Is there a Midrashic Method

Many of my classes on scripture make a strong use of Midrash and Rabbinic traditions as recorded in the Talmud. Thus it is worthwhile to understand some of my opinions about the nature of Midrash and how the Jewish sages of late antiquity (Hazal) approached scripture. Many of these opinions are more fully developed in my introductory lectures to Rashi’s commentary on scripture.

Firstly, I believe in the rabbinic tradition and I work within its assumptions and beliefs. I care about how Hazal in the Midrash and Talmud approached scripture. For me, it is axiomatic that the sages who lived 2000 years closer to the origin of scripture than we do would have a more accurate understanding of how the text works than scholars living today. I believe that present day scholarship reads its own assumptions back into scripture, whereas Hazal were the inheritors of scripture, and thus partook more fully of the underlying attitudes and assumptions that were basic to its formation. The fact that much of Hazal’s comments sound unreasonable to contemporary readers need not be a sign that Hazal were unreasonable, rater that we do not share their way of thinking about sacred texts. We should try and understand those ways of thinking before we assume that contemporary ways are better or more scientific. In any event, prophecy was a real phenomenon in ancient Israel. Even if contemporary academic scholarship does not believe in prophecy; it was still part of the formative events of scripture for those who were there. How then, can one assume that the contemporary concepts of authorship, genre or meaning have any relevance in a context which affirms the reality of prophetic revelation?

Secondly, I embrace the view, most often associated with Rabbi Isaac Bruer, that scripture does not speak in a single voice. According to one opinion in the Talmud, scripture was revealed to Moshe scroll by scroll, in discrete units. It is also possible that material was inherited by Moshe from older patriarchal sources, and that that by divine instruction, was integrated into the Torah text, much as were the bulk of Sefer Devarim (which consists of Moshe’s farewell discourses,) the oracles of Bilaam (Bamidbar 23-5,) the Song at the Sea and others. We should not expect a text formed through prophecy to work in the same way a human text does. Hence the Torah does not speak through a single voice but through multiple points of view. While this approach is considered somewhat radical in orthodox circles, I find it incontrovertible and even traditional. I remember being taught it in my teens in Yeshiva as something self evident for learning “Pshat in Humash” (the plain meaning of scripture.)

Each point of view gives you a window to see what can be referred to as “Spiritual Truth” although no single truth is absolute. One might ask, what is the ontological status of such spiritual truths? Do they exist in the same way as factual truth? Certainly some spiritual truth become manifest through factual events, but spiritual truth is not factual. Spiritual truth is perceived in the collective spirit of Israel, and provides the structure by which facts can be interpreted. Spiritual truths are not metaphorical. They may have no physical substance, but they are more real (as far as scripture is concerned) than the physical world. When G-s says, “Let there be light!” it is not a factual event. Not is it really a past event. It is a spiritual truth which the community can access though scripture. Whether one believes in spiritual truth or not, I find it undeniable that this is how scripture works. It may not be possible from the human point of view to resolve and unify them every spiritual truth which scripture manifests. Spiritual truth may be like flashes of lightning (see Rambam in his introduction to The Guide) or brilliant fragments of a kaleidoscope. The total picture may be forever beyond us, as Moshe said at the end of Devarim: “The hidden things are for Hashem our G-d, but the revealed things are for us and our children to do all the things in this Torah.”

Thirdly, I affirm that whatever has been written in scripture is a small part of the material which once existed, primarily in oral form, and in written form as well. Scripture as a composite and multi-faceted text naturally links back to these other traditions and stories, which serve as the wider context for scripture. These stories may provide factual background material, or they may be remembered forms of spiritual truth. They may even be fantastic stories which sprang up around factual events whose value is in the way they reflect (not describe) spiritual truth. Scripture is afloat in this diverse wider context. Assuming this is the case, Rashi really was explaining Peshat in his commentary, since it is meaningless to look at scripture without its framing context. When Hazal do a Midrash they are seeking out the connection between what scripture says and what has been received as verbal tradition. It may be that a single passage of scripture contains fragments that reflect different stories in the wider context. Thus Hazal developed a skill for finding repetitions, breaks in continuity or conflicting implications and emphases that indicate divergent frames of reference. Stories presumably circulate among the people, before they get quoted by a Rabbi in a Midrash. When we find a certain rabbi telling a story, that is his way of affirming its value as a remembered event or spiritual truth.

Sometimes a Midrash may point out the connection between a whole scriptural passage and a remembered context, or it may be saying that a single passage actually reflects two contradictory contexts. A Midrash may attempt to reconstruct a lost tradition based upon the subtle structures revealed in a text. A Midrash may also propose that an event may contain a spiritual truth not comprehended by those who experienced it, which plays itself out over time.

Fourthly, I propose that the plain meaning of scripture, (the Peshat) is scriptures attempt to pull together all the remembered contexts and spiritual truths they contain into a standard narrative. All visions of spiritual truth are significant, but not all are equally helpful at all times. I believe that a major intent of scripture is to foster the collective Israelite identity, and this requires that some traditions and memories subordinated. The Peshat is that which approaches a factual narrative. One criterion for the inclusion of an event in scripture is that the memory of this event must be reconcilable on some way with the rest of the narrative. On occasion one will find Hazal providing reconciliations of this kind. Nevertheless, the Peshat will always attempt to present something of a unified narrative, while Midrash seeks to restore the diversity of points of view from which the Peshat is constructed. At times it seems that the Peshat is attempting to preclude a tradition, or emphatically place it outside the unified narrative (see Rashi to Shemot 6:2-5.) This gives one something to think about, though it does not detract from that memory as describing spiritual truth. Similarly, when dealing with a certain event, a commentator (even today) is allowed to suggest a Peshat version of that event, as opposed to a fantastic midrashic one, without detracting from the latter’s value as reflecting spiritual truth.

