What is Kabbalah?

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Special thanks to Seth Weprin for co-writing this episode. Thanks to Gavi from ‪@UNPACKED‬ for reading an early draft.
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References:
Boaz Huss, "All You Need Is LAV: Madonna and Postmodern Kabbalah," The Jewish Quarterly Review, Vol. 95, No. 4 (Fall 2005).
Burack, C. D. H. Lawrence's Language of Sacred Experience: the Transfiguration of the Reader, 2005.
Gershom Scholem. “First Lecture: General Characteristics of Jewish Mysticism.” In "Major
Trends in Jewish Mysticism," 1-39. Jerusalem, Israel: Schocken Books, 1974.
Joseph Dan, "Kabbalah: A Very Short Introduction," 2007.
Yaacob Dweck, "The Scandal of Kabbalah: Leon Modena, Jewish Mysticism, Early Modern Venice."
Itzik Lodzer (Arthur Green), “Notes from the Jewish Underground: Psychedelics and Kabbalah,”
Response 2:1 (Winter 1968): 9-21.
Steven T. Katz, Comparative Mysticism: an Anthology of Original Sources. Oxford University Press, 2013.
Harriet Ryan and Kim Christensen. “Celebrities Gave Kabbalah Centre Cachet, and Spurred Its Growth.” Los Angeles Times, 18 Oct. 2011.

[@ReligionForBreakfast]

Signup for your FREE trial to The Great Courses Plus here: ow.ly/2h9b30rzWhn

[@erdood3235]

I'm a native Hebrew speaker, and you've mispronounced Kabbalah

[@saintsm]

Pop kabbalah is pure bulshit

[@randomango2789]

Can u do a video on the mystical practices of Christian hesychasm?

[@elijahyoung11]

Do a video on Ron Wyatt lol

[@thomasridley8675]

With such a diverse collection of religious beliefs. You have a job for life.

[@AdamMorganIbbotson]

You’re one of the best educational KZbinrs. You’ve helped me realise how fascinating the history of religion is.

[@ReligionForBreakfast]

Glad to hear it, thank you! The history of religion is indeed fascinating.

[@astraeusgodofthestars676]

Agree! ✨

[@singhjasbeer5216]

@@ReligionForBreakfast I wish you long and a very happy life sir. I want to bring to your notice one more exclusive religion of Japan (actually a religious Buddhist sect) named Jodo Shinshu, this is the largest denomination of Buddhism in Japan which has it’s roots in Pure Land Buddhism. The great scholar D.T Suzuki was born a Jodo Shinshu Buddhist too.

[@ChaplainBobWalkerBTh]

Kabbalah is magic, satanism and witchcraft masquerading as Judaism

[@ChaplainBobWalkerBTh]

@Jacob Price Abraham and Jesus did not practice magic and I do not adhere to anything with the vatican

[@EzraB123]

I'm Jewish and this is bar far the best explanation of Kabbalah I've seen on KZbin, even better than some Rabbis, lol.

[@elitaerms]

shalom shalom

[@caroldreiling3899]

I would love to get your take on who Jesus was.

[@EzraB123]

@@caroldreiling3899 A false prophet. Not negative, not positive. Just indifference. The Jewish take on Jesus is the same as the Christian take on Vishnu. He simply does not play a role in Judaism, nor do his teachings.

[@youtubeuseri57]

@MJXO you’re getting defensive for no reason lol.

[@hadriananton9762]

@MJXO Pretty ignorant take honestly. Don’t blind yourself with dogmatic truths there mate do your own research in the subject

[@EMO_alpha]

Yeah, its nice hearing about religion from a secular world view thats not anti theist.

[@TV-8-301]

@@billybobthekidiswack Thanks!

[@EMO_alpha]

@@Ozzymandius1 Which is what secular should mean.

[@yoryteperman429]

Good comment, but, it is true atheists who can possibly be anti-theists, and, do keep in mind that in real life there are almost no atheists exist: Majority of self-identified atheists, when you press them a little harder, admit to being agnostics rather than real hardcore atheists. It just that some people are unwilling to blindly believe, and true miracles are hard to come by... Still, as the Jewish joke goes: on a falling plane, every atheist passenger very promptly is transformed into a true believer...

[@EMO_alpha]

@@yoryteperman429 I also think alot of secular people are given theological straw man by pop culture of both being a mon materialist and by what religion actually is.

[@originaluddite]

@@yoryteperman429 interesting you say that. I'm a self-professed agnostic and I've had militant atheists try to tell me I'm really an atheist like them, because of my lack of belief in God. Even if there was something in what they say, the tone they take puts me off.

[@fratercontenduntocculta8161]

I love how virtually everything about Judaism is never easily explained. The Zohar is anything but light reading, and a working knowledge of the Tanach (all of the books of the old testament) is needed to comprehend it's largely symbolic written style. Understanding and a desire to have it would help us all get along, so I'm telling every one I know of your channel. I find Theology to be one of my favorite non professional hobbies, and am thankful you make such thoughtful videos.

