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Tevunah
Binah (meaning "understanding"; ''Bīnā'') is the third ''sephira'' on the kabbalistic Tree of Life. It sits on the level below Keter (in the formulations that include that ''sephirah''), across from Chokmah and directly above Gevurah. It is usually given four paths: from Keter, Chokmah, to Gevurah and Tiphereth. Etymology and names Binah (בִּינָה), meaning "understanding" in Hebrew, is derived from the root ב-י-נ, which conveys the concept of discerning or distinguishing knowledge into structured understanding. This root implies building or constructing insight from raw data. In Kabbalistic tradition, Binah is personified as a nurturing mother, reflecting its role in developing and shaping the abstract wisdom from Chokmah into intelligible forms. History The concept of Binah has its roots in early Jewish mystical texts, such as the ''Sefer Yetzirah'', which dates between the 2nd and 6th centuries CE. In this foundational work, Binah is associated with the sefirot, ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Partzufim
''Partzufim'' or ''Partsufim'' (, singular ''partzuf'', , from Greek: πρόσωπον ''prósopon'' "face" or "mask"), are "countenances" or "personas" of God described in the '' Zohar''. The '' Idra Rabba'' describes a divine being composed of three partzufim: Arikh Anpin, the “Long-Faced One” or “Slow to Anger”; Zʿeir Anpin, the “Small-Faced One” or “Short-Tempered”; and Nukva, the feminine aspect of the Divine. Although one can observe expression of certain sefirot in the partzufim, the Idra Rabba makes no attempt to bring these two paradigms into alignment. The ''Idra Zuta'' describes five partzufim, the aforementioned three and two additional ones Abba (Father) and Imma (Mother), forming an “inner” divine “family” within the Godhead. In Lurianic Kabbalah, the partzufim are reconfigured arrangements of the ten sefirot, the divine attributes or emanations. Each partzuf is thus a configuration of disparate entities into a harmonious unit. Their full ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Understanding
Understanding is a cognitive process related to an abstract or physical object, such as a person, situation, or message whereby one is able to use concepts to model that object. Understanding is a relation between the knower and an object of understanding. Understanding implies abilities and dispositions with respect to an object of knowledge that are sufficient to support intelligent behavior. Understanding is often, though not always, related to learning concepts, and sometimes also the theory or theories associated with those concepts. However, a person may have a good ability to predict the behavior of an object, animal or system—and therefore may, in some sense, understand it—without necessarily being familiar with the concepts or theories associated with that object, animal, or system in their culture. They may have developed their own distinct concepts and theories, which may be equivalent, better or worse than the recognized standard concepts and theories of their c ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Shevirat HaKelim
The World of Chaos () and The World of Rectification () are two general stages in Jewish Kabbalah in the order of descending seder hishtalshelus, spiritual worlds known as "the Four Worlds". In subsequent creations, they also represent two archetypal spiritual states of being and consciousness. Their concepts derive from the new scheme of Lurianic Kabbalah by Isaac Luria (1534–1572), the father of modern Kabbalah, based on his interpretation of classic references in the Zohar. The implications of tohu and tiqqun underlie the origin of free will and the evil realm of the qlippoth caused by the "Shattering of the Vessels" (), the processes of spiritual and Jewish diaspora, physical exile and Messiah in Judaism, redemption, the meaning of the 613 commandments, and the Messiah in Judaism, messianic rectification of existence. Tikkun also means the esoteric sifting or clarification () of concealed divine sparks () exiled in physical creation. This new paradigm in Kabbalah replaced ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Jewish Meditation
