Kabbalistic Foundation Studies
Level 1
The Inner World of the Kabbalist
Kabbalah’s Beginners Course
Teacher: Shaul Youdkevitch
Location: 5 Elisha st. Jerusalem
Date & Time: Mondays, starting from December 11, 2017
Registration: Tel./WhatsApp 052-880-6068 (Lital) or [email protected]
Price: 700 INS (18 INS for Yeshivah Students)
Course Syllabus
1. Session One
A Brief History of Kabbalah, main teachers & books. Kabbalah’s great and unknown influence over the history of Judaism and the rest of the world.
Kabbalah as The Wisdom for a Better Life.
2. Session Two
Reality and Illusions, the True World (Olam HaEmet) vs. The False Reality of the bodily senses and mind.
The Language of Branches – The Special Language of the Kabbalists
The Desire and its Fulfillment
Primary Source:
Rabbi Yehuda Ashlag/ The Book of the Giving of the Torah (Sefer Matan Torah)
3. Session Three
How did it all begin? The Creation of the Universe, The Source of all Souls, What is every Soul made of?
The Big Bang Theory vs. Rabbi Isaac Luria’s Tsimtsum Theory.
What is the source of Evil in this world? The real motivation of the soul vs. Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs
Primary Source:
Rabbi Haim Vital/ The Tree of Life
4. Session Four
Good and Evil, Good Inclination and Evil Inclination: Duality as the Source for the Meaning of Life. Free Will: Logic vs. Faith.
Primary Source:
Rabbi Yehuda Ashlag/Introductions to Kabbalah
5. Session Five
The Tikun (Correction/Karma-Fixing):
How everyday life is a mirror of the journey the soul is taking. Why do bad things happen to Good People? The Rules of Cause and Effect; Reincarnation in Kabbalistic Teachings.
Primary Source:
Rabbi Haim Vital/ The Gate for Reincarnations
Rabbi Yehuda Ashlag/Introductions to Kabbalah
6. Session Six
Understanding Kabbalistic Symbols, The way they manifest in explaining the Mitsvot, Jewish Law.
The Symbolism of The Four Elements, Colors and the Forces of Nature and how it relates to everyday’s life by the Kabbalist.
Primary Source:
Rabbi Yehuda Ashlag/Zohar HaSulam
Rabbi Haim Vital/The Gate for the Mitsvot
7. Session Seven
Tools for Life – Achieving Real & Lasting Transformation
The Hebrew Letters as Tools for Magic. Shapes, Sounds as the building blocks of The Creation. The 72 Names of God
The 72 Names of God
Primary Source:
Rabbi Yehuda Ashlag/Commentary on The Tree of Life
Sefer Yetsira (The Book of Formation)
8. Session Eight
Basics in Kabbalistic Meditations.
The Name of 42 Letters – The Ana BeKho’ah
Primary Source:
Rabbi Yehuda Ashlag/Commentary on The Tree of Life
Sefer Yetsira (The Book of Formation)
9. Session Nine
The Tree of Life, Sefirot and Olamot (Worlds).
How is it that God never changes but it looks like He does?
The Cosmology of Good & Evil
The Secret of the Tetragramaton.
Primary Source:
Rabbi Yehuda Ashlag/Commentary on The Tree of Life
Rabbi Haim Vital/ The Tree of Life, Sha’ar HaKavanot (The Gate of Meditations)
The Zohar
10. Session Ten
The Myths of Messiah, Resurrection of the Dead and the Hebrew Calendar
Primary Source:
The Zohar