[@A-No-One]

Theology will never help you understand these teachings lol

[@NimsChannel]

Advanced dungeon and dragons.

[@jdoe7674]

@@A-No-One exactly if you want to understand things you gotta go to God directly but to be honest most people aren’t ready to experience things not of this earth some people are better off sticking with there books

[@freedomaboveallll]

Because they dont want you to know they are satanists. Devil worshipers.

[@ether23-23]

@@jdoe7674 And how exactly do you do that?

[@AG_KEMPER]

We started talking about the sefirot and Tree of Life yesterday at Torah study, so thank you for helping me unpack it further!

[@robtheborg]

kzbin.info/www/bejne/pHutZ619Z7Nni8ksi=v7X6iP4ZTyXWM0HN

[@garrettf7139]

Please do something on hermetics. Or Victorian occultism like the Golden dawn, Thelema, how it all relates to Kabbalah and other forms of high magick in general. That’s a crazy wormhole I’d love to hear your explanation on.

[@ghosthunter2211]

I completely agree. 👆 Would love to hear your take on this.

[@AshHeaven]

I agree! I would love videos on Thelema ceremonial magick and magickal fraternal societies as well.

[@ancientfae7246]

Yes yes yes!!!

[@Yabyummy2000]

Yes! Now that Jewish Kabbalah has been covered, let's hear how it was adapted into Hermetic Qabalah!

[@spithere4933]

It’s the same source. Why would u get it thru a human or an angel or a demon name when you can get it thru God’s name

[@caterinagerbasi1594]

I looooove that you are not using the usual youtube style. you dont care if this is too dense. you trust your audience not being babies. this is an amazing video that I will have to see a couple of times to start understanding it.

[@jay-rene992]

I normally watch videos at 1.25 but I have to watch him at .75 and I love it haha

[@NimsChannel]

I could go for less of his face, I prefer to listen to the audio.

[@caterinagerbasi1594]

@@NimsChannel leave his face alone!

[@carlosmedina8783]

@@caterinagerbasi1594 lol

[@redneckshaman3099]

I'm addicted to pigger nussy 🤠

[@jecaurhyn]

Brave of ReligionForBreakfast to tackle this topic. What is and isn't Kabbalah is way more controversial than I think us outsiders could ever understand. Great job making it digestible!

[@ReligionForBreakfast]

Such a vast subject to cover in only one video.

[@ramingr]

@@ReligionForBreakfast which is why you might wanna make it into a mini series! I love all of your videos but this one I found particularly interesting.

[@chendaforest]

@@ReligionForBreakfast Soon you'll be ready to take on Hinduism ;)

[@Ellier215]

Why is it controversial?

[@chendaforest]

@@Mehak2029 Agreed

[@robertdullnig3625]

Now explain Evangelion.

[@dixon6300]

I learned so much but what REALLY got me was “bibliography in the description” as a historian I never appreciated a KZbin video description so much. Thank you thank you! I will be checking out those sources soon.

[@danielmoore4871]

Seriously. Such a rare, but wonderful thing on this platform. When sources are cited, you can do fact checking and often times find interesting reading to do in your spare time.

[@Qwajman97]

I’d love to see a video in regards to Kabbalah, Gnosticism, and Jung. Very fascinating subjects to think about.

[@Built_By_Bacon]

I’m reading his book on synchronicity right now lol

[@deeroberts8090]

Play Xenogears lol

[@rosap5458]

That would be very interesting, would love to see that as well.

[@oumaimaelamraoui8218]

My favorite topics

[@zebakhawaja]

❤The Kaaba'Lah is House/Throne of the One(God) that Abaraham re-built in Mecca called the House of God which was originally built by Adam and Eve ... the Kaaba is called the Black CUBE, The Black Throne of the ONE covered in a Black Cloth written with the songs of Abaraham in gold writing in Arabic and is the representation of the Kaaba'Lah (Throne of ONE) Lah translates to ONE in Armiac and Arabic. and praises of the al/the LAH, Al/The YUD of Compassion and Merci and Love.. The Kaaba is the centre of the Earth which is the reflection of the Heavens Universe above... The white light radiates from the Kaaba in Mecca seen by the Astronauts from above Everything you teach is taught in Isa'lam in the Qur'an and specifically In Sufism. Peace be upon all followers of Abaraham Amen, Muhammad who practice the Laws of Moses called Mose'lim and religion or Jesus Isa (Isa'lam is the religion of Jesus co.pleted by Muhammad) Amen In the name of The LAH/ONE/YUD ❤ The Qur'an says to read Zohar and the Zohar Prooves Isa'lam is the religion of God and the House of God in Mecca is The Throne of God called the Kaaba'La Kaaba translate to Throne.al/the LAH, Al/The YUD

[@allyzapena1001]

i have been waiting for this!! i went on a jewish/christian rabbit hole because of how weird evangelion was and their references to biblical angels

[@quattrobajeena135]

Legends of History is the channel

[@alphavolta5038]

Lol the only real way into religion

[@emsavings]

love this

[@whathell6t]

@@alphavolta5038 Nah! The way to be depressed and suffer death-induced existential & societal anxiety.