Fifthly, it is apparent to me that Hazal in their Halachic or legal Midrashim follow many of the same methodologies as in the Haggadic or narrative Midrashim. To my mind, this gives rise to a serious issue. Can it be that during the formative period of the Torah text (the forty years in the desert) there was diversity of religious practice, and conflicting memories about ritual matters, such that the legal texts of scripture serve to pull this diversity together? Arguments between sages over the interpretation of biblical texts are seem to be disagreements over which possibilities are being accepted or precluded by the emphases or subtle structures of the scriptural passage. If so, the this seems to conflict with the notion of Moshe receiving a verbal Torah during his first 40 days on Mt Sinai, which includes (according to Rabbi Akiva) both general principles of the Mitzvot as well as specific rules for their fulfillment. How then could there be diversity of religious practice at such an early stage? I can only responds as follows: During the formative period of the Torah there were indeed various tribal or clan traditions about the practice of the commandments. This is in keeping with the rabbinic tradition that holds “the patriarchs fulfilled the entire Torah before it was given.” When Moshe taught Israel the commandments and their specific rules, he did not intend to eliminate all tribal practices. However, he was creating a general framework for Torah observance against which each tribes practice could be viewed as variations of a central theme. So, for example, some tribes or clans might have eaten Matzah all Pesah, some might have eaten it only on the first night, but everyone would have used Moshe’s definition for Matzah and celebrate Pesah free from leaven as defined by Moshe for seven days. Whatever Moshe’s Halacha about how many days to eat Matzah was, it was not meant to overpower individual tribal practice. At some point in the future, when the desire for unity would overtake tribal traditionalism, the Israelites would look to the written scripture to determine the standard practice for all time. However, this was not expected to take place all in the present. It should not surprise us that thousands of years later this process may yet be unfolding. So to return to my example of the commandment of Matzah, some verses imply that the commandment to eat Matzah applies to all seven days, while another implies that eating Matzah is required specifically at the Seder night. The final conclusion from the Midrash is that Matzah is obligatory on the first night, but remains an optional sacred act for the rest of the holiday.

In summation: The current approach of academia looks to scripture with the purpose of understanding what it supposedly meant to its original audience. A believing Jew seeks to find relevant spiritual truth within it that will both inform Halachic practice and illuminate the meaning of being Jewish. The faith oriented approach is true to the nature of the scriptural text in so far as it is the self conscious result of prophecy. Following the methodology of Hazal brings one to uncover in the text its prophetic ever expansive meaning. Along with the psalmist, I pray “Uncover my eyes and I will see wonders in your Torah!”

Meditation: East, West and Jewish

Question:

What is Jewish Meditation? Is it similar to or different from Eastern forms of meditation? I have always believed that there is a difference between Meditative Practices (which I see as “Eastern”) and which focus on enlightenment, and Religion (which I see as “Western”) which focuses on finding favor with God. Isn’t Judaism a western religion? If so, meditation would not seem to be an important aspect of Jewish practice?

Thanks in advance for your response!

Natalie

Answer:

Introduction

First let me say that I think you are fairly accurate in your contrast between Eastern and Western spirituality. I wouldn’t want to make overly wide generalizations, of course. Still it seems to be that the Eastern approach in spirituality seeks to transform the practitioner. The individual seeks to awaken to some truth, be it the transience of all things, especially the self, or alternatively the transience of all things except for the self. The world is in some way illusory and the wise person seeks to be unattached to illusion. Western spirituality is much more about looking outside one’s self for this transcendent otherness called God, who commands us with laws and holds the keys to our salvation and our eventual return to paradise. Paradise is also conceived of as being some other place (not here or not now) that we are trying to get to. People go east to meditate. People go west to worship. One great way of worship is to help others, and try to reshape this world so that it will be more in in harmony with the kingdom of heaven. Or if one’s perspective is more end-of days oriented, tghen the point of worship is to insure that when the kingdom of heaven comes down, that the worshiper will be a citizen of the kingdom in good standing. Even after Western Culture lost its religious grounding, it still maintains a faith in progress, especially of the scientific kind. We still hope somehow to make the world a better place. To strive for that goal is considered a high ethical calling.

Judaism, as it is practiced by the vast majority of people I know is a western religion. In its most liberal form, being Jewish means to work for the rectification of this world and everyone in it, based upon the belief that the Jewish People are in some way covenantally bound and committed to this process. The traditional emphasis on the one-ness of G-d implies the hope that the world may also one day become one. In its more conservative formulations, being Jewish means being obligated to keeo G-d’s commandments. As a result G-d gives reward in the world to come. The religious path of the individual Jew, from this world to the next paves the way for an eventual miraculous transformation of the world. There doesn't seem to be much emphasis placed on personal transformation, enlightenment, or meditation. There is however, the striving after righteousness and holiness. In the Jewish tradition there is a school of character perfection while the study of Torah can be construed as a meditative activity (it requires concentration.) But even so, the kind transformed awareness that the traditions of the East emphasize is still largely absent from conventional Jewish practice. Nevertheless, the Torah is a layered document. It contains many levels of meaning, from the ordinary to the profound. Therefore we should not be surprised if there exist concepts and practices that are part of a more sublime level of understanding, which are not apparent in common practice.

Recovering what has been Lost

Over the past forty years, there have been many attempts made to research and publicize those forms of meditation that are contained in Jewish tradition, and especially the Kabbalah. Rabbi Aryeh Kaplan was, I think, the first to do so, and his books on Jewish meditation were groundbreaking. It certainly seems that Judaism was at one time far more experientially intense than we know it today. Let me give you a proof for that. In the Shulhan Aruch we are required, when reading the “Shema” to do so “with awe and trembling” at the presence of G-d. Now this is a halachah, something that is expected of your average person, a requirement which can realistically be fulfilled. But who do you know that can turn on that feeling at will? So it is clear to me that something was lost over the years. After all, G-d as eternal and infinite cannot be encountered in time and space unless it is through the transformed and expanded consciousness of the individual and the community. Theologians may speak with ease about G-d’s salvific entrance into history, but without appreciating how truly problematic this is. Personal and communal transformation must precede any perception of the divine presence. One’s worldly mind and habitual ways of experience must be traded it for the perspective of holiness. I doubt this can be accomplished without some kind of meditation or meditation-like activity.

