Wisdom of Kabbalah

This essay is actually a transcript taken from an online video called Wisdom of Kabbalah. (The URL is given at the end of the essay.) It was felt that this presentation provides a clear and simple explanation of God and the creation according to the Kabbalah. For those unfamiliar with the Jewish Kabbalah, it is a set of esoteric teachings meant to explain the relationship between the unchanging, eternal God, and the mortal, finite universe (God's creation). It forms the foundation of mystical religious interpretations within Judaism.

Introduction
Have you ever found yourself staring at the stars wondering if there’s something more? Or felt a sense of emptiness even when surrounded by everything society tells you should make you happy? This desire for purpose, this longing to understand the meaning of our lives, is one of the deepest human experiences, and it’s what has driven humanity for thousands of years to search for answers.

What you’ll discover here is more than just a perspective; it’s a journey that promises the truth your soul has been yearning for. By the end of this video you’ll see life in a way you’ve never seen it before. So if you’re ready to unlock the answers to finally understand what’s been calling to you, then stay with us; this could be the most meaningful discovery of your life.

The Wisdom of Kabbalah
Across centuries and civilizations, philosophers, scientists, and sages have proposed countless theories to explain who we are, why we’re here, and what purpose, if any, guides our existence. But despite our advances in science and technology, these fundamental questions remain unanswered. For most of us, lingering like an itch that can’t be scratched, a yearning that can’t quite be satisfied, and yet hidden within ancient texts is a path, a framework, a work of wisdom that claims to hold the answers to these questions. A deeply mystical, yet profoundly practical approach to understanding the meaning of life and our place in it.

The Story of the Creator
In the language of Kabbalah, our reality is no accident, no random stroke of chance, but the result of a purposefully directed process by what Kabbalists call the Creator. Imagine a time before time, a story of the Creator before existence as we know it. There was no matter, no space, no beginning or end, only a single infinite force, a source.

Beyond human understanding, the Kabbalists call this the Creator, or the infinite, and they teach that everything we see and experience in life emerges from this boundless source. But what is this Creator, according to the Kabbalah?

The Creator is not some anthropomorphic figure sitting on a throne. It’s not a being in the way we understand beings; rather, the Creator is a force, a pure limitless force of giving, of bestowing, of sharing; this force is often referred to as the will to bestow because its sole purpose and essence is to give. It’s not bound by time or space, nor does it have any form.

The Creator’s only desire is to share goodness, to pour out infinite abundance. But if this Creator is a force of giving, a question arises: who or what is there to receive this goodness?

In Kabbalistic teachings, there’s a profound explanation: the Creator wished to give so fully, so completely, that it brought forth a counterpart, a vessel, something that could receive this endless goodness.

The Will to Receive
This is where the story of creation begins, and it’s not a story of stars or planets or atoms, it’s a story of a single act, a single creation brought forth directly from the Creator’s desire to give his first “Will to receive” creation. This vessel is what Kabbalists call the “Will to receive”. The Will to receive may sound abstract, but it’s actually at the core of everything we experience, everything we are. This Will to receive was not only created to take in the Creator’s boundless abundance, but was itself endowed with a desire to do so. It was designed as a container, a vessel capable of holding all the goodness the Creator wished to bestow.

Now, imagine this vessel, this creation, existing in a perfect state. It’s completely filled with the Creator’s light, experiencing the purest form of pleasure, bliss and unity. There’s no lack, no emptiness, no separation – just a perfect oneness with the Creator in this state. The vessel knew only fulfillment; it was complete, yet it was passive, almost like a child in the arms of its parent. It received everything without question, without effort, without awareness of anything outside of that perfect unity, but here’s where an interesting twist occurs.

The Shattering of the Vessel
To the Kabbalists, the Shattering of the Vessel explains that within this Will to receive something unique began to stir; the vessel became aware not just of the pleasure it was receiving but of the nature of the Giver, the Creator.

This awareness sparked a profound question, a question that would ultimately lead to all of existence as we know it.

• What is the purpose of my existence?
• Why do I receive all this abundance without any effort?
• Could I somehow become like the Creator, who gives rather than simply receives?