[@jon9428]

I'm Jewish and Evangelion is my favorite anime. It's what got me curious about Kabbalah and really gave me goosebumps about the whole nature of reality, suffering and the self. It's a deep work of fiction.

[@singhjasbeer5216]

I was always and always waiting for an explanation of Kabbalah in this channel. Kabbalah is something which has made me see Jewish religion in very positive light, I am a Sikh and an Indian and kabblah helped me in clearing many mystical concepts of Sikhi also.

[@abeninan4017]

Both Kabbalah and theories of Stephen Hawking are taken from the Indian vedas and upanishads.

[@singhjasbeer5216]

@@abeninan4017 Knowledge of Upanishads are truly amazing. I love Vedanta and Vedas are kings no doubt about that.

[@danielpaulson8838]

This is definitely a favorite channel. The more one knows about religious diversity, the more one sees their similarities.

[@NousSpeak]

I really love how academic yet completely accessible your channel is. Thank you for producing all this amazing content!

[@davidschmidt5507]

Orthodox Jew: This was really well done. Although my only reading of texts mentioned here is when I use the Zohar as a commentary on the Torah, even then I usually have no idea what is going on.

[@angelashort1331]

One can be forever learning , There's a COMMENTARY , ON THE COMMENTARY , ON THE commentary , and on and on , THERE IS ONE WHO EMBODIED ALL KNOWLEDGE AND ALL WISDOM , AND AT 12 YRS OLD , HE HELD THE AUDIENCE OF RABBIS IN THE PALM OF HIS HAND AT TEMPLE . , WISE HEADS SAID OF HIM, NEVER HAS ONE SPOKEN AS THIS MAN SPEAKS , This MAN embodies the TORAH , . HE IS TORAH ,HIMSELF , He worked miracles , but still , THEY went to stone Him, FINALLY HE LET HIMSELF BE TAKEN , AND RIGHT ON SCHEDUAL, HE BECAME THEIR LAMB OF SACRIFICE , FOR PESACH. HE IS INDEED , THE LAMB OF G D, SLAIN FOR THE SINS OF THE WORLD , PERFECT TORAH, THE LIVING WORD , YESHUA, G D SAVES , INDEED, ani Angela nz

[@angelashort1331]

THIS IS , My Beloved Son , HEAR HIM , . ❤ 😍 💖 ❣ 💕 💘 ❤ 😍 💖 ❣ 💕 💘 ❤ 😍 💖 ❣ 💕 💘 ❤ 😍 💖 ❣ 💕 💘 ❤

[@WhatCanSmith]

tell us about the Talmud...are there any rules in there regarding non-jews that non-jews might raise an eyebrow at?

[@Liquidsback]

As American Dad once said, Kaballah is Judaism...after dark.

[@user-in1yw9ty5t]

chaos study?

[@Epiousios18]

Not a bad joke. MacFarlane is an idiot when it comes to religion in general though. I'd argue he's legitimately done some harm in American Culture in regards to how his shows propagate ideas of religions based off their "lowest common denominator."

[@GOREilla.]

@@Epiousios18 "american culture" would be better if people know what jews do after dark

[@Epiousios18]

@@GOREilla. Hard to disagree with that.

[@thebuddhistjesus9878]

Same could be said about Abraham's god and his demands for child sacrifice

[@cindypurina2327]

I don't feel like I ever really started out with an interest in Kabbalah, but this video has definitely made me far more interested.

[@mattbenz99]

If you plan to look into it, try and find people actually qualified to teach it. There are so many conspiracy theory type lessons on youtube and other services pretending to be experts. Really, you need to just think of Kabbalah like a Jewish version of meta-physics.

[@connormcintosh4828]

Early exposure to F.M.A. ensured my interest.

[@tophers3756]

@@mattbenz99 how is one qualified to teach mystical superstition?

[@ookie4179]

It’s the devils science!

[@singhjasbeer5216]

If I want to convert for example I have some questions in mind. Will Brown race (south Asians to be precise) be acceptable? Do the new converts have to go for circumcision compulsarily?

[@brucewilson1958]

Hi. I've been a member of the Baha'i Religion, the Baha'i Faith, for 35 years. Since we celebrate and believe in all of the Prophets and Sacred Scriptures, I study all of them. You really helped me get my little mind around this subject. Thank you. Love and Light.

[@mrmcface713]

Read Psalm 22

[@mmm-cs7tb]

you believe in the Bible the Quran and the Torah in conjunction? they disagree with each other about who God is though and who are projects etc. so you mean you pick and choose from everything..?

[@benyseus6325]

@@mmm-cs7tbthe Torah is inside the bible. It is the first 5 books. The only difference is it’s written in Biblical Hebrew.

