Beyond Madonna - Robert Waxman on Kabbalah According To The
Great Scholars
When I began studying Kabbalah in 1985, very few people knew
anything about Kabbalah. Now, thanks to Madonna, the word
"kabbalah" has become a hot topic of conversation in the media,
on the internet and at cocktail parties.
Along with this fabulous publicity, many people have asked, "Is
Kabbalah a cult?", "Is it a religion?" and, "Is it only for
Jewish people?" So, the time has come to clarify what Kabbalah
is, and what it's not.
Kabbalah is not a cult. There are some Kabbalah organizations
that have a cult-like atmosphere, but this is a common abuse of
trust that develops in all faith-based movements.
Kabbalah is not a religion. Kabbalah is an ancient, universal,
wisdom tradition that's existed since time immemorial.
Kabbalah is not just for Jewish people. All faiths and
denominations are welcome to study and learn the beauty of
Kabbalistic truths. The first proposition in Kabbalah includes
unity, oneness and universal love. Kabbalah is truly for
everyone!
Kabbalah holds the key to many mysteries of The Bible. For
thousands of years it was known as "The Oral Wisdom Tradition"
which was passed down from one generation to the next by word of
mouth. Kabbalah offers answers to many of the most profound
questions ever asked by the greatest minds that have ever lived:
1) How did the universe begin? 2) What is the purpose of life?
3) What happens after death? and; 4) Are we spiritual beings
having a physical experience? Or are we physical beings having a
spiritual experience?
These are just a few of the questions that Kabbalah can explain
in detail. When Kabbalah is studied in universities, students
are required to read classic books written by the great
scholars. Three of these brilliant scholars include: Gershom
Scholem, Aryeh Kaplan and Isaiah Tishby. These teachers/authors
have made essential contributions to the study of Kabbalah.
These intellectuals have made it possible to separate fact from
fiction, so Kabbalah can be studied as a serious subject of
inquiry.
To many people, Kabbalah seems to be a collection of wild
fables, volumes of words and numbers, vague symbolism and
inconsistent methods of decoding the secrets of The Bible. This
is why it's so important to study the teachings of the great
scholars. These critically acclaimed writers spent their lives
researching, translating and interpreting the true teachings of
Kabbalah. Their explanations are factual, logical and solely
based upon the original texts written by the most influential
Kabalists throughout history.
Kabbalah is not a haphazard collection of facts. It is based on
the fundamental natural laws of the universe, and the unfolding
of these laws as they evolve outwardly. These teachings are
derived from timeless, universal truths that lead to inner
illumination.
Kabbalah is not taught as a speculation. It is a body of
knowledge that can split into sections, and then understood as a
whole. Some students may be confused after separating the
teachings into various categories, but they will eventually
understand the full meaning of Kabbalah, when these sections
come together and form one unified philosophy.
A natural question for the student of Kabbalah to ask is: "What
type of activities should be supported in this busy world of
family, career and daily responsibilities?" The student of
Kabbalah is a friend to all movements of pure intent. Students
should select for themselves their favorite fields of activities
and pursue them with passion and enthusiasm.
The true Kabalist is a philanthropist, an honest upright
individual, and one who has a genuine feeling of love,
compassion and respect for all humankind.