McDonald’s Mekubalim
I have friends from all streams of Jewish thought, who are in various places with their lives. I love them all, but sometimes they drive me absolutely nuts(hey what else are friends for). With the Kabbalah Kraze in full force everyone today wants to be a Kabbalist, whether or not they are properly equipped. People like Laitman and Berg have made a fortune by making “Kabbalah” accessible to the masses. That is about where my little spleen venting here begins.
I understand that their latest “Kabbalsitic” thought may well seem awfully meaningful to them. Which is why I typically try to avoid discussions about such things. See when someone comes to me with their latest Gematria trip(never mind that they have ignored all of the rules of Gematriyot, yes they do exist) and can be quite put out when I am significantly under-whelmed. I kinda see it like this, let’s say a guy hunts up someone he knows that is a University prof in physics and shows him his latest mathematical feat of 2+2=5. Would we be put out by the Physics prof for saying something like, “Um… that is just not correct. 2+2=4.”? No probably not.
However since religion plays into this, and since we have been far too inundated with Western values, I get an earful of, “You have to respect my opinions and feelings.” What utter rubbish. My other favorite is, “Are you saying that Artscroll, Chabad.org, OU.com, Rav Ginsburg, and the Baal HaTur are all wrong?” Let me not so kindly suggest that if the first three places that pop into your mind as to where you are getting you Kabbalistic knowledge are Artscroll, Chabad.org, and OU.com, you are not, no matter how much you would like to convince yourself otherwise, not learning Kabbalah. If you are using the Artscroll Baal HaTur(same thing), heck if you are reading the Tur straight, though you will be introduced to a few Kabbalistic concepts you are going to be lost as to what lies behind them. As far as Rav Ginsburg, see the the comments over at Tiyul In Tanya Part 4, as a short recap, anyone whose self-written bio calls the Greatest Living Kabbalist, and who says he has greater revelation than the Ari can quite simply be discounted.
As far as needing to give ear to such sillyness and respecting the opinions of those bringing it to me, to quote a favorite author of mine, “There are no bargains between lions and sheep and no accord between the ant and the boot.” If you want me to respect your opinions learn to read Hebrew and Aramaic so that you can actually deal with the sources and not rely on the various translations, especially Artscroll which is repeatedly noted for its editorial translation in order to make the Gemarra(or other writings) come up to modern Chareidi Standards.
This is what I call McDonalds Mekubalim, they don’t want to put the labor into actually learning Kabbalah(or even Chassidut) they just want it quick easy and the way they want it.
I am not a mekubal, nor have I delved into the matter other than to read Rav Munk’s translation of the Shelah which I freely admit I didn’t understand most of, even thought it was in English. When people ask me about kabbalah I tell them that it’s the microneurosurgery of Torah – most of us doctors know it’s there and that it can accomplish amazing things but we wouldn’t dare try to have an educated conversation with such a specialist about his field.
But here’s the problem: As this post notes Popular Kabbalah is everywhere and it pops into everything. Think something is permitted because the Shulchan Aruch says it’s okay? Well think again because the Zohar or the AriZa”l or some other book I’ve probably never heard of says it isn’t. Think you’re putting your tallis on the right way? Did you ever hear of Mekubal X who said that you have to put it on the other wawy because otherwise the Heavenly Sefiros don’t line up and you won’t get the shefa from Shamayim you were hoping for?
As a poshut Yid with only a very limited education (but you probably already figured that out) I can only say that I’m frustrated by this kind of thing, the “it doesn’t matter how much you learn Gemara and halacha, none of it matters because Kabbala is the real Torah”.
Oh Garnel you truly do get my frustration, and you hit directly upon the problem. I can’t even count the number of times that the Arizal says that we should rely upon the Shulhan Arukh/Beit Yosef.
The truth is that no true Kabbalist/Mekubal would say any of those things. Sure there are stringencies that mekubalim may take on, but they know that they are stringencies. As far as what is the true Torah… to think that is Kefira, to speak it out… the True Torah is the one that Moshe Rabbeinu received at Sinai.
I like a phrase that Rav Kaduri ZTzUK”L used to say and Rav Hillel oft repeats, you will never know a drop more sod than you already know of pshat(actually something similar is said by the Arizal, who used to spend the majority of his time learning halakha, at least so writes Haim Vital).
But you will not find these McDonalds Mekubalim opening a Shulhan Arukh… that is below them.
My first test for any Mekubal is to ask them if they can tell me the seven shitot that the Pri Magadim brings regarding blood and the effect of salt in his introduction to Melicha. If not, I typically discount them, unless they have a pretty amazing come back with some other area of stam halakha.
Well put, and I’m finally getting to that post I promised you, partly as thanks for your helping us with the translation of that Rashi/Hebrew text.
I’m very inspired by what you write, and hope to link to your post here while doing the topic justice. It’s hard not to get peeved and yes, if one isn’t concerned with normative halacha, they are hardly a “kosher k’li” for the learning of Kabbalah.
Tell me, I run into a lot of folks here in Tzfat, Americans, (and online) teaching to women and non-Jews the “kabbalah” of the Alshag (claiming that his neshama melded with that of Rabbeinu Ari). I know nothing, except he wasn’t accepted by the mekubalim in Jerusalem. If you know much, can write in response those sorts of claims, i’d appreciate hearing. My husband isn’t learned in the teachings of Rav Alshag, and I find myself sometimes in the uncomfortable situation of having to defend my lack of knowledge since he is so popular now and I’m only on here rarely to manage our kollel info, so can’t really speak independently of Rav Yehudah. Any thoughts?
I have read the Sulam, though I haven’t read his(or his sons’ other works). Though I did sit in on some of his grandson’s shiurim. His Kabbalah is pretty solid. I would argue that it requires a pretty strong background in the Eitz Haim to even begin to understand it, especially the Sulam, as he is essentially trying to interpret the entire Zohar according to the Eitz Haim, which was the point of the Eitz Haim as Rav Vital wrote in Shaar 1 Anaf 5.
Those who are teaching in English… well they claim to be students of either Rav Yehuda Ashlag, his son Barukh, or one of his chief disciples. Granted they claim to have been “private” students or only known by the other niftarim so that none of this can every be verified.
Rav Ovadia deals with them at the end of his Teshuva in Yehave Daat 4:47.
Finally I would suggest anyone who wants to get involved in Ashlag Chassidus to contact one of the current admorim, Rebbe Yechezkel Yosef Haleivi Ashlag or Rebbe Simcha Avrohom Haleivi Ashlag. If nothing else to be sure that those who claim to be mashpia truly are.
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