It is possible that personal transformation, in earlier times, took place without much formal and intentional pursuit. Perhaps its was in the communal atmosphere. You might think of it as a kind of rare spice that would add this wonderful flavor to your food...but because it was so prevalent...it was just everywhere...no-one had to bother adding it. But when we all moved to a different environment, the absence of the spice became suddenly acute. Well, the new environment is modernity itself, and many of us feel the absence of spiritual transformation strongly enough that the external forms of observance seem hollow and pointless. I think that in previous times, since there were sages and who dealt with issues of spiritual transformation and who did meditate (this is called doing “unifications” in the Lurianic and Hassidic traditions) that the fruits of their practice were available for any one to partake of. What changed everything was the emancipation and the rise of modernity, which in seeking to eliminate superstition and to place the sciences on a firm basis, devalued all forms of “non-ordinary perception.” So many aspects of spiritual life began to seem primitive and foolish. Even the orthodox, in striving to show that traditional Judaism is relevant in modern times, unwittingly accepted the premises of scientism, and argued for a rational and enlightened Judaism...and were left with “spice-less” observance. This sense that deep transformational experience is no longer possible even crept into the Hassidic communities at one point. I recall a conversation that I once had with an elderly Satmar Hassid during my teens. I asked : “Why do you have this obsession with dressing in a certain way, when obviously, this has little to do with the path that the Ba’al Shem taught?” And he replied: “Back then we were real Jews and real Hassidim, now all we have are the externals...so we hang on to them for dear life!” On a similar note, I read a book by Rabbi Dr. Twersky, the well known psychologist, where he described what brought him to work with the twelve step program for the treatment of addictions. He said, that he comes from a dynasty of Hassidic masters, who helped people through spiritual means...but he, as the inheritor of this role, felt unable to do so through the traditional way. So he considered psychotherapy. But that was unacceptable because it was completely un-spiritual. So he took up the twelve step program, because it is clinically tested, and yet spiritual in content. My reaction to reading this was one of great disappointment and sadness. I was disappointed because the tradition had failed to transmit something very precious, and I was very sad to recognize the enormity of our loss.

But times change and rivers that are sometimes blocked on the surface continue to flow underground. Things are happening, and I’ll give you an example. One of the Ba’al Shem's major students, Rabbi Ya’akov Yosef of Polonye, had a son Rabbi Shimshon. This Rabbi Shimshon also studied with the Ba’al Shem, and put to writing the oldest Hassidic text in existence...A complete Siddur with exhaustive explanations and Kavvanot. That siddur was known and used by an intimate circle...but it was never published. Then the original disappeared. It was presumed lost forever for over two hundred years. One day, about a year ago, the siddur was found in the home of a Syrian Jew living in the city of Givatayyim, in Israel. He had brought it with himself years before when he made Aliyya from his native city of Aleppo. He was unaware of the significance of the book in his possession. But when it was discovered, the excitement was enormous. The text is very neat and legible in the hand written original, so instead of setting it to type, it was published as is. The amazing thing is, that now, we can do something that has been impossible for many who have come before us...We can pray with the original intentions that were in use by the Ba’al Shem and his disciples! Another example can be found in the life and work of the Pizetzner Rebbe, who made spiritual transformation through meditative practices the foundation of his rejuvenated Hassidic path. He understood all to well that without transformation of the self there is no true fulfillment of the Divine commandments. He and his group did not survive the holocaust, but he did take his manuscripts, wrap them carefully and hide them in the rubble of the Warsaw ghetto, where against all odds, they were recovered after the war. His path lives on and flourishes.

There is one last thing that I’d like to mention. In the Ba’al Shem’s often quoted letter he describes his conversation with the Mashiah. The Ba’al Shem asks: “When will the Master arrive?” To which the Mashiah replies: “When your well-springs (i.e. teachings) will burst forth and spread far and wide!” This is often quoted to show that spreading the teachings of Hassidut is important for bringing the redemption. But there is a much less often quoted continuation to the Mashiah’s reply: “And when everyone will be able do unifications and uplift their souls like you, then all the externalities will fall away, and there will be a time of good will and redemption!” So as it turns out, transformation of the self through meditation is the second half of the Ba’al Shem’s legacy, one which has not been, for the most part, adequately nurtured.

While Meditation is becoming slowly re-legitimized as an integral part of the practice of Judaism, we are still in an uncomfortable position. We have to do a great deal on our own...piecing together and attempting to put into practice teachings that have fallen out of use. In so many ways we are groping for answers. To make matters worse, it seems that even when the art of “unifications” was taught, the actual process of doing them....of advancing along the path, was a highly individual process. One’s teacher could provide the key, but it was up to the student to proceed alone. I don't think that there ever was a Yeshivah where meditation was carried out in a community under the guidance of a master who knows the way and can take the seeker along a well trodden path. With us the master opens the door, but walking the path is more like exploring an uncharted sea. I have been fortunate enough to receive instruction from my teacher (A traditional Sephardi Kabbalist in Jerusalem.) He says: “Don’t worry about what is supposed to happen. No-one can have your Kavanot! You understand the concepts. Here’s the book. Breathe like this. Visualize that and best of luck to you!” This can be frustrating, but lately I’ve come to understand that this lack of “nurture” and the stress on individualism is an integral to the process. I have no doubt that we are called upon today to revitalize Judaism and the Jewish people, and become a blessing the all sentient creatures.

Being One with the World

For many spiritual seekers, meditation is a process that brings the individual into a state of harmony and one-ness with reality. This sense of unity of the self and the universe is largely absent from western culture. At the dawn of western thought and philosophy, we have the differentiation of the self which perceives and understands, and the world, which is present to the senses and the mind to analysis and understanding. The earliest scientists and philosophers escaped from symbol world of myth by establishing the clear distinction between the knower and the known. Through knowledge the self takes control of the world and acquires mastery over it. Technologies are developed to make this possible. But there is a price to be paid. Once the boundaries between self and the world become fixed, then everything becomes either objective or subjective. Humanity becomes estranged from the very reality that it is trying to comprehend. The philosophical and cultural development of the east followed a much different route. Society did advance and technologies developed, but it was always understood that the deepest truth is in the primordial unity of the self and the world. While the construction of culture requires the self to become severed from the world, the purpose of “religion” is to restore the underlying one-ness and somehow to reintegrate it to conscious thought. To return to simple undifferentiated being is the goal of eastern spirituality. Meditation is the method for doing this.