[@yoryteperman429]

A really good overview of the topic. Harold Bloom, that Giant of American Literary Criticism who passed away after decades of teaching at Yale, also wrote several books on the subject, with the smallest and rarest also being the densest and most illuminating - it is called "Kabbalah and Criticism", and it is very dense indeed, as its "only" 67 small format pages will boggle your mind for days. It does address most important concepts, though its focus is primarily with Isaak Luria's teachings, which remain the most mysterious teachings within the body of Kabbalah... Highly recommend the book to all, except those who seek some magical formulas, as you will not find any in this book. Just pure intellectual stimulation... Cheers!

[@Lilly-Gorney]

I recognize a lot of these symbols almost entirely just from Japanese media, which tends to have a fascination with religious symbols of this nature. I'd be curious to learn the reason behind that.

[@colereece3902]

I haven’t done much anime watching, but I have noticed a massive correlation with witches, and anime. I’m not saying correlation = causation. It is something I’ve noticed however

[@mattbenz99]

Japan just has a fascination with Western symbols. It is actually quite similar to how the West has a fascination with Eastern symbols. If you go to Japan, you will see a lot of decretive English that doesn't make a lot of sense when you try and read it. The same is true in the West where you will sometimes see random Chinese or Japanese characters on things. Really, it just shows how similar humans are in the end. Adding those foreign symbols to things makes people feel like your product is exotic.

[@faithlesshound5621]

The most striking example of this kind of cultural appropriation must be the adoption of the swastika symbol by the Nazis, and their successors on the far right. The neo-Trumpians have morphed that into the Odal rune.

[@1TutorialBoss]

I'd really like to see a video oh him disecting Neon Genesis Evangelion

[@erlinacobrado7947]

It's all icing and decoration for them. There's really no genuine attempt in Japanese media to either understand or dignify or give adequate honour to these symbols.

[@jonathanheisler3587]

Would love to see you take a look at the new Dead Sea Scroll finds!

[@cg1906]

Brilliant! Me too

[@canttellyoucuzurastranger9400]

the ones about the 3rd impact

[@Epiousios18]

Didn't hear about this. What did they find exactly?

[@a787fxr]

Some of the ones that I have seen are just ordinary. A letter about food. An agreement for rent even.

[@tabryis]

@@canttellyoucuzurastranger9400 😂

[@TheForeignersNetwork]

Kabbalah is incredibly, INCREDIBLY similar to Advaita Hinduism and Kashmir Shaivism. "Ein Sof" is basically equivalent to the Hindu concept of brahman (cit). Brahman is contracted into the individual human atma much in the way that Kabbalists see Ein Sof as contracting into the living universe. In Kashmir Shaivism, the masculine principle is all-pervasive awareness (sat cit ananda, or Shiva, or Bhairava), and the feminine principle is represented by the Mahavidyas (goddesses that are much like Sefirot; they are the receivers of the masculine awareness). The feminine envelopes the masculine, such that there is no Shiva without Shakti. There's a common saying in Kashmir Shaivism that Shiva without Shakti (the letter "i") is "Shava" or a corpse. There are just so many fascinating parallels between this system and Kabbalah.

[@tychocollapse]

A little. Atman "contracted" into living beings versus the ein sof contracted from the universe means different things. Contracted is " " quoted in ref to Hinduism as the word is a descriptor, but in kabbalah, very much a deliberate verb. Its the nature of atman to be inside, and not so much a procedural minimizing of Brahman. In kabbalah, the contracting is a physical absence to allow the universe separate from the divine. Atman is Brahman as micro is macro, so that beings are so. There is no empty separation. Further, kabbalah believes the separated parts can be reconstructed into the whole. There is few explicit similar Hindu take on the Atman "reconstructed", since it is its nature, as is. Educate me otherwise.

[@ChiGyu620]

Ehh... sort of. There are some superficial similarities, but they're definitely not perfectly analogous.

[@troyhongsermeier9462]

from Bowie's Station to Station, "Here are we, one magical movement from kether to malkuth,”

[@michaeljosefjackson]

6:05 is the opposide of my faveret Einstein quote: The most incomprehensible thing about the universe is that it is comprehensible

[@fransmars1645]

Only, it is not! There is no rule that states that things have to be comprehensible.

[@porterlazure2984]

Straight to the point, explicative and complete (as far as a single youtube video on the subject can be).

[@KomodoMagic]

4:11 Thanks to End Of Evangelion, I know that image very well 8:47 The Zohar, thanks to the Xeno series, I also know this very well

[@bandera_father]

Man of culture

[@bagelmeister2295]

Profile pic of culture

[@cleitonfelipe2092]

An otaku nerd of culture

[@quattrobajeena135]

Hey man any good anime recommendations?

[@ElZorroXIV]

I can also thank Shadow Hearts and SMT

[@carazy123_]

17:14 this is pretty wild, but I actually learned of Kabbalah through Assassin’s Creed! In AC: Revelations, one of the game’s “clues” references the Tetragrammaton and the 72 names of God from Kabbalistic tradition. This Wikipedia rabbit-hole inspired a lot of my personal interest in historical interpretations/criticism of the Bible and has massively expanded my faith. Who would’ve guessed?