And so, a yearning was born. The vessel desired to be more than just a passive receiver; it wanted to achieve a kind of equality with the Creator, to partake in the act of giving rather than remain as a mere receiver.

This yearning to be like the Creator, this desire for independence, for a sense of purpose, beyond simply being filled, became the basis for everything that followed in response to this yearning.

The Journey Begins
The Creator, in infinite wisdom, recognized that in order for the vessel to truly experience fulfillment, it needed to go through a journey – a journey where it would transform from a mere receiver into something much more profound.

And so the vessel was broken, divided into countless fragments. Each fragment retained that original will to receive, but now each piece would undergo its own unique journey, driven by a hidden desire to reconnect with the Creator, to rediscover that perfect unity from which it came.

This division, this breaking, is what Kabbalists describe as the root of all creation, the beginning of all life.

Consciousness and desire were a purposeful fragmentation designed so that each individual piece of the vessel, the souls of every human being, could through their own journey, gradually come to understand the nature of the Creator and achieve the same quality of giving and bestowal.

Thus, in Kabbalah, creation is not simply a physical universe appearing from nothing; it’s the unfolding of a vast spiritual journey. It’s the descent of the original vessel from unity within the Creator down to our world of separation, where each piece, the individual souls, finds itself disconnected, struggling, yearning, and seeking meaning in the world we live in, with all its pleasures and pains, its challenges and mysteries. It is a carefully constructed arena where these fragmented souls can learn, step by step, to overcome their innate will to receive and develop a new desire, the will to bestow.

Why Was the Breaking of the Vessel Necessary?
Because only by going through this process, by struggling to rise above the will to receive, can each soul truly understand and appreciate the nature of the Creator. Each of us is given a unique path, a unique set of desires, challenges, and opportunities, and by engaging with these, by working to transform our own will to receive into a will to bestow, we begin to reconnect with that original unity, that perfect state of oneness that we all long for, even if we’re not consciously aware of it.

The Four Levels of Existence
To understand our journey, we need to look at what Kabbalists call the four levels of existence. This concept reveals how life unfolds from its most basic forms to the human soul, showing us how each level contains the seeds of the next, all pushing toward one goal: connection with the Creator.

These levels of existence, known in Kabbalistic texts as Domim, Somic, Hayyim, and Medaba, form a hierarchy moving from the inanimate to the plant to the animal and finally to the human.

[In Kabbalah, the four levels of existence are the four worlds, and are more commonly referred to as: Atziluth, Briah, Yetzirah, and Assiyah: 

• Atziluth: The world of emanation or closeness, associated with divine wisdom
• Briah: The world of creation, associated with divine understanding
• Yetzirah: The world of formation, associated with divine emotions
• Assiyah: The world of action, associated with divine activity

Each level is an expansion of the one before it, gaining complexity, individuality, and purpose, but they aren’t just levels of physical forms; they represent stages of spiritual development and the awakening of desires.

The First Level
Let’s begin with the inanimate level picture of vast, lifeless, inanimate desert or a quiet mountain range. This level, Domim (Atziluth) includes everything without movement, without individual desire. Stones, minerals, planets, and stars exist in a state of stillness, maintaining their form with almost no change. There’s no impulse for growth, no need to expand in Kabbalah. The inanimate represents the most basic desire, a simple desire to exist, to be sustained, to remain as is.

It has a connection to the Creator’s light, but this connection is almost hidden, almost imperceptible. The inanimate is stable, unchanging, at peace, but also limited in its expression of life.

The Second Level
Next we move to the second level, Somic (Briah), the vegetative. Here we see the beginning of growth, change, and development. Plants emerge from the earth seeking light, reaching toward the sun, drawing in nutrients. Unlike stones, plants have an inner drive, a desire to grow and flourish. They exist as more than just matter; they have life, movement, and an inner purpose. To expand on this level, we see a desire for more than mere existence; there’s an urge to take in light, to transform, to bear fruit. But this growth is still guided by nature’s laws, it’s instinctive and automatic; the plant cannot choose how to grow; it follows a predetermined path. Yet in Kabbalah, this level is already a significant step toward expressing the Creator’s light.

