Thanks to Madonna and other celebrities seeking to understand themselves and their place in the world, Kabbalah has become almost a household word, but what is the Kabbalah and how can it help us?

The Kabbalah may be viewed as an esoteric sector of the Jewish faith dealing mostly with exploration of the nature of divinity, creation, the origin and fate of the soul, and the role of human beings in this realm. It makes wide use of meditative, devotional, mystical and magical practices to this end.

Traditionally, the Kabbalah was taught only to a select group and it is still somewhat shrouded in mystery though it has been studied and practiced by people outside of the Jewish faith for several hundred years, these practices are usually called the Hermetic Kabbalah.

Kabbalah means “to receive or to accept” but is usually taken to mean ‘tradition’ and relates to certain traditional practices relative to a personal relationship with God and creation.

The Torah or first five books of the Old Testament are believed to have been created before the world and advised God on the creation of human kind. At the time that Moses received these laws it is accepted that he also received the oral laws which were subsequently passed down to future generations – so Kabbalah is also known as ‘the oral tradition’.

The crux of Kabbalah is that it is seen as an explanation of the Torah that was sent to demystify it and its power. It is believed that by studying the Torah it is possible to unlock the truth behind creation.

The Kabbalah is also viewed as a tool containing the methods needed to approach God personally and it is believed that this is indeed possible (if somewhat frightening).

To simplify – it is the two concepts discussed above that form the basis of traditional practices of Kabbalah.

How old is the Kabbalah?

It is not known exactly how old the Kabbalah is, but the earliest documents relating to these practices date back to the first century C.E. There are those who believe that this tradition goes back as far as Melchizedek and even that Pythagoras was influenced by such Hebrew sources.

The period 100AD – 1000AD i.e. medieval times (and therefore not strictly Kabbalistic) is filled with Jewish mystical references. Scholem has ultimately determined the origins of Kabbalah to hark back to the 12 century.

Do I Need to be Jewish to Study Kabbalah?

You don’t need to be Jewish to study Kabbalah but there are some aspects that may seem very hard to understand to those who are not part of the faith. On the other hand there are many principles contained within the Kabbalah that can be easily grasped by almost anybody.

However, it should be recognized that Kabbalah is indeed part of Judaism and its history and is of importance to members of the faith. This should be given the appropriate respect.

Can Women Study the Kabbalah?

You may have heard that the practice of studying the Kabbalah is not open to women. If Kabbalah is studied within the Jewish faith then this is indeed true but if you are not a practicing Jew there are no restrictions placed on you. People of any gender may study and embrace its principles if they desire to do so. In fact, women have done so for the past 100 years!

Do I Need to Speak and Read Hebrew to Study the Kabbalah?

You don’t have to be able to speak and understand Hebrew, either, to embrace the principles of the Kabbalah, a minimal understanding is sufficient for most rituals and exercises. If you can speak Hebrew, your experience will no doubt be enhanced but it isn’t essential.

What is the Hermetic Kabbalah and is it Authentic?

Kabbalah is studied by many people who are not Jewish and this has been happening for about 500 years! There are even some Jewish people who choose to study the hermetic Kabbalah over more traditional forms.

Whether it is authentic is a matter of personal opinion. Many devout Jews would say it is not but this is open to debate. In general, it probably contains the most important principles with a few discrepancies.

There are those who feel there is one major and important difference between Kabbalah (as practiced by devout Jews) and hermetic Kabbalah: traditional Kabbalah practice focuses on the divine for the purposes of the betterment of creation while hermetic Kabbalah may gravitate towards the betterment of self. This is open to debate.

How to Start your Kabbalah Study

A mystical approach teaches that when the student is ready the teacher will appear and good teachers of Kabbalah are not easy to find. A more practical approach to finding a suitable teacher may be to mix and mingle with others who share the same interest at lectures, meetings or workshops.

There are Kabbalists who view teaching as a personal obligation and if they don’t charge a fee they will demand a similarly strong commitment from their pupils.

A good teacher of the Kabbalah will focus on you and your personal relationship with God and will never seek to control your thoughts or perceptions.

It is clear that for those seeking to find a connection between their purpose on earth as it pertains to God and creation will find a valuable and practical tool in the Kabbalah. This belief system contains many rituals and meditative practices aimed at calming the mind and appreciating the role of a spiritual figure in our lives as well as providing a wealth of spiritual guidance that may answer many of our deeper questions.