Transcription
A Guideto theHidden Wisdomof KabbalahThird Edition
A Guideto theHidden Wisdomof KabbalahThird EditionL AIT M ANKABBAL AH P UBLISHERSRav Michael Laitman, PhD
A GUIDE TO THE HIDDEN WISDOM OF KABBALAHCopyright 2008 by MICHAEL LAITMANAll rights reservedPublished by Laitman Kabbalah Publisherswww.kabbalah.infoinfo@kabbalah.info1057 Steeles Avenue West, Suite 532, Toronto, ON, M2R 3X1, CanadaBnei Baruch USA, 2009 85th Street #51, Brooklyn, New York, 11214, USAPrinted in CanadaNo part of this book may be used or reproducedin any manner without written permission of the publisher,except in the case of brief quotations embodiedin critical articles or reviews.Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication DataLaitman, Michael.A guide to the hidden wisdom of Kabbalah / Michael Laitman. — 3rd ed.p. cm.Previously published under the title: The hidden wisdom of Kabbalah.ISBN 978-1-897448-16-8. 1. Cabala. I. Title.BM525.L249 2009296.1’6—dc222008049181Copy Editor: Michael R. KellogLayout: Baruch KhovovCover Design: Ole Færøvik, Therese VademPrinting and Post Production: Uri LaitmanExecutive Editor: Chaim RatzTHIRD EDITION: OCTOBER 2009FIRST PRINTING
CONTENTSINTRODUCTION.11PART I - KABBALAH FACTS AND FALLACIES .15Chapter 1: Out in the Open . 17Chapter 2: Some Basics .23Chapter 3: Reality Check .30Chapter 4: The History of Desires .40Chapter 5: Kabbalah—Its History and VIPs .49Chapter 6: Baal HaSulam .59PART II - BEFORE THERE WAS TIME . 65Chapter 7: Down and Up the Ladder .67Chapter 8: Setting the Stage for Man .80Chapter 9: Unlocking the Language of Kabbalah . 91Chapter 10: When Letters and Words Add Up .103Chapter 11: Body and Soul . 115Chapter 12: Becoming a Kabbalah Student .126Chapter 13: Let the Music Speak .139PART III - KABBALAH TODAY .145Chapter 14: In the Global Era . 147Chapter 15: Diagnosis Is Half the Cure .159Chapter 16: Correction Starts with Me. 171Chapter 17: All Together Now .183APPENDIX .193
D E TA I L E DTA B L E O F C O N T E N T SINTRODUCTION.11What You’ll Find in This Book . 12Sidebars . 13PART I - KABBALAH FACTS AND FALLACIES .15CHAPTER 1: OUT IN THE OPEN . 17In the Spotlight . 17From Small Groups to Mass Exposure . 18Breaking the Iron Wall . 19Kabbalah—because Now We Need It . 19The Right Wisdom for it’s Time . 20Kabbalah with Anything . 21CHAPTER 2: SOME BASICS .23The Truth about Reality .23To Receive—Discover the Force of Giving . 24Reality as an Embroidery .25The Latent Sense .25The Creator Has to Give; We Have to Receive . 27Selfish to the Core . 27The Most Egoistic Desire: to Be an Altruist . 28CHAPTER 3: REALITY CHECK . 30Is This All there Is? . 31Beyond the Five Senses . 31Across the Barrier .33The Only Reality Is Within . 34In Search of Freedom . 34Fake Freedom.36The Pleasure and Pain Principle. 36Four Factors (Layers) of Our Makeup . 37CHAPTER 4: THE HISTORY OF DESIRES . 40Five Levels of Desires . 41The Recognition of Evil and the Revelation of Good . 41Feeling Good, then Better .43A Win, Win Situation .44When Sex, Power, and Knowledge Don’t Do It for Me. 45The Point in the Heart .45Zooming on the “Why” .46Coupling with the Creator .46
CHAPTER 5: KABBALAH—ITS HISTORY AND VIPS. 49From the First Thought to the First Man. 49Adam . 51Abraham .52Moses .53Rashbi (Rabbi Shimon Bar Yochai) . 54In the Cave.55Early Reappearance.56Rabbi Isaac Luria (The Ari) .56A Method that Suits Its Time . 57CHAPTER 6: BAAL HASULAM .59The Goal of Kabbalah .60What Kabbalah Books Do for You, and What They Don’t . 60Roots—from Top to Bottom . 61The Great Commentator.62Call of the Hour .63PART II - BEFORE THERE WAS TIME .65CHAPTER 7: DOWN AND UP THE LADDER . 67The Five-Rung Ladder .68Five Phases or Five Sefirot .69The Screen (and the Unlikely Example) . 705!5!5 . 71The Fifth Level and the Barrier . 73The Start of the Climb .75Towards a Common Soul .75Up the Ladder . 76Back to the Future . 76What Goes Around Comes Around . 78CHAPTER 8: SETTING THE STAGE FOR MAN . 80Five Worlds, and None Real .80At the Top of the Ladder . 81Equal but Opposite.82A Short Story of Creation .82For Your Pleasure Only.84The Construction Workers. 86Adam and Eve Are Born (and Dropped) . 86Tricked into Sinning . 87Sin—the Way Out of Evil .88Tiny Gold Coins .89
CHAPTER 9: UNLOCKING THE LANGUAGE OF KABBALAH . 91Like Roots and Branches .92The Same but Opposite .93The Hidden Meaning of the Bible . 94Behind the Monitor .95The Apple Story .95Abraham—between Egypt and Israel . 96Moses’ Tug-of-War with Pharaoh. 97The (Classic Happy-end) Story of Esther . 98The Zohar—Not without Attainment . 99The Donkey Driver . 100The Night of the Bride . 101The Beginning of the Last Generation. 101The Study of the Ten Sefirot . 102CHAPTER 10: WHEN LETTERS AND WORDS ADD UP . 103The Ties between Letters, Words, and Numbers . 104A Map of Spirituality . 104Dots and Lines . 106Black on White . 106Letters and Worlds . 108Ones, Tens, Hundreds, and Beyond . 110If God Nature, and Nature Desire, then .111The Building-Blocks of Life . 112Abraham Took It Personally (and so can you) . 113Discover Your Root,Discover Your Name .114CHAPTER 11: BODY AND SOUL . 115Your Body—a Container for Your Soul.116Recycle until You’re Ripe and Ready.116Why the Repeated Appearances?.117The Seed of the Soul .117Where and What Is a Soul? .118A Shirt for the Soul . 119No Time in Spirituality. 120Some Q&A’s . 120Who Was I? . 120Can We Identify People from the Past? . 121Can I Reincarnate as an Animal? . 122How Many Times do I Have to Reincarnate? . 122Can I Remember Past Lives?. 123What Remains of Past Lives? . 123How Can I Positively Aff
Kabbalah is directly related to the state of the world today. In Part 3, “Kabbalah Today,” we will explore Kabbalah’s perspective of the global crises and discuss ways to cure them. Finally, we’ll end with a brief tour of how Kabbalah will affect your future. You’ll also find a helpful appendix to enhance your journey and point you in the right direction if you’d like to learn more .File Size: 1MBPage Count: 38