The Third Level
Then we reach Hayyim (Yetzirah), the animate animal level, where a completely new type of life takes shape; animals move freely, they hunt, they protect, they raise their young. On this level, there’s awareness of pleasure and pain, of comfort and danger.

Animals don’t just grow; they interact with their surroundings, they pursue their own needs, they experience instinctive emotions, and they make choices based on survival. The desire to receive is much stronger here, and it’s tied to a sense of self-preservation, a desire not just to survive but to live with awareness.

Unlike plants, animals possess individuality; they have distinct personalities, unique behaviors, and they form bonds in Kabbalah.

This level represents a higher desire for a consciousness that can move, feel, and react, but it’s still guided by instinct rather than conscious thought or deeper spiritual longing.

The Fourth Level
Finally we arrive at the level of Medaba (Assiyah), or the speaking-level of human beings. This is not simply another step in biological evolution; this is an evolution in the type of desire itself.

Humans have all the desires of the previous levels. The stability of the inanimate, the growth of the plant, and the instinct of the animal. But on top of that, humans have something else: an awareness of self, a yearning for meaning, a desire to understand our place in existence.

This is the level where the question of purpose arises, unlike animals. Humans are not content with instinct alone; we seek answers, we yearn to create, to transform, to transcend in Kabbalistic wisdom.

This human level is the most profound because the pyramid structure of desire reflects the Creator’s own desire to give the human soul the capacity to question, to aspire, to experience the full spectrum of life, and to reach beyond it. Our minds can contemplate infinity. Our hearts can feel compassion for others and our spirits can seek connection with the Creator.

This is the level where desire becomes complex, layered, and sometimes contradictory.

Here humans feel the greatest intensity of both pleasure and pain, joy and suffering, because we are aware of our existence in ways that other levels are not.

This level is where “Free Will” enters. We can choose how to act, how to respond, and ultimately how to shape our lives and spiritual journeys.

Why are Levels of Hierarchy Important?
But why is this hierarchy important? Because each level of existence; from stone to plant, animal to human, represents stages in the evolution of desire, it is through the expansion and refinement of our desires that we draw closer to the Creator’s light. The inanimate level is content to exist. The plant seeks growth; the animal seeks movement, pleasure, and safety.

But as humans, we seek something beyond ourselves: we ask questions; we look to the stars and wonder why we are here. We are driven by a need to transcend, to rise above our material needs and connect with something greater, and this is where Kabbalistic teachings introduce the idea that humanity’s ultimate purpose is to reunite with the Creator. Our journey through these levels of existence is not random; it’s a path set in motion by the Creator’s desire to share boundless joy and purpose with us.

Each level of existence is like a rung on a ladder, guiding us higher and higher, deeper into the mystery of life, closer to the divine source.

On the level of Medaba (Assiyah), the speaking level, we have the capacity to become co-creators, actively participating in our spiritual journey, learning to balance our own desires with the act of giving; in this sense, human existence is a precious opportunity.

We’re not just here to survive or to grow, we’re here to transform, to cultivate qualities within ourselves that align with the Creator’s giving nature.

So as we look at the four levels of existence, we begin to see life as a vast and intricate process of spiritual evolution. The desires that animate a stone, a tree, an animal, and a human being are connected, flowing from the same source, but each level is a unique expression of that original will to bestow. It’s as if the Creator had placed a spark of divine purpose within each level, each form of existence gradually bringing it to life in us – in humanity – where it can reach full awareness in our journey to understand life through the teachings of Kabbalah. With reconnection and spiritual work, we arrive at one of the most essential aspects.

Reconnection and Spiritual Work.
Kabbalah suggests that every soul at its core has a singular purpose – to reunite with the Creator. This is no ordinary reunion; it’s a conscious, intentional journey back to our true essence, achieved through active spiritual work and inner transformation.

But how does one practically approach this reconnection?

What exactly is spiritual work?

And why is it so vital in our path toward fulfillment?

In this section we’ll explore three key points. The awakening of the point in the heart, transforming desires, and the role of the collective in spiritual work. Let’s begin with the first.

Awakening the Point in the Heart
Awakening the point in the heart in Kabbalistic wisdom, the point in the heart is a term describing that initial spark of desire for something higher, a longing that goes beyond the material world.

