-d.
b) Kabbalah texts tend to be cryptic and concise in their style. A person learning them without elaborate explanations provided by reliable commentaries may misinterpret the concepts presented.
c) On account of the highly abstract nature of Kabbalah teachings they are more difficult to comprehend than other Torah teachings. It is wise for a person to spend time learning that which he can understand thoroughly rather than only superficially. This was one of the reasons that the 16th Century Kabbalists of Safed implemented various age restrictions on the study of Kabbalah. They assumed that before a certain age a person is lacking the maturity to properly appreciate Kabbalah teachings, and that they would use their time more effectively studying more concrete Torah teachings.
d) As already stated, studying the secrets of the Torah draws in the Messianic age. This is based upon the verse which in reference to that era states, "The world will be filled with the knowledge of G-d as water covers the sea bed". The phrase, 'knowledge of G-d,' is seen to refer to the mystical teachings. The Hebrew term for knowledge used in the verse, 'De'ah', as mentioned, connotes a deep and intimate knowing, one achieved through a thorough and elaborate understanding of a subject. Thus, it is only by studying Kabbalah with explanations that lend themselves to deep comprehension that we effectively bring in the Messianic period; the study of Kabbalah on its own does not achieve this goal...
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