Jewish meditation includes practices of settling the mind, introspection, visualization, emotional insight, contemplation of divine names, or concentration on philosophical, ethical or mystical ideas. Meditation may accompany unstructured, personal Jewish prayer, may be part of structured Jewish services, or may be separate from prayer practices. Jewish mystics have viewed meditation as leading to '' devekut'' (cleaving to God). Hebrew terms for meditation include '' hitbodedut'' (or ''hisbodedus,'' literally "self-seclusion") or ''hitbonenut/hisbonenus'' ("contemplation"). Through the centuries, meditation practices have been developed in many movements, including among Maimonideans (Moses Maimonides and Abraham Maimonides), Kabbalists ( Abraham Abulafia, Isaac the Blind, Azriel of Gerona, Moses Cordovero, Yosef Karo and Isaac Luria), Hasidic rabbis (Baal Shem Tov, Schneur Zalman of Liadi and Nachman of Breslov), Musar movement rabbis ( Israel Salanter and Simcha Zissel ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Aryeh Kaplan
Aryeh Moshe Eliyahu Kaplan (; October 23, 1934 – January 28, 1983) was an American Orthodox Judaism, Orthodox rabbi, author, and translator best known for his The Living Torah and Nach, Living Torah edition of the Torah and extensive Kabbalah, Kabbalistic commentaries. He became well-known as a prolific writer and was lauded as an original thinker. His wide-ranging literary output, inclusive of introductory pamphlets on Jewish beliefs, and Jewish philosophy, philosophy written at the request of NCSY are often regarded as significant factors in the growth of the Baal teshuva movement, ''baal teshuva'' movement. Early life Aryeh Kaplan was born in the Bronx, New York City, to Samuel and Fannie () Kaplan of the Sephardic Jews, Sefardi Menahem Recanati, Recanati family from Salonika, Greece. His mother died on December 31, 1947, when he was 13, and his two younger sisters, Sandra and Barbara, were sent to a foster home. Kaplan was expelled from public school after acting out, leadi ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Meditation
Meditation is a practice in which an individual uses a technique to train attention and awareness and detach from reflexive, "discursive thinking", achieving a mentally clear and emotionally calm and stable state, while not judging the meditation process itself. Techniques are broadly classified into focused (or concentrative) and open monitoring methods. Focused methods involve attention to specific objects like breath or mantras, while open monitoring includes mindfulness and awareness of mental events. Meditation is practiced in numerous religious traditions, though it is also practised independently from any religious or spiritual influences for its health benefits. The earliest records of meditation ('' dhyana'') are found in the Upanishads, and meditation plays a salient role in the contemplative repertoire of Jainism, Buddhism and Hinduism. Meditation-like techniques are also known in Judaism, Christianity and Islam, in the context of remembrance of and prayer and dev ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Personal Development
Personal development or self-improvement consists of activities that develops a person's capabilities and potential, enhance quality of life, and facilitate the realization of dreams and aspirations. Personal development may take place over the course of an individual's entire lifespan and is not limited to one stage of a person's life. It can include official and informal actions for developing others in roles such as a teacher, guide, counselor, manager, coach, or mentor, and it is not restricted to self-help. When personal development takes place in the context of institutions, it refers to the methods, programs, tools, techniques, and assessment systems offered to support positive adult development at the individual level in organizations. Overview Among other things, personal development may include the following activities: * Social entrepreneurship or civic engagement * Participating in festivals, conferences, or conventions * Improving self-awareness * Improvin ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Spiritual Practice
A spiritual practice or spiritual discipline (often including spiritual exercises) is the regular or full-time performance of actions and activities undertaken for the purpose of inducing spiritual experiences and cultivating spiritual development. A common metaphor used in the spiritual traditions of the world's great religions is that of walking a path. Therefore, a spiritual practice moves a person along a path towards a goal. The goal is variously referred to as salvation, liberation or union (with God). A person who walks such a path is sometimes referred to as a wayfarer or a pilgrim. Religion Abrahamic religions Judaism Jewish spiritual practices may include prayer (including the Shema and Amidah), reciting blessings, Jewish meditation, Torah study, following dietary laws of kashrut, observing Shabbat, fasting, practices of teshuvah, giving tzedakah, and performing deeds of loving-kindness. '' Kavanah'' is the directing of the heart to achieve higher contem ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