[@stephenking5852]

I can’t remember how I learned about it, but it had something to do with learning about various types of magic.

[@MrCmon113]

Me. People can easily be 100% resistant to new information. You can give someone a text that disagrees with their position diametrically. They can say that they understand and agree with the text. But if you quiz them, they still hold their old position. So something can seem profound to a person without them understanding any of it nor changing their prior opinions.

[@mr.richardryan7506]

The best overview of kabbalah I have seen. Excellent, clear and concise without any long winded and vague explanations. Thank you.

[@SeekersofUnity]

Beautifully done Andrew. You managed to pack so much into those 20 mins and kept it rigorous and entertaining. Stunning work.

[@cool_sword]

Thanks for consistently providing clear and concise explanations to things that made me say "that sounds neat, but I'm too lazy to read about it" like 3 months ago

[@aliastagami2346]

I know you put a lot of work into your videos and I know you practice extraordinary care in how you present different religious topics. It is so appreciated and it makes your work's quality and accessibility top notch. Thank you!

[@M4YPL3]

Thank you for your work, to see you talk about what I'm working on religiously is really cool! ❤️

[@neilm.frau-cortes7305]

As a Kabbalah scholar myself, congratulations on this lesson. Of course a few details here and there would be out for discussion but I will still recommend it as a great introduction. Thanks so much

[@davidcheater4239]

If you do a Kabbalah part two; I'd love you to talk about some of the ways Kabbalah is part of "normative" Jewish practice such as the Kabbalat Shabbat service on Friday nights and the use of the sefiroth in counting the Omer.

[@Mutxarra]

Thank you for your videos. I have never commented on any of them before, but I appreciate your work very much. I am a Catalan and when you mentioned Girona as a Kabbalistic center my mind immediately jumped to a very good book for both laymen and people interested in the field about the lives, discoveries, sciences and writings of the catalan jews before the progroms of 1391. The book is by Hebraist Manuel Forcano and its title is "Els Jueus catalans" (The Catalan Jews). I don't know if it's been translated into english, but I thought you may like to check it out. Thanks again for your good work!

[@faithlesshound5621]

I looked it up on Amazon UK, where "A History of Jewish Catalonia" by the same author is said to have come out in 2009, seven years before the similar book in Catalan. However, they claim that it too is in Catalan: shurely shome mishtake?

[@giorgiaolivotto8442]

The exam on Qabbalah and jewish philosophy at my university was one of the toughest I had to prepare, but it was indeed very interesting.

[@jaderbabe2535]

I've been watching your videos for years now and this is, by far, my favorite.

[@skjoldursvarturskikkjan7860]

Interesting. Thanks for the video. Although I am an atheist I became obsessed with Kabbalah after reading Foucault's Pendulum, by Umberto Eco. This video was very useful, because, differently from Eco, I am not fluent in every single language ever to read many of the sources about Kabbalah.

[@Neenerella333]

My favorite book ever. There is a lot to keep track of,for sure. Diatollevi finding the 17 names of God using an old computer was a whole thing in itself, though not central to the story. Mad fun.

[@souvlaki9951]

You deserve more subscribers! Your videos are so fascinating. Loving every upload!

[@robertl4522]

This video helps fill some knowledge gaps I had about this subject. My journey down this rabbit hole was seeing the kabbalah on the full metal alchemist brotherhood anime.

[@bankaihadouken1180]

-Had no servants, yet they called him Master. -Had no degree, yet they called him Teacher. -Had no medicines, yet they called him Healer. -He had no army, yet kings feared Him. -He won no Wars, yet He conquered the world. -He committed no crime, yet they crucified Him. -He was buried in a tomb, yet He lives today. Jesus Christ 🙏🏽

[@KodeshKodeshKodesh]

😮

[@MertHamza00]

Jesus Christ was not killed and was not crucified. GOD raised him to the sky. It was another in his image who was crucified. You will be surprised when you learn the facts. The only religion in the sight of Allah is ISLAM.

[@ZeSheshamHahu]

I had a class at university about Jewish folklore and we went to the home of a collector of Yudenka (Jewish material cultural items). The collector had a huge scroll of an extended Kabalah tree. Have no idea what it included but just seeing the scroll made it clear Kabalah is waaay more complex then most people think.

[@monalisa8638]

This is incredibly interesting stuff to learn about. First introduced through an anime of all things and then later finding out an ancestor of mine was Moses de Leon who wrote the Zorah, I was just left instanely confused. This video helps a lot.

[@intercyanide]

haha, yeah, there’s a bunch of kabbalah references in anime culture. i learned about it from a rhythm game song.

[@movie30000]

I feel so blessed to enjoy your knowledge. We need a more people like you .

[@chineseboxer108]

I wish this was available 30 years ago. It would have saved me a lot of time and money.

