|
The
Zohar
The Zohar is one of the most important texts, if not the most
important in Kabbalah. The Zohar is not a single book. Instead it is
allegedly a 2nd century A.D. collection of Aramaic writings from various
Kabbalists that is a commentary
on the Torah: Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy
with some commentary on the song of songs, also known as the song of
Solomon. Its interpretations of the Torah are highly mystical
and subjective and often in contradiction to what the Torah reveals.
it seeks to explain as well as the video the relationship between
God and man. But, the book is generally believed to have been
authored by a 13th Century Jewish mystic named Moses De Leon
(1250-1305) partly because it was never mentioned in the Talmud (a
collection of commentaries used to explain the the oral law
concerning the first five books of the Old Testament).
Additions were added to the Zohar in the 14th century.
The Zohar is also said to have special powers which
followers can benefit from by running a finger over the text as if
reading Braille.1 Of course, Christians reject
such a claim and recognized the Zohar as a non-biblical, mystical
piece of literature often in contradiction to the Bible.
Please consider this quote.
"The Zohar discusses the universe, as a whole, in far broader terms
than merely the physical universe. Indeed, the physical universe, as
vast as it may be, is dwarfed in comparison with the mystical
universe that embraces angelic and demonic realms. Whereas the
physical universe is measured in time and distance, the mystical
universe is measured in terms of levels of awareness. These levels
should not be viewed as separate boundaries, for awareness is a
continuum." 2
Notice the ambiguity and non-falsifiability of a the comments.
How do you verify what is said about the mystical universe?
You can't. But that doesn't stop the Zohar from saying even
more about creation.
"The Zohar says,' to create the world, It (Ein
Sof, Infinite Nothingness) emanated a secret spark (awareness) from
which emerged and radiated all light. The upper world was
constituted of this light. Then a [different dimension of] light, a
light without brightness (lower consciousness), was fashioned into
the lower world. As it is composed of unilluminated light, the lower
world is attracted to the upper world."3
Its
scope of teaching seems to include predictions of the coming
Messiah. Apparently, the Zohar predicted the return of the Messiah in 1648
which was fulfilled in Shabbetai Zvi from Smyrna in Asia Minor.
He gathered many followers, so much so that the Sultan of the
Ottoman Empire thought that he must be stopped. He captured Sabbettai and given the ultimatum to convert to Islam or die.
He converted to Islam.4 Is this the work of
the Messiah, to convert to a false relgious system under threat of
death? Of course not.
Please consider representative quotes from the Zohar.
-
“Zohar I 51b-52a:
"the beings on high are all of the same illumination, being of
celestial essence, whereas the beings below are of a different
essence. They (the lower) are to this illumination (the higher)
as the candle is to the flame....The light and the shadows are
the only elements which form air and water...On leaving its
source, the light divides into 75 channels directed toward the
material world...Below these channels there are 375
trenches...These trenches are divided into 17 classes, of which
each presents the shape of a chain-net...Such is the vision of
this area of space which forms seven different colors. These
seven colors constitute the supreme mystery...Seven other lights
are divided into seven seas, which together amount to one giant
sea. This last is the supreme sea where seven others are
concentrated...."5
-
"This end of
heaven is called Who. There is another below, called What. What
distinguishes the two? The first, concealed one-called Who-can
be questioned. Once a human being questions and searches,
contemplating and knowing rung after rung to the very last rung
- once one reaches there: What? What do you know? What have you
contemplated? Or what have you searched? All this concealed, as
before."6
-
"When Concealed of
all Concealed emerged on being revealed, it produced at first a
single point, which ascended to become thought. within, it
drew all drawings, grave to all and ravings, carving within the
conceal the holy lamp a graving of one hidden design, only of
holies, a deep structure emerging from fat, called Mi, Who,
origin of structure. existent and nonexistent, deep and
hidden, called by no name but Who. Seekng to be revealed,
to be named, it garbed itself in a splendid, radiant garment and
created (elleh), these. Elleh attained the name:
these letters joined with those, culimnating in the name
Elohim." 7
Christians should quickly recognize the problems in such comments
from the Zohar. It isn't Christian and it isn't biblical.
______________
References
-
Holocaust was Jew's own fault,
Madonna sect claims, By: Sweeney, John, Mail on
Sunday, 1/9/2005 p42, 1p.
-
Cooper, David A., God is a Verb. New York,
New York: Riverhead Brooks, 1997, p. 34
-
ibid, p. 35,
-
Hopking, C.J.M., The Practical Kabbalah
Guidebook. New York, New York: Sterling
Publishing Co. 2001. p. 14)
-
http://www.digital-brilliance.com/kab/karr/zie.pdf
Reviewers may quote brief passages.
-
http://www.sup.org/zohar/ p. 6
-
http://www.sup.org/zohar/
p. 8
Return to
Kabbalah
|