The gulf that exists between western and eastern spirituality can be brought into focus if we consider where western spirituality leads. It is supposed to lead to heaven, a higher world of some sort where we are to enjoy eternal bliss. This world doesn’t admit everyone. You need some kind of religion to get there. To the eastern tradition this whole way of thinking seems hopelessly convoluted. The universe is heaven. To be one with it is endless bliss. That same universe is hell, if one exists in estrangement and illusion.

The meditative experience is typically one in which the limited self opens itself up, and becomes a part of a larger process. There is a feeling of intense energy. Since “energy” is a highly abused word nowadays, I’ll add a few thoughts of mine on the matter. Energy is movement. Energy is change. Change is a constant in the universe. When perceived through an enlightened mind, the universe becomes infinite harmony and resolution. When the individual has blended his or her will to the movements (both physical and spiritual) that are going on all the time, then the individual acts as an integral part of the universe. Since no differentiated self can ever withstand the universe, the person who acts in total harmony with the universe can not be defeated. But on the other hand, he/she no longer acts out of any self interest at all, rather the spiritual process going on in the universe acts through the individual.

One-ness with the Universe in the Torah

The question of how Judaism relates to this is a difficult one. Perhaps the greatest benefit that the Torah has given the west is the faith in the forward progress of history. This is expressed primarily in our faith that the Mashiah will eventually arrive, and that the world will be rectified and redeemed. This fits in so well with the western view as the self as an observer, experimenter and master of the world, who is called upon to use ingenuity to ‘fix” a world that is fundamentally in need of repair. Once again from the perspective of eastern thought the notion that the world is developing towards a better state of being (and that we can help it move forward) is simply absurd. The world is bliss now if you are enlightened, and if you aren’t, there is no point in trying to fix up an illusion! If you can’t see the nature of reality all the efforts of scientists and technocrats will lead no where! Every technology will create as many problems as it solves, but the world will never get substantially “better.” It looks at first glance as if the Torah is a western document through and through. But once again, we should remember that the Torah has its layers and its levels, and operates simultaneously in multiple dimensions. I once heard from one of my teachers that it is no accident that the land of Israel is on the border between Europe and Asia. Like the land, the Torah is both east and west. To substantiate that, I’ll quote a Mishna in Pirkei Avoth. “It is better to enjoy one hour of contentment in the world to come, that a life time in this world. It is also better to perform one hour of Repentance and Good Deeds in this world, than to enjoy all eternity in the world to come!” You see, if the Torah was really a western faith that statement would be impossible. Western religion says: “This world is a miserable broken world; a sinful realm that needs fixing...or perhaps we need to abandon it altogether in exchange for Heaven. Of course, Heaven is a far better place than this!” The Mishna seems to accept that premise, but then turns it up side down. The superiority of the world to come is only evident when you judge it from the vantage point of human benefit. There exists a second point of view, one that when you are in touch with it, you see things reversed. The whole of eternal bliss cannot compare to the “goodness” of acting rightly in this world.

One-ness with the Will of G-d

I believe that The Torah does not discredit the eastern tradition, but rather takes a different approach at a certain point. In so doing it relinquishes the status of a universal religion. Let me explain. If the goal of religion is to achieve one-ness with the world and with all being, then the person will find him/herself as existing as part of a certain sense of being or logical process. I think this is true even for those traditions such as Zen who hold that the sense of reality can never be put into language. Ultimately, any state of being in the world will reflect a certain kind of wisdom. This attribute is called Hochmah. Wisdom is the form of the world when grasped as an integrated and indivisible whole. It is the truth that precedes language. The attribute of Bina, or Understanding, presents the world as divisible into parts and as a consequence describable in language. But the Torah’s actual concern is not with either Hochmah or Binah. It is with that reality that is outside the world, or any conceivable world. The Torah reveals to us that behind all the worlds (and there are an infinity of them) is the Will from which worlds are born. It is to this will, the will of the Infinite One, that the Torah directs us. It is into that will which we submerge ourselves, and only that will can contain us.

When compared with this outpouring of divine will and light, any individual world will seem fallen, if only because it is self contained. Furthermore, no matter how much bliss one can find within the being of the world, one remains with the incredible split between the un-enlightened form of the world when seen through ordinary perception, and the bliss one finds from enlightenment. A higher world would be more “rectified” because the split between the un-enlightened and enlightened states of perception would be less radical and dramatic. The path of Judaism is to unify the worlds within the framework of the Divine light. To open the pathway between one world and its higher counterparts is both a meditative practice as well as an ethical commitment. There is no better way to open a path than to create a place down here, in the thick of un-enlightened misery, where a higher world can be dramatized or enacted. A Jewish meditative spiritual path will not focus on the nature of reality, but on the flow of divine will and light, that surrounds and binds together all the worlds. The refrain of the Kaddish “May the Great Name be blessed for all eternity” may better and more literally be translated “May the great name be blessed from the world and to worlds of worlds.” Seen in this way, the goal of western religion (to get from this fallen world to a better one) is extremely limiting. The unification of worlds is paramount, and however more luminous the higher world is, it is lacking when it is not connected to our world here. That is what the Mishna means when it says “better one hour of repentance and good deeds in this world, than all the life in the world to come.” Certainly the “world to come” is immeasurably more blissful than our world, nevertheless, the moment when the “world to come” breaks into our world, though it be a brief moment, fulfills both worlds as one. The commandments of the Torah need to be seen as moments of break through and unification, to which the world to come itself yearns.