[@yaelella7554]

I cant believe you also included ‏שיר השירים (song of songs) in your explanations. Well done - also your pronunciations was very good particularly the way you said Shimon Bar Yochai was impressive.

[@vjagpal]

Would love hear the connection and difference between Kabbalah, Adwaita and Sufi traditions .

[@HBCrigs]

Yeah! This!

[@mohamedab9033]

The islamic Sufi tradition has nothing to do with those Gnostic practices, you'v been misinformed.

[@vjagpal]

@@mohamedab9033 It is not about what two traditions has to do with others but understanding the universality of an ideology. It's not the practice which for sure makes them different, it is the philosophy that connects them and make them universal.

[@mohamedab9033]

@@vjagpal The Islamic Sufi's spiritual backbone is the _absolute monotheism of a non anthropomorphic Creator, who is independent and non-contingent_ . And the muslim's spirituality in this sense is to relieve the heart of all desires except the desire of passing the test of life and meeting his/her creator in the afterlife. There are some extra practices that they have which have no islamic justification unfortunately, but the core is still the same. Kabbalah and its like is the exact opposite of Islam here, for these Gnostic idealogies' very foundation is based on Association of partners with the Creator, opposite of monotheism. In fact, Kabbalah goes even beyond and attributes divinity to man himself, and makes the entity called "Lucifer" an equal with the creator named "Adonai" and even paints him in pure holy light.

[@vjagpal]

@@mohamedab9033 Wow, sounds like an expert, not biased at all. Thanks for sharing your mind.

[@dddboom]

Fascinating, love to here more detail on this and go down thr rabbit hole. I find your videos very easy watching , great channel 👏

[@samrizzardi2213]

As a fan of "The Dark Crystal" and its netflix spinoff series, I really appreciate this. The film is loaded with kabbalistic symbolism.

[@lionofapollo4636]

A Hollywood film with Kabbalistic symbolism? NO WAY

[@rare_goth_metal_and_shoegaze]

@@lionofapollo4636 An anti-semitic Trump supporter? NO WAY

[@DianaCHewitt]

Kabbalah symbolism is often used for an appearance of mysticism with no deeper meaning. It's cool, but largely just an aesthetic choice.

[@tulsacountytransparency3716]

@@rare_goth_metal_and_shoegaze Trump is literally a Jew

[@rare_goth_metal_and_shoegaze]

@@tulsacountytransparency3716 That doesn't matter at all.

[@HBCrigs]

I've only heard of this from my buddhist teachers as a equally valid path "up the mountain" to enlightenment Cool to finally learn more about it

[@arthurwatt5162]

The bible warns against divination or anything similar. Madonna used it, red flags.

[@MertHamza00]

Madonna is a poor person who worships the devil, sold herself to global powers and became their slave. It is poisoning young people, the smart person is the one who sees the truth. Remember, there is death for everyone and they will of course give account for what they have done in this world. GOD is forgiving, repent and follow the right path.

[@chrisman5493]

Thank you for putting out this video! I'm a big fan of the more mystical sides of religion :)

[@kindredwolves]

The experience of ego death that comes with LSD really confirmed a lot for me as well. You find out the part of you that you think is "you", is really just the tip of the ice berg.

[@randomango2789]

Since you made one about Kabbala, can you do a video on Hesychasm? It’s very interesting stuff.

[@Bei-Abedan]

I usually find some mistake in your videos. This time I would say your introduction was flawless. Well done and thank you. This saves me a lot of time and I will be linking to your video from some of my own which might require students to have a background understanding first.

[@yizzlekizzle2311]

This page is refreshing as much as it is entertaining an educational. I don't even know if the people behind this are spiritual or religious themselves.

[@GiladManor01]

Thank you for this video! Would love to hear your take on Shabtai Zvi, the movement he sparked and its relationship to kabalah.

[@ReligionForBreakfast]

That’s coming up soon!

[@andrewalexander5436]

Oooooo, that would be a fantastic video. I'd especially love to see something on the reaction of his followers to his conversion to Islam.

[@JohnSmith-qx8ll]

Read The Jewish Revolutionary Spirit for a true understanding on Zevi.

[@chafacorpTV]

I love how unbiased and secular while handling the subjects at hand with outmost respect your channel is. My best find of 2023. YHVH bless the algorythm.

[@NovaRuner]

One corner of pop culture that has a obscure reference to this tradition would be the SCP foundation. I could be wrong about I think the word “Keter” is a badly anglicized version of the name of the highest spharot. That is just a little Fun Fact for you guys.

[@noahsalonicchio2221]

redacted

[@junaid1]

Really well done! You took a very complicated subject and explained it in a very basic way and with great sensitivity. Clearly there is a lot more to say but what a beautiful 20 minute introduction.

[@kicksterama]

Dude, you’re awesome! I love your sophisticated yet down to earth teaching style. Thanks so much!

[@heyhey8626]

Bruh, 35k views in 18 hours compared to the last vid's 27k in 2 weeks. This is gonna take off.

