Lektion 1
The Merkavah
In this lesson, we will explore the ancient school of Hekhalot and Merkavah mysticism, which was active around two-thousand years ago. Based on the prophet Ezekiel’s vision of a mystical Merkavah (meaning “chariot”), this secret school of Kabbalah taught a powerful method of meditating upon esoteric Hebrew formula in order to facilitate the ascent of the soul to the celestial realms. This lesson will lead us on a fantastical journey to encounter the Divine throne of glory.
Lektion 2
The Book Of Creation
A central focus of the ancient school of Hekhalot and Merkavah is the mystical power of language. In this lesson, we will learn how this radical approach to understanding language seeks to uncover and reveal the deeper secrets of creation. In particular, we will unpack and consult the Book of Creation, the most ancient of all Kabbalah texts, and learn about its unique approach to mystical knowledge. In this process we will understand more deeply how the infinite becomes finite, how the world as we know it comes into being, and how magic can be used to alter reality.
Lektion 3
Divine Names
In the past two lessons we saw how ancient Hebrew mysticism utilizes the power of language as a device to enter into states of prophecy and magic. In the middle ages, this central thread of kabbalistic speculation and activity reveals an even more explicit system of linguistic meditation, particularly evident in the teachings of Abraham Abulafia (one of the most influential kabbalists in history). In this lesson, we will learn about Abulafia’s unique meditation techniques that utilized letters, numbers, and the Hebrew divine names in order to induce states of ecstatic bliss and prophecy.
Lektion 4
The Sefirot
During the same period that Abraham Abulafia was teaching his unique system of ecstatic meditation, a new mystical wisdom stream began to appear. In time this system would come to define the future of Kabbalah. In this lesson, we will learn about the ancient texts known as the Bahir, the “Book of Clarity”, and Sha’arei Orah, “Gates of Light”, both of which begin to introduce the secrets of the sefirot, the divine qualities that constitute the essential nature of the manifest universe. In this process, we will appreciate more fully how the early Kabbalah masters understood the true nature of reality and the human being’s relationship to the Divine.
Lektion 5
The Zohar
In the late decades of the 13th century, cryptic manuscripts begin to appear in northern Spain, which would come to be known as the book of the Zohar; a Hebrew word that means “radiance”. In time, the Zohar would establish itself as the iconic text of the Kabbalah, a treasure-trove of mystical secrets that focus on revealing the dynamic nature of the sefirot and on decoding the innermost meaning of the Hebrew Bible. In this lesson, we will learn about the mysterious origins of the Zohar and will begin to unpack its mystical secrets.
Lektion 6
The Tree Of Life
In the Kabbalah, the Sefirot are traditionally depicted in a structure called the Tree of Life. The Tree of Life serves as a map of God and creation, as well as a map of consciousness. In this lesson we will learn how the Tree of Life reflects the process of creation - a process that occurs through the emanation of the infinite light from its hidden source. We will also see how the Zohar uses the Tree of Life to guide us to properly upkeep the health and balance of both the cosmic realms and the inner state of our consciousness.
Lektion 7
Lurianic Kabbalah
In the 16th century, a new center of Kabbalah appears in the Galilean town of Safed, headed by a charismatic mystical teacher named Isaac Luria. In this lesson, we will learn about Lurianic mystical concepts such as tzimtzum (divine withdrawal), shevirat ha-kelim (the breaking of the vessels), and tikkun (repair). We will appreciate more fully how specialized meditation practices can be used to raise up the sparks of divine light trapped inside the material world, and how, in this process, we can unify the fragmented parts of our consciousness into a unified state of wholeness.
Lektion 8
Reincarnation
In addition to raising up the sparks of light trapped in the material world, the kabbalistic call to repair the world also includes the need to contemplatively re-integrate our individual soul back into the universal cosmic soul, where all beings are united in oneness. In Lurianic mystical teachings, this is accomplished through consciously engaging in the journey of reincarnation, which provides the soul with a mechanism to progressively evolve through the hidden dimensions of reality. In this lesson, we will explore the theories and practices that constitute these esoteric teachings on the secrets of life, death, and rebirth.
Lektion 9
Hasidism
A few hundred years after the provocative teachings of Lurianic Kabbalah, a charismatic mystical master known as the Ba’al Shem Tov begins to inspire thousands of students across eastern Europe. His teachings and the popular spiritual revivalist movement known as Hasidism would forever alter the landscape of the Hebrew mystical tradition. In this lesson, we will learn how the mystical approach of Hasidism sought to empower all people, regardless of one’s intellectual abilities or social status.
Lektion 10
Mystical Union
In this final lesson, we will explore the mystical techniques taught by the early Hasidic masters to empower the common person to achieve the direct experience of mystical union with God. These techniques include: waking up our awareness to realize that the divine is literally everything that we perceive and experience, shifting our consciousness to uncover the hidden divine light that animates the words that we speak and that we read in texts, and binding ourselves to the spiritual core of our everyday activities such as eating, drinking, having sex, and working. By appreciating these more accessible mystical techniques, we will see how Hasidism embodies in a more contemporary manner the key principles of the ancient Hebrew mystical lineage.