This makes the Torah into a non-universal spiritual path (this point was very eloquently made By Rabbi Yehuda Halevi in “The Kuzari”) If we are to make contact with the Divine will, this cannot be through the medium of the contemplation of universal truths. A universal idea, even if it is the outcome of G-d’s will, has a singular nature; a certain rigidity that is the outcome of the absoluteness of that idea. Thus if we contemplate universal truths we will find G-d’s wisdom, but not G-d’s will. G-d's will becomes present through free choice on G-d’s part and ours, through a process that is never predictable and is not the result of any kind of logic, material or spiritual. The manifestation of G-d’s will is through an event that takes place in the world, that violates (on a certain level) the wisdom embodied in it. There fore the Torah stresses more than anything the event of the exodus from Egypt and the revelation on Sinai. In addition, it seems that there are certain individuals who are predisposed to this form of spirituality. An individual whose freedom and ability to choose is central to his/her sense of being will seek fulfillment by immersion in the free will of G-d. An individual whose goal is enlightenment will seek immersion in the universal truths. Interestingly, there exists in some schools of Jewish Thought the concept of a “Jewish Soul”. This is a metaphysically problematic notion, which can be explicated somewhat in light of what I just explained. A “Jewish Soul” is a “stubborn” one, which values its freedom and refuses to immerse itself in any Form of wisdom, even the most absolute and universal sort. It is soul that will argue with G-d if necessary, but will accept nothing but the infinite freedom of G-d’s will as the source of the individual soul. To partake of it you must have personal access to the events of the Exodus and the Revelation at Sinai. At the very least you must have heard the story. If the story appeals to that is the first stirring of an awakening Jewish soul. The gate to bliss and eternity within the frame work of the world and its wisdom is always open to those who live compassionately and justly. The Jewish path is nor for everyone, and it does no presume to be. As part of world spirituality, however, it has a very definite role...to express the path of union with absolute otherness of G-d, who desires and wills a relationship.

What is essential in Jewish spirituality is neither Hochma or Bina (neither Wisdom or Understanding) but what is beyond them and within them, The Keter, the crown, which conveys to us the will of the Infinite One to have a relationship, or Da’at “Knowledge” which is the penetration of this will into the individual soul. In that Infinite One, our souls actualize their own freedom and infinity. For this reason the Torah so strongly forbids, not just idolatry, but the use of all images as objects of veneration. The highest reality that an image can represent is the absolute truth, the wisdom embodied in the world. But for a Jewish soul to immerse itself in anything less than the infinite, is to miss the point. Our devotion must be without any object! So what are we to focus ourselves upon? The answer is simple. In the Kabbalah we are to focus our attention of the name of Hashem. This is possible because the name is not an image or a representation of G-d. It conveys G-d as a pure meaning, and thus as a non-object! (Incidentally, all of G-d’s attributes [i.e. the Sefirot] are
names, and yet, if we pray to any name, or all of them, that that is just another more abstracted form of idolatry called uprooting the tree. So we have to be extremely careful when practicing our contemplation's!)

What of finding one-ness with the universe? Is it to be completely discarded as a spiritual goal? I think that such a conclusion is un-warranted. Quite the opposite, The Torah encourages us to develop this basic spiritual capacity. The Midrash says (Tanna d’bei Eliyahu ch 1) “The Way of the Earth (Derech Eretz) precedes the Torah!” It is usually understood that this “Way” involves basic principles of curtsey and integrity. But It is obvious from the context of the Midrash that the its intent is much more far reaching. Rebbe Nahman who put it this way: “Everyone is required to say ‘for me the world was created’. That being the case one should always observe the world seeking to fulfill its needs and praying for them.” The doctrine that everyone should say “The world was created for me” has its source in the Talmud. What is significant about Rebbe Nachman's commentary to that passage is that we are not to permitted us to use the world at will, but rather that each individual is given the responsibility to sense a deep compassion and kinship for the world and everything in it. The Way of the Earth preceded the Torah because the goal of uniting human freedom and G-d’s will cannot be accomplished unless there is already a deep sense of harmony and one-ness with all reality.

Oneness with the World as a Foundation

For one thing, if there is to be a meeting between humanity and G-d, then humanity must become self aware. This requires an awareness of the world of which we are a part. The self reflects itself in the world and the world is reflected in the self, and therefore the distinction between self and world must be overcome if there is to be a meeting with G-d. The disengaged and alienated consciousness of western culture is inadequate for such this. However, there is a deeper truth here. It is this: The will of G-d is for a meeting, but, we human beings are not necessarily the ultimate target of this meeting. G-d seeks to meet the Divine self, the “Ani” which corresponds to the nothingness of infinite being; the “ayin”. Aside from the obvious reference to human consciousness, there is a Divine Ani ever present in the fabric of the world. It takes human freedom to awaken it, but it is more than human. So we find, in the Torah, that sometimes it appears that we are the ones that G-d seeks, and at other times we find ourselves witnesses to a deeper meeting. For instance, on Shabbat, we thank G-d have having chosen us, sanctified us and presented us with the Shabbat. Now what is Shabbat? It is our witnessing to the creation of the world, and therefore to G-d’s relationship to the totality of being. Another statement by the sages makes this clear: “Sometimes G-d saves the animals in the merit of humans, and sometimes G-d saves humans in the merit of the animals.” So I think it’s clear that the harmonious oneness that the East has made the cornerstone of its spiritual path, is fundamental to the Torah’s path as well. It is contained in the Kavvanot for many of the Torah’s Mitzvoth and observances.

Reverence, Division and Bliss: a Meditation from by the Ba’al Shem Tov

In the following paragraphs I’d like to outline a very important and powerful meditation, which is to be used primarily for praying the “Amida”, but is also appropriate for day long contemplation. It is a key to all sorts of spiritual benefits and comes from the teachings of the Ba’al Shem Tov of sainted memory. (Ba’al Shem Tov, The Pillar of Prayer, page 104 and 144) Here’s what the Ba’al Shem taught: “Every letter of prayer contains world, soul, and Divinity.... With every word you pray, you should enact Reverence, Division and Sweetness”. These brief words are actually one of the central teachings of the Ba’al Shem Tov, and obviously, require some commentary.

First I should say that My choice of English words for the three stages are open to some argument. The Hebrew originals are “Hachna’a”, “Havdala” and “Hamtaka.” Hachna’a would usually be translated “abnegation”, “self abasement” or “self humiliation”. But these words carry very masochistic connotations. I think you’ll see shortly that Reverance is really closer to the mark. Havdala means dividing...no room for quibbling there. As for Hamtaka, it literally means “sweetening” and has a much to do with the Kabbalistic concept of “sweetening the harsh judgments.” Still, the sweetness we are speaking of here is not the sugary sort. So I think that Sweetness is as good a translation as any. The explanation I'm providing here comes from the Kamarna Rebbi who mentions these three spiritual rungs countless times in His “Hechal Haberacha and other texts.