[@josiahsophia8938]

It’s already doubled that by the time I write this. 😃

[@heyhey8626]

@@josiahsophia8938 111k, damm

[@Leiferuphugus]

Excellent video! Any chance we'll get a video on the western appropriation of kabbalah into the theurgic practices of the Hermetic traditions?

[@ReligionForBreakfast]

I'm considering something along those lines...but Sabbatianism will come first. That video is about half done.

[@KilluminatiMujahad]

@@ReligionForBreakfast Sabateanism ties into the question. Learn about the asiatic brethren lodge. You could incorporate it into the same video if you know where to look for the information.

[@awsomeNika]

Thank so much for this! I found a symbol engraved on the back of my grandmothers jewelry, with some research, it lead me to Kabbalah. The symbol is a circle, triangle inside, with a small dot in the triangle. She was also into Magic & spirituality. Still trying to figure out more on the symbol though if anyone can help! Thank you so much! Very educational and beautiful ✨

[@No_jews_allowed]

Your grandma was a witch!!

[@benqurayza7872]

I commend Dr Henry for his ambitious 20 minute introduction to Kabbalah. It's a bit like explaining the Torah while standing on one foot.

[@gavinriley5232]

Dr Henry does a good job. All the rest is commentary.

[@blixten2928]

WONDERFUL WONDERFUL WONDERFUL. Your lectures are SO interesting, SO scholarly, and SO much fun!! THank you so much!!

[@chrisray9653]

I have a big Zohar book in Hebrew sitting on my shelf, I have no memory of how it appeared or where it came from. 🤯

[@liltito1519]

i had a big žohar in my bathroom once

[@DailyMoFo1]

You should touch upon the more hermetic version of Kabbalah; Hermetic Qabalah.

[@knawl]

Agreed, and how Tarot has Kabalistic principles incorporated into it

[@thomasridley8675]

If he went over every faction. We would be here for yrs. Hmmm ! Ok, I'm in.

[@gabriellameattray9778]

@@knawl you can make the entire Kabbalistic tree out of a tarot deck

[@rafinhapereira]

What about the instrumentality project?

[@TheFirstAmendment]

the theoretical framework of Superstring Theory posits that the universe exists in ten different dimensions. These different aspects are what govern the universe, the fundamental forces of nature, and all the elementary particles contained within.

[@grahamrankin4725]

Thank you for this. I would like to learn more about the numerological aspects of Kabbalah.

[@HudaBu-zt6hm]

So it's dark magic

[@marxussy]

if you think mysticism is dark magic

[@HudaBu-zt6hm]

@@marxussy it actually is the introduction of dark magic that is available for the masses (most of it)

[@keithharrell2796]

Loving the haircut.

[@allthecolors6900]

Kabbalah (Jewish Mysticism) gave way to a lot of popular eastern philosophies. The concepts of energies and meditation

[@zararoyce319]

In Los Angeles we are blessed to have the Kabbalah center which is a huge opportunity for things.

[@alhesiad]

Is the Kabbalah related to Baruch Spinoza's philosophy?

[@iachtulhu1420]

I like to think of Spinoza's philosophy as secular Kabbalah. Also some scholars have noted his interest in Kabbalah and also possible influences.

[@Daniel24445]

Yes, it is! Spinoza was one of those wild Spaniards who hit Netherlands.

[@ehuffnsd]

Madonna has includeded in all her tours from the drowned world on

[@sharky7665]

I see all the comments that ask you to make a video on this or that. Your presentation of the Kabbalah made you a trusted source of information. Very well done.

[@dougmurphy1777]

Psychedelic drugs pretty much always confirm the participant's existing spiritual beliefs, so no surprises there. Basically, the experience one has on psychedelics depends largely on what's in their head to begin with.

[@animula6908]

The last thing society needs these days is people taking things to mimic psychosis. They just need to understand we are all already psychotic enough.

[@larykenobi]

@@animula6908 psilocybin is now use to treat addiction, anxiety, depression, PTSD, eating disorders... maybe society should be blame for alcohol...

[@joshuacromley7439]

@@animula6908 lol or maybe people should teach their children to be moral people? That sounds like a better answer

[@deirdrefox3658]

Are you telling me 'Neon Genesis Evangelion' wasn't a proper 'textbook' representation of kabbalah? I see. Well, I'll show myself out. *grabs Shinji by the ear too*

[@Shut.Eye.Cinema]

The diacritics are the sephirot and the connecting lines are the letters.

[@birkett83]

Everything I know about Kabbalah came from the novel Unsong by Scott Alexander. I have no idea how faithful it is to the source material but it's definitely an entertaining read.

[@joshin436]

I recognize the symbols and the writing from Madonna's Tour, she also incorporate some of the teaching in her lyrics and documentary.

[@exudeku]

oh boy, here I go create golems/ Create the 3rd Impact/sacrifice my arm and leg for my dead mom again!

[@lainiwakura1776]

Get it right: sacrifice my leg and my little brother for my dead mom and sacrifice my arm to bring my little brother's soul back again!