You may feel it as a quiet but persistent question that whispers: Is there more to life than this?

Many people first experience it as a vague feeling of dissatisfaction, even when everything in their life seems to be in place. They may have material success, relationships, health, yet something still feels incomplete.

This point in the heart is like a divine spark planted within each person. It’s a desire for true purpose for spiritual growth, for reconnection with the Creator. In the Kabbalistic view everyone has this spark, but it may lay dormant until a certain stage in life, often triggered by experiences that shake our sense of certainty or comfort.

The point in the heart is our soul’s awakening, a reminder that there is a greater reality waiting to be explored. Once the point in the heart awakens, it becomes a driving force in our spiritual journey.

Kabbalists teach that it’s this inner spark that pulls us towards spiritual work, urging us to question, to seek, and to rise above our ordinary desires. This desire becomes the beginning of our path, motivating us to learn, to grow, and to seek understanding. Spiritual work then is not about abandoning the world but about expanding our perspective, seeing the world through a higher lens, and learning to transform our everyday experiences into steps toward unity with the Creator. The next stage in spiritual work is deeper and more challenging.

Transforming Our Desires
The process of transforming our desires is at the heart of Kabbalistic teachings. It’s the force that drives all of existence, from the inanimate to the human level.

Desire shapes everything we do and everything we feel, but in its raw form, human desire is centered on the self. We desire comfort, pleasure, recognition, and security – all natural human needs.

However, on the path of spiritual growth, Kabbalah teaches that we must refine and elevate these desires. The process of transforming desires involves shifting from self-centered desires, known as the will to receive for oneself alone, to desires that are focused on giving connection and unity with others. This isn’t easy. Our ego naturally pulls us to focus on ourselves to pursue our own gains and needs, but in Kabbalistic practice we learn to recognize these ego-driven desires and gradually transform them into acts of giving and compassion.

Kabbalists often describe this work as learning to perceive the world from a place of unity. Imagine seeing others not as separate from yourself but as extensions of your own soul. When you help others, you’re essentially helping yourself. When you bring joy to others, you experience joy in return. This transformative work requires daily effort, a constant awareness of our inner motivations, and a commitment to act in ways that bring us closer to the Creator’s qualities of giving and love. In this transformation, we begin to experience the world differently; we find deeper meaning in our relationships; greater purpose in our actions and a sense of fulfillment that isn’t dependent on external circumstances.

By transforming our desires, we align ourselves with the Creator’s nature step by step, bridging the gap between our earthly selves and our higher spiritual potential. The third and final point is the role of the collective in spiritual work.

The Role of the Collective in Spiritual Work
The most powerful aspect of Kabbalah is the role of the “collective” in spiritual work, according to Kabbalistic teachings. Spiritual growth is not a solitary journey; it’s a collective one. We’re all part of a single interconnected system, like individual cells within a body. Each of us contributes to the whole, and each of us is influenced by the whole. In Kabbalah, this interconnectedness isn’t just a metaphor; it’s a spiritual truth. Our souls are bound together, sharing a common destiny. When we approach spiritual work as a collective, we recognize that our growth depends on our relationships with others.

Our interactions become a mirror reflecting the parts of ourselves that need healing, transformation, and understanding. Every encounter, every relationship, becomes an opportunity for spiritual growth. Through our connections, we learn patience, empathy, forgiveness, and unity. We learn to see ourselves in others, to rise above judgment, and to practice compassion in Kabbalah.

It’s often said that the Creator can only be truly known through the love of others. This means that our spiritual work is not about retreating from the world; rather, it’s about engaging with it in a new way. When we work together – studying, reflecting, and supporting each other’s growth – we create an environment that accelerates our spiritual journey. The collective effort enhances each individual’s progress, lifting everyone closer to the Creator’s light.

A powerful example of this is the concept of Minyan, or a gathering of individuals studying Kabbalah together. This group is not just a study group; it’s a spiritual vessel. Within this unity, each person’s effort adds to the others, creating a collective force that allows them to reach higher spiritual levels than any one of them could achieve. They become a single, unified soul resonating with the Creator’s light, transcending the limitations of individual ego. But the collective doesn’t stop with study groups.