First let me say that “worlds, souls and Divinity” correspond to the stages of “Reverence, Division and Bliss” Lets consider the situation of the worshipper or prior to beginning the Amida prayer. You aspire to unite your will with the Hashem's Will. Yet this Will is wholly outside the world, so how can it be found? The answer lies in the capacity to speak. A word is a vessel, and however small, insignificant and temporary it is, if it is spoken in truth, it can paradoxically contains not just what is within, but also that which is without. In a sense, a word can be turned inside out. So the word you speak can contain the divine light, but it must first contain some element of the world as well as your consciousness. The word spoken in prayer must contain the world as well as the person who spoke the word, before it can contain the divine light!

Speaking the word is going to be an event, where the world and the self and Divinity will meet. But from the outset you perceive a difficulty. Your soul, not being material, might be said to fit into the “word” you’re going to speak. But you as body, not to mention the world with its possibly infinite mass and distances cannot be “in” your word! So the first step for speaking the word is to surrender yourself to the world. You do this by sensing that everything in the world, down to the most humble and insignificant creature is one with you in the worship of the creator. The barriers between self and world fall away.

Once this happens, “Division” follows. There is a seed of truth emerging, and the shells and husks fall away. Before doing the stage of “Reverence” the world seemed material and solid, unable to “fit” into the word. Now that your consciousness is one with the world you will find that the very materiality you saw was itself a certain manifestation of the very process which lets the self exist as a separate being. This is a necessity of human development (and without it would hardly be possible for anyone to use language or discover how to pray in words in the first place.) Now, however, as you embrace all reality you will discover that size and distances are all conditions of awareness. If the universe has size, it is the mind that knows it. In G-d’s perspective distance is nonexistent, and a thousand years is the blink of an eye. The materiality of the world thus falls away. The powers of negativity (“Klipoth” or “shells”) are divided off from the world. The world and the self, having lost their absolute material proportions, now are included as meaning in the word you are speaking.

In “Sweetening” the will of the self to find G-d, unites the world with the infinite light. The “Ani” (“I”) is one with the “Ayin” (“nothing”.) The triad of world, self and Divinity enfold each other. The word of the speaker of the prayer becomes included in the higher worlds and the higher worlds in turn become present in our world. The fleeting moment spent in the presence of Hashem is now better than all the life of the world to come.

If you pray like the Ba’al Shem and his disciples, the time needed for the Amida prayer will probably multiply itself exponentially. This Kavvanah is meant to be meditated for each word, and then for each sentence formed by those words, and for each passage and for each blessing and ultimately for the entire prayer. Oh and I almost forgot! x 3 per day. Is it any wonder they could do miracles? They didn’t even have to try. Still, this is a very practical Kavvanah, and safe for anyone to use. If you can say a single word of prayer with this intention, I think that is a great accomplishment in our generation. The merit of The Ba’al Shem Tov will certainly support anyone who attempts to walk this path.

If you follow this path, you will enjoy a very powerful personal energy, even though you won’t be focused on yourself. The world will fulfill itself through you and move through you as you reach out for G-d. You will begin to see that everything that happens to you is directed for a Divine purpose. The Presence of G-d in the world will work through you for your own benefit and for the benefit of all creatures. You will be G-d’s chosen one, and you will humble yourself before all creation. Your heart will be full of love, compassion and sweetness. May it be G-d’s will that this be so for all of us!

Is Judaism a Western Religion?

Before I close this teaching, I should draw together a few loose ends about how the similarities and differences between Torah and Western religion. As I’ve explained, Western religion views the world as existing for humanity to use for itself. Humanity is concerned with its own Salvation. Humanity needs to “saved” from death, or from sin. G-d provides humanity with religion so that it can be saved. G-d will Make a new world, or remake the old one, so that those who have been saved can enjoy eternal joy. Western Philosophers have often defined religion as the fulfillment of all human hopes. Death threatens our sense of being. Religion gives us our hope back to us.

Speaking on behalf of Judaism, Martin Buber said: “I have never in our time encountered on such a high philosophical plane such a far reaching misunderstanding of the prophets of Israel....they never announced a G-d who appealed to the human desire for security. They aimed to shatter all security and to proclaim in the open abyss of insecurity the unwished for G-d, who demands that his creatures become real.” (Spinoza’s Critique of Religion, by Leo Strauss, preface, page 11) This idea of Hashem coming to violate our sense of security might sound odd at first, but begins to make sense when you think of the “almost” sacrifice of Yitzhak, or the sheer terror that Israel experienced when finally meeting G-d at Sinai. The true Meeting with G-d is the confrontation with infinity, with absolute otherness that makes us incomparably aware of the fragility of our being. Even the angels cannot withstand the judgment inherent in meeting G-d, for in the light of the Divine being, even the most eternal truths are shifting transient shadows. There is no gain to be had by holding on to our ego needs, as Kohelet pointed out so uncompromisingly. We must choose between holding on to our illusions and our ego-selves and surrendering ourselves. The act of surrender is the essence of the first level of “Devotion.” True, through the other stages, there is a rebirth of the world and the self as one with G-d, but if we are to partake of this we must be so willing to surrender our sense of being that we would see our entire self as existing in the fleeting present of our spoken word, and for that to be sufficient for us, if we are one with Hashem! All heaven and all eternity is in the word of prayer -for G-d is there- and yet that word exists only in the moment. Returning to the Mishna that I mentioned previously, ultimately it is the fragile helpless present, the insignificant point that contains everything.

The world embodies Wisdom, and certainly creatures can gain release from their fears and pain through finding one-ness with it, overcoming illusions and finding enlightenment. Yet, there are is another process at work here. The will of Hashem towards relatedness awakens the yearning for infinity and freedom. The emergence of Divine will in our awareness does not permit us to renounce our individual existence and enter into simple bliss. We need at the very least to hold on to the ability to speak, to bring forth words of prayer, and thus bring about the unification of the worlds in the Divine will and light. Torah compels us commit ourselves to recreating the world so that Hashem will be reflected here, not just on the level of mystical experience, but also in practical moral effort. thus. Western Religion has tended to mistake the Jewish dissatisfaction with the world, as a condemnation of it, and the promise for a renewed reality as G-d’s concession to human ego needs. Thus religion has been interpreted as a kind of deal...if we obey G-d then G-d will supply our ego needs....to live eternally in heaven. I hope I have shown the Torah’s spiritual path is much more than this.