[@Daniel24445]

Creating Golems is right!

[@blink11101]

I kind of wish I hadn't found your channel. You explain complex topics too clearly. Now I find myself binging a lot of your videos.

[@lucasjeemanion]

wow. this is a highly informative and well researched account of kabbalah. i have been a kabbalist for many years and this is one of the best videos on kabbalah if not he best I have yet to see on youtube.

[@SuperDynamite666]

Some things i heard in this video just makes me think of Hinduism more, Gender duality of God (Shiva-Shakti), chakras (inner tree/power centers), tree of existence-multiple dimensions of existence (external), devas (celestial beings closer to humans & below Supreme Godhead obviously), magic, & mantras (incantations), 1000 names of God, etc..etc...all described in Hinduism! Maybe I didn't get it or got too much? :), anyways God bless the people of this planet and rid them of evil! Chill folks!!

[@therealavichads]

This part was a bit inaccurate, gender has no relevance in G-d as He truly is in Ein Sof, it only becomes relevant when he express/influence/control the world through His Sefirot, which are actually different levels of godly revelation to the world. "Gender" in Kabbalah does not have the same meaning as we would understand it, it's a term used by kabbalists to understand the different ways G-d reveals/express Himself to the world and the function of the sefirot, for example Mashpia/Giver (male) and Mekabel/Receiver (female), Malchut, which is the Shechina (the feminine *expression*, not gender, of G-d) is a receiver of "light" from the 9 sefirot above it, so is therefore a feminine sefira.

[@lucasballestin9085]

Thanks Andrew! I would be curious to hear your take on the parallels between late antique Kabbalah and the Neo-platonic tradition? The parallels are obvious but I wonder to what extent scholars consider potential direct influences between the two? Thanks again!

[@Nenad-ICXC-Shuput-GFAMMA]

This is what all masonic and satanic teachings base on.

[@meerpirat508]

You don't even know who the freemason's are

[@thegameranch5935]

Source?

[@Someones_account_haha]

I remember in ethics & religions class in 2012 i did a presentation on Kabbalah because I was so fascinated by it, always nice to revisit it, thanks

[@jennifersteel4636]

Thank you for this presentation with history and definitions well explained

[@headrockbeats]

I'm a Jewish atheist, and I have wracked my brain (and several other brains of people I know who actually study Kabbalah) to try and understand how any of this is not a form of idolatry - explicitly forbidden by the first commandment. I have yet to receive any answer that wasn't mealy-mouthed - or simply the "abandoning of reason" which can literally justify anything. Is there any chance you could try to answer that question?

[@nightfears3005]

In some interpretations it turns HaShem into the demiurge since Ein Sof > "Zeir Anpin" & "Zeir Anpin" = HaShem, leading to condemnations from other rabbis down the ages. It depends on how it is integrated into Judaism I suppose.

[@huehuecoyotl2]

Kabbalah's relationship to Judaism seems broadly similar to Sufism's relationship to Islam and Gnosticism's relationship to Christianity. I wonder if most religions generate mystic traditions at some point and if it is always a result of having generated a learned religious elite that are seeking to find or create deeper meaning in the general traditions of their respective religions.

[@faithlesshound5621]

It may be due to the fossilised nature of most holy books. When you go beyond your bronze age forebears in theology, ethics, etc, you have to keep the old form of words before you explain how it actually means something less primitive. It's as if modern physicists still had to memorise and recite Aristotle's Physics, and went to university to learn that he really meant whatever Newton, or Einstein, or their successors said.

[@billybobthekidiswack]

Gnosticism came from Judaism and was later adopted by Christians.

[@dylantennant6594]

Can you do a video on the religious themes in Evangelion. Honestly, it is probably the most philosophical and religous animes ever made.

[@Ragnarok540]

The creators of Evangelion say it uses christian symbology just because it looks cool, in their japanese culture. No hidden meaning there.

[@ankitanandy6076]

i started religious studies on edX, some creep started spamming me, I had to discontinue... those courses were good as well, this channel is better.

[@Bklyngurl85]

The controversy with Madonna wasn’t because she put on tifilin, it was with the cultural appropriation (kabalah in a music video) but the concept and language wasn’t around as much 15 yrs ago when the video came out, so the religious focused on that. Our ancient religion and its many different teachings, practices and traditions, are not for ones pop culture or “spiritual awakening journey”. It is ancient teachings we’ve passed down from generation to generation for thousands of years, has sustained us a people, nation & religion, through many centuries and continents of persecution during our exile. While I’m sure interesting to learn about and discover (which is fine, we value education) it is not meant for a pop princess to use for her music video, but as guidance for our lives, our people, our heritage and our future.

[@redwoodpartisan2433]

Ive been waiting for this video, oh yeah!

[@jeremiahlarkins618]

Dude, I want to a book store one day and asked if they had a copy of kabbala... The girl who asked if I needed help says, "do you mean satanism?"