Every connection we make in life has the potential to become a part of our spiritual work. Whether with family, friends, or even strangers, each encounter is an invitation to practice love, patience, and empathy, and as we expand this circle of connection, we help to heal the collective soul of humanity.

In Kabbalah, this is the ultimate goal: to bring the entire world into harmony with the Creator’s light, a world where all souls are united in love and purpose in these three points.

The awakening of the point in the heart, the transformation of desires, and the role of the collective in spiritual work. Here we find a roadmap for reconnecting with the Creator.

Our Perception of Reality
Spiritual work is not a one-time achievement; it’s a lifelong journey, an ongoing process of refining our desires, elevating our perspective, and connecting deeply with others. Each step we take, no matter how small, brings us closer to our true essence, closer to the Creator.

Our perception of reality is perhaps one of the most profound topics in Kabbalistic wisdom. According to Kabbalah, what we experience as reality is not a direct objective world but rather a reflection, a mirror of our inner state. It’s an idea that shifts everything we think we know about life, the world, and even ourselves. To understand true reality, Kabbalah invites us to go beyond the familiar, to step outside the box of our usual ways of thinking and see true reality. According to Kabbalah, it is vastly different from what we typically perceive with our senses.

The world as we know it is filled with limitations, filters and assumptions – things that shape and sometimes distort our understanding – but if we want to perceive reality as it truly is, we need to let go of these limits and open ourselves to something beyond what we’ve ever known.

Kabbalah teaches that what we perceive as reality is actually a construct of the ego built on a foundation of separation and individuality. We are taught to believe that we are separate entities, each with our own independent existence, each defined by personal wants, fears, and goals, but this perception, as real as it feels, is only a tiny fraction of what actually exists.

In truth we are deeply interconnected, part of a vast, divine whole that operates as one unified reality. Stepping outside the box means daring to recognize that our individuality as we understand it is an illusion, a mask over the deeper truth of unity, to perceive this unity.

Kabbalists tell us we must shift our focus from external appearances to inner essence. Imagine an iceberg floating on the ocean – the tip above water is what we usually see and experience in life: the outer world, the tangible things, the events, and forms we interact with every day. But the massive unseen part of the iceberg beneath the surface is where true reality lies.

This unseen realm contains the forces, intentions, and energies that sustain everything we perceive. By shifting our attention away from the tip and toward the base, we begin to glimpse the underlying reality that connects everything.

The Ein Sof – The Infinite Reality
One of the most powerful tools Kabbalah provides for seeing true reality is the concept of the Ein Sof, or the Infinite. This term describes the Creator’s boundless, all-encompassing light, a divine essence that flows through all creation in our ordinary state.

We’re often too focused on the finite details of life to sense this infinite presence. We’re caught in the distractions, the dramas, the things that feel urgent and immediate, but stepping outside the box means learning to sense this boundless light, to tune into the eternal essence within all things, and to recognize that everything, even the most mundane aspects of life, contains a spark of the infinite. When we learn to perceive true reality, we begin to understand life’s challenges, joys, and even its painful moments in a completely different way, rather than seeing ourselves as victims of random circumstances. We see that every experience is purposeful, every encounter is orchestrated, and every moment offers a chance for growth and connection.

Kabbalah teaches that true reality is ultimately benevolent and harmonious, designed to elevate our souls and guide us back to unity with the Creator by seeing through the illusions of separation and fear.

If we start to recognize the divine wisdom guiding every step of our journey, this perception of true reality is not something we acquire all at once; it’s a process, a gradual unveiling as we transform our own inner world. The more we cultivate love, compassion, and alignment with the Creator’s purpose, the more the veil of illusion lifts, revealing a reality far more beautiful, connected, and profound than we could have ever imagined.

In this way, stepping outside the box of ordinary perception is not about escaping life but about stepping more fully into it – seeing with clarity, purpose, and love. So what does it mean to understand true reality? It means daring to let go of the boundaries we’ve placed around our understanding; it means embracing a perspective that sees the infinite within the finite, the whole within the part. Ultimately, it’s a journey toward seeing with the eyes of the Creator and experiencing life as a continuous, boundless flow of divine love and unity.