Similarly, Western religion has misunderstood the significance of humanity and the notion that the world is “for” humanity. The tendency has been to see the world as raw materiel for the fulfillment of human needs and desires. This is a distortion. The world is not ours to use or abuse. It is ours in the sense that we feel compassion for everything, and that everything in the world is unified with G-d through the words we speak and the Mizvot we do. Thus the Torah does permit us to use other life forms, and even to consume them. In this respect, life sacrifices itself to us, just as we sacrifice ourselves to G-d. But we must take in reverence, and avoid cruelty at all costs. Unless we are doing something to overcome selfishness, and to give ourselves to G-d, our use and consumption of other lives is a reproach and a stain on our souls. The Sages put this way: “Why was humanity created last? To convey that if humanity merits, then all is for humanity, but if not, then G-d will say ‘look! The mosquito preceded you (and is more significant than you!’”)

It is my deepest wish that you and all who yearn for spiritual advancement find enlightenment and one-ness with G-d through the Torah. May you be guided by His will, now and always!

What is Kabbalah

What is Kabbalah? (Three Paths Towards Rectification)

Introduction

Although Kabbalah is often misunderstood, its essential meaning can be summarized quite succinctly. Kabbalah is the doctrine that explains and analyzes the encounter between humanity and G*d. While scripture speaks in deceptively simple terms about this encounter, as if G*d and humanity were two entities who meet, have a conversation, make agreements, disagree (with humanity lapsing into the state of estrangement usually referred to as sin) and become reconciled, in actuality, this encounter could not be as straightforward as that. Behind every word of scripture lies the experience of prophecy, that medium of contact and transcendent state of consciousness without which there could be no contact between the finite human person and the infinite other-ness of G*d. Humanity and Divinity are in diametrical opposition. Human consciousness grasps and contains what it seeks to know. But infinity cannot be grasped. So it would appear that any all we can know of G*d a blank emptiness that is the destruction of all knowing. And so the fundamental question remains as always “What kind of relationship and sharing can there be with G*d when Divinity is so completely beyond our conception?”


This ambivalence was given expression in a curious pair of midrashim. One midrash states (Bereshit Rabbah 24:1) that the wicked err when thinking about G*d , and “liken the form to the One who formed it, and the plant to the One who planted it.” In other words, the wicked , when relating to G*d reduce G*d to human terms, and this opens the door to idolatry. Yet elsewhere the midrash claims (Bereshit Rabbah 27:1) “Great is the power of the prophets, who liken the form to the One who formed it!” What can be seen is that there can be no relationship between G*d and humanity without the existence of some common denominator, and yet, once we attribute some human quality to G*d, we have apparently reduced G*d in our minds and have fallen unwittingly into the trap of idolatry. Here we encounter the awesome significance of prophecy, and why it continues to be a relevant force in our spiritual lives to this very day (since even though we no longer have prophets among us, we continually live in the light of a prophetic document –the Torah!) Prophecy is the way and the method by which a likeness, between G*d and humanity, can be conceived of without our falling into idolatry. Of course , this leaves up with a greater question. How does Prophecy accomplish this impossible task? This question brings us back to the meaning of the Kabbalah. The Kabbalah is the study, investigation, and practical application of Prophetic consciousness.


The Divine Attributes (Sefirot)


The issue we have raised here is this: in what way can G*d and humanity be understood as sharing a relationship. All kabbalists, throughout history, have stated one thing unambiguously. G*d establishes a relationship with humanity and the universe, through the revelation and emanation of the divine attributes. These attributes are 10 in number, and are named as follows:

1) Keter, the crown, the sublime will for revelation that beyond all understanding.

2) Hochma, wisdom.

3) Bina, understanding.

4) Hesed, loving kindness.

5) Gevura, strength.

6) Tiferet, beauty, or truth

7) Nezah, Eternity or Victory.

8) Hod, Glory or Thanks-giving,

9)Yesod, Foundation, or Covenant.

10)Malchut, The kingdom of G*d.

These attributes express to us who G*d is, and yet, unlike, humanly constructed concepts they do not limit the infinity of G*d. Ordinary thought forms, as they attempt to grasp G*d, fall into the trap of idolatry. They “liken the form to the one who formed it, and the plant to the one who planted it,” projecting our own realities upon G*d’s infinite incomprehensibility. However when we use the attributes as taught to us by the Kabbalah we partake of the prophetic experience which “likens the form to the one who formed it” in a positive and uplifting way. But now we must ask, have we really dealt with the central question satisfactorily? Unfortunately, while our religious vocabulary has been enriched by the addition of ten new words, we are apparently no closer to resolving the central issue: When is our use of language in reference to G*d idolatrous, and when is it prophetic. How are we to know If we are truly worshipping G*d or if we are interacting with the projections of our own minds. In response I would say that there exist three basic schools of thought as to the nature and meaning of the Kabbalah, and each one has a certain understanding of the Attributes, and a particular path of devotion based upon its understanding. These schools of thought can be called 1) The Path of Semantic Un-knowing, 2)The Path of Comprehending Providence, and 3) The Path of Ego Transcendence. The first path is most often advocated by the Sefardic Masters. The second is embraced by the Lithuanian Yeshivot. The third path is that of the Ba’al Shem Tov and the Hassidic Movement. Obviously this classification is an oversimplification. Many teachers are eclectic in approach, while others would seem to defy classification. Nevertheless, I believe that the delineation of these paths is a valuable tool for understanding the broader trends of thought in Kabbalah.