The Palm Tree Of Devorah
''Tomer Devorah'' or ''The Palm Tree of Deborah'' () was written in Hebrew in the middle of the 16th century by Moses ben Jacob Cordovero, a Jewish kabbalist in Safed, Ottoman Syria. This short text deals mostly with the '' Imitation of God'' through the acquisition of divine traits, especially those of the sephirot. The first edition was published in Venice Venice ( ; ; , formerly ) is a city in northeastern Italy and the capital of the Veneto Regions of Italy, region. It is built on a group of 118 islands that are separated by expanses of open water and by canals; portions of the city are li ... in 1588. Although not widely read among Jews today, it is popular in the musar movement, which focuses on the individual cultivation of the Thirteen Attributes of Mercy of God. The title is taken from Judges 4:5. References External links English TranslationOn-Line Learning from TeachItToMe.com Jewish philosophical and ethical texts Kabbalah texts Sefirot Heb ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Moses Ben Jacob Cordovero
Moses ben Jacob Cordovero ( ''Moshe Kordovero'' ; 1522–1570) was a central figure in the historical development of Kabbalah, leader of a mystical school in the Ottoman Empire in 16th-century Safed, located in the modern State of Israel. He is known by the acronym the Ramak (). After the medieval flourishing of Kabbalah, centered on the Zohar, attempts were made to give a complete intellectual system to its theology, such as by Meir ibn Gabbai. Influenced by the earlier success of Jewish philosophy in articulating a rational study of Jewish thought, Moshe Cordovero produced the first full integration of the previous differing schools in Kabbalistic interpretation. While he was a mystic inspired by the opaque imagery of the Zohar, ''Cordoverian Kabbalah'' utilised the conceptual framework of evolving cause and effect from the Infinite to the Finite in systemising Kabbalah, the method of philosophical style discourse he held most effective in describing a process that r ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Holy Spirit In Judaism
In Judaism, the Holy Spirit (, ''ruach ha-kodesh'') is conceived of as the divine force, quality, and influence of God in Judaism, God over the universe or over God's creatures, in given contexts.Maimonides, Moses. Part II, Ch. 45: "The various classes of prophets." ''The Guide for the Perplexed.'' Trans. M. Friedländer. 2nd ed. New York: Dover Publications, 1956. pp. 242-244. Print. Hebrew Bible "Holy Spirit" The term "holy spirit" appears three times in the Hebrew Bible: * Psalm 51 refers to "Your holy spirit" (''ruach kodshecha''). * Chapter 63 of the Book of Isaiah, Isaiah refers twice to "His holy spirit" (''ruach kodsho'') in successive verses. Psalm 51 contains a triple parallelism between different types of "spirit": "Spirit of God" Variations of a similar term, "spirit of God", also appear in various places in the Hebrew Bible. The Hebrew noun ''ruacḥ'' () can refer to "breath", "wind", or some invisible moving force ("spirit (animating force), spirit"). The fol ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Bahir
''Bahir'' or ''Sefer HaBahir'' (, ; "Book of Clarity" or "Book of Illumination") is an anonymous mystical work, attributed to a 1st-century rabbinic sage Nehunya ben HaKanah (a contemporary of Yochanan ben Zakai) because it begins with the words, "R. Nehunya ben HaKanah said". It is also known as ''Midrash of Rabbi Nehunya ben HaKanah'' . First mentioned in late 12th century Provencal works, the ''Bahir'' is an early work of the esoteric Jewish mystical tradition that eventually became known as Kabbalah. The work is considered by scholars to be pseudepigraphical, composed in Provence in the late 12th century. Title Nahmanides, in his commentary on the Torah, (Genesis 1) is one of the first to quote the work under the title ''Midrash R. Nehunya ben HaKanah.'' ("R. Nehunya ben HaKanah said," the opening sentence) Among medieval Kabbalists it became known as ''Sefer HaBahir'', taken from its opening comment, "One verse says: 'And now men see not the light which is bright ( ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