The Science of the Soul
Kabbalah has often been called the science of the soul, and for good reason. Unlike many spiritual paths that rely on belief or faith alone, Kabbalah approaches spirituality with the rigor of a scientific discipline. It explores the universe, the soul, and the Creator through systematic study and experiential practice, leading to a deeper understanding of life’s mysteries. Kabbalists view this path not just as a philosophy, but as an empirical science, a method by which anyone can experience and know spiritual truths first-hand.

To understand why Kabbalah is considered a science, we first need to recognize that according to Kabbalistic thought, the universe operates through specific laws and principles, just as we have physical laws governing our material world, like gravity and electromagnetism. There are spiritual laws that govern the flow of energy, consciousness, and divine intention in the spiritual realms. These laws aren’t arbitrary; they are consistent, measurable, and predictable. They guide every aspect of creation, from the smallest detail of our personal lives to the grand unfolding of the cosmos.

One of the central teachings in Kabbalah is that the universe is designed to reveal the Creator’s essence to us. In this sense, Kabbalistic study resembles scientific exploration, where each insight and experience brings us closer to an ultimate truth. Kabbalists refer to this journey as attaining higher worlds through specific practices such as meditation, study, and ethical transformation.

Students of Kabbalah learn to develop a new sense, a spiritual tool that allows them to perceive these higher worlds directly. This inner transformation is what makes Kabbalah a truly scientific path. It’s not about accepting ideas blindly but about personally testing and verifying spiritual truths.

The Zohar and the Tree of Life
A unique aspect of Kabbalah is the Zohar, and the tree of life emphasizes experience over doctrine. Kabbalistic texts such as the Zohar, and the Tree of Life, contain precise descriptions of spiritual realms, the structure of the soul, and the nature of divine energy. But these aren’t abstract concepts; they are detailed guides meant for practical application when studying these texts. Kabbalists are not just learning; they are actively experiencing each lesson. Each meditation is designed to bring them closer to a direct encounter with the Divine, to feel and know the Creator’s presence and purpose. This is where Kabbalah departs from simple philosophy or theology and becomes a science of direct experience. In Kabbalistic science, the ultimate goal is transformation.

Every stage of learning, every spiritual tool, and every technique, aims to align the individual more fully with the Creator’s will, moving from self-centeredness to a state of oneness and giving. Kabbalah teaches that as we climb this ladder of transformation, we’re not only gaining knowledge; we’re actually altering the very nature of our souls. This process is as precise as any experiment, with each level of spiritual attainment following a systematic and predictable progression.

The experience and insights of one Kabbalist can be shared, tested, and verified by another, establishing a legacy of wisdom passed down through generations, forming the empirical foundation of this spiritual science. To walk the path of Kabbalah is to be both a student and a scientist of the soul; it requires discipline, curiosity, and a willingness to question and explore.

For centuries, this sacred science has been a hidden tradition, but today Kabbalistic teachings are accessible to anyone with the desire to understand life’s deeper truths. It invites all of us to step into the role of spiritual researchers, investigating not only the world around us but the mysteries within us, with each revelation guiding us toward greater unity, purpose, and understanding.

Conclusion
As we conclude, let’s carry forward the key insight that Kabbalah teaches, that within each of us lies the spark of the Creator waiting to be ignited. We are not separate from the Divine, we are expressions of it. When we connect to this inner spark we begin to experience life from a higher perspective. This is the journey of Kabbalah – to awaken that spark, to align our inner world with a greater whole, and to live with clarity, compassion, and purpose. If this journey has sparked a curiosity within you, take it as a call to explore further. Kabbalah offers endless wisdom, and with each step the path becomes clearer. Remember that the world around us mirrors the world within us, and as we transform ourselves, we also transform the world.

May you continue to ask questions, to seek, to learn, and to grow, because the path of Kabbalah is ultimately the path to discovering your true self, and in that discovery lies the deepest peace, the greatest love, and the highest purpose.

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Once You Learn These Lessons, Your Reality Will Shift Completely

(Wisdom of Kabbalah)

Beyond the Veil @StillnessStories-rx5wc

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