The Path of Semantic Un-knowing;


According to this Path through the Kabbalah, the basic principle is that these “attributes” are Names. The names of G*d as they are communicated to us in scripture through prophecy are the manifestation of the divine attributes. Explaining the Attributes as being names explains how they can “contain” the infinite otherness of G*d. A Name is still a name, even if no one can understand what it means. A name may be finite and knowable, while its meaning can be infinite. So too the names of G*d are all incomprehensible to us, but at least they “contain” the incompresensibility which is G*d. You might be tempted to ask “since these names tell us nothing, what can the Kabbalah actually teach us?” Well, Kabbalah can’t tell us anything about the attributes themselves...but it does teach us about how these names connect to each other and form a logical pattern. The form exhibited by how these names connect to each other, as embodied in the sacred texts of the torah, is the same pattern that underlies human consciousness. It is the “Image of G*d” that is so basic to human life, and with which we strive to be in harmony. In so doing , the individual, the community, and the world is sanctified and uplifted. The names of the Attributes that we listed previously (Keter etc...) are a secondary set of names that have been added to the Ten Names of G*d that exist in scripture. These secondary names show us how to harmonize the various aspects of our personalities in light of G*d's names. For instance, he attributes of “wisdom” and “understanding” stand for two of G*d’s names. The Kabbalist, who meditates upon these names, and learns how these names are linked in the Image of G*d, finds his/her own “wisdom” and “understanding” unified. In a similar way, all aspects of our personalities can be brought into harmony with the basic pattern of G*d’s image.


Central to this Kabbalistic path, is the requirement that one put aside ones desire to understand or comprehend. G*d is incomprehensible, as are the Divine Names. That being the case, it makes no sense to ask questions like “Why should this name connect to that one in just this particular way?” Such questions are unanswerable. Similarly, the linkage of a certain Divine Name to a certain humanly knowable quality, like “Kindness” or “Wisdom” does not imply that we know anything at all about G*d. we know only how the names are related to each other and thereby construct the Image. This path stresses an acceptance, in sincere faith, of the Divine Names, and the structure they form within the textual dimension which the Torah provides. That is why this branch of Torah study and observance is called Kabbalah (translated literally as “receiving”) These truths must be received. They cannot be arrived at by any human reasoning. How could we possibly conclude through reasoning that two incomprehensible names are connected to each other in a certain way, as opposed to any other? Rather it is taught that these truths can only be received by revelation, although once they are received, they enable us to rectify, sanctify and uplift ourselves and the entire world as well.


The Path of Comprehending Providence:


This path for understanding the kabbalah draws strongly from the works of Rabbenu Moshe Haim Luzzato (the RaMHaL) and the Gaon of Vilna. Unlike the Sephardic path we outlined, this school of thought refuses to view the Divine Attributes as a group of meaningless symbols. Rather , it affirms that if these attributes are given to as G*d’s way of communicating with us, that they must be in some way comprehensible. In what way, then, can the Attributes or Sefirot be understood? They are are understood by us because they show us and communicate to us how G*d acts through history. Each phase of history and each event or constellation of events is the result of a combination of various “Modes of Divine Activity”. Thus if one understands how the divine attributes connect to each other in a complete whole, then one can also understand the structure and course history, and how all the events in history, that to the unaided would appear meaningless, can be grasped as a harmonious unity contributing to the final establishment of the Kingdom of G*d and the ultimate universal redemption. The redemptive process in history is carried forward by our own ability to conquer evil, and evil is nothing more than the apparent lack of harmony that confronts us in the world. When we use Kabbalah to understand the historical process of which we are a part, we grasp the deep level harmonies that are invisible to scholars or philosophers, and by this we vanquish the force of evil, and promote the arrival of the redemption. A Kabbalist, then, is the sort of person who could explain to us tragic and dark face of history, and show us that it is not blind or meaningless.


The Path of Ego Transcendence


This is the path of the Ba’al Shem Tov and his disciples. Like the Lithuanian path, it affirms that the Sefirot must be comprehensible in some way, and yet it is unwilling to define them as merely “modes of Divine Activity”. According to the Lithuanian Path, all of history must be, in the final analysis, governed by logical necessity. Everything must be explainable, at least in a general sort of way. The Hassidic masters objected to this stress on the supremacy of logic. There must be room in the Sefirot for the unspeakable mystery of G*d that is beyond language or logic. However, the Hassidic masters did not believe that the Sefirot are a system of incomprehensible symbols. And so the question remains, what meaning can they have for us? The answer lies in the concept of “bittul” or self nullification. In ordinary logic and language it is the function of the concept to contain or grasp the meaning it conveys. Consequently, no language can covey anything true about G*d since the Divine Being is utterly transcendent and infinite. It is therefore necessary to radically redefine logic, language, and the ordinary states of consciousness that govern our day to day activities. The word must be transformed from that which contains and grasps meaning into something that surrenders to meaning. Insofar as a concept, word, or Divine Name is utterly surrendered to G*d, it becomes capable of communicating to us who G*d is. Every Kabbalistical concept is both meaningful and infinite. It is meaningful because it is drawn from our experience of the world, and yet infinite because it is wholly surrendered and nullified to G*d. When we use such language with G*d, and when G*d uses this language with us, we come to know something of the content of G*d’s infinite self. For example, the attribute of Hesed (loving-kindness) shows us that within the infinite unknowable singularity, there is loving-kindness, since the infinite meaning has taken this concept as a vehicle for its expression.


In order for us to grasp the nullified Names we have to nullify our egos. Therefore the Hassidic path stresses above all the need for us to abandon any form of arrogance or self interest. The goal of the Torah is to help us turn human awareness “in side out” through experiencing Awe and Love of G*d. Similarly, in the fulfillment of each Mitzva our awareness and experience opened outward, and we become enveloped in the Divine Attributes. Eventually, the true kabbalist is an individual who is able to nullify the very limbs of his/her body, and become a vehicle for G*d’s self revelation in this world.


Is There “One True Path?”


While I have been trained primarily in the Hasidic path, and it has my personal loyalty, there can be know doubt that all of these paths (and others that I have not touched upon) are valid and have something important to convey. One of the wonders of the Kabbalah is that the more you examine and investigate, the more levels of meaning shine through. Kabbalists the world over and through the ages have pondered this unique language of transcendent symbols, and all have been illuminated by G*d in a way that has shown each individual what he/she is called upon to do as part of the universal process of rectification. It can be said that Kabbalah is about knowing ourselves as G*d knows us, and about fulfilling that “Zelem” (image) that is both our deepest individuality and the spark of Divinity