Jewish Mysticism & Meditations

In Hebrew, Jewish Meditation is called hitbonenut or hisbonenus. Usually, these are most clearly explained in the Hasidic and Kabbalistic texts. Hebrew pertains to one of the many dialects under the languages of Canaanite. It flourished as the Israel's spoken language between tenth century BCE and third or fourth CE (the Byzantine Period) upon the extinction of several Canaanite dialects.

The term hisbonenus is derived from Binah, a Hebrew word which means understanding. This understanding is based from analytical study involving any topics. In general, hisbonenus is referred to as the Torah study under Kabbalah explanations for achieving a greater appreciation and understanding of God.

The primary Judaism document is the Torah. Traditional rabbinic writings provided several ideas about the revelation of the whole Torah. Many considered the event at Mount Sinai, when God revealed the Ten Commandments to Moses as one of the most significant revelatory event. The orthodox rabbis dated the revelation as 1280 BCE. Sources given by some rabbis stated that the whole Torah was all given at once during the revelation. The maximalist believed that the dictations not only include quotes which are appearing in the texts, but also each word contained in the texts itself, even the phrases and the revelation of the death of Moses. 



Kabbalah transliterated as Qabalah, Kabbala, Cabala, or other related permutations means receiving of a particular tradition. It interprets esoterically the Bible of the Hebrew (Tanakh), aggadah and halakha (classical texts of the Jews), and mitzvot (practices). Mystical doctrines are expressed in connection with simultaneous transcendence and immanence of God. This was the attempted declaration to the old paradox that explains the Ultimate Being, in which even the blind Isaac cannot conceive it in his thoughts, but he came to be experienced and known by the people that He created. 

The Kabbalah declares that each intellectual process should be incorporated with three faculties. It includes Daas, Binah, and Chochma. Daas literally means knowledge. This pertains to the ability of the mind to hold and focus its concentration on the Binah and Chochma. Chochma literally means wisdom. This is the ability of the mind to create a new point of view in a concept which one didn't know before.  Binah literally means understanding. This is the ability of the mind to obtain a new point of view from Chochma and evaluate all its propositions and simplify the concepts to be well understood.

It is a fact that hisbonenus referring to Binah defines Jewish meditation to distinguish it from other meditation forms. The philosophy of Hasidic and Kabbalah rejected the idea that any new point of view doesn't necessarily come from a mere concentration only. They also explained that although Daas is an important part of cognition, it's similar to an empty container without the study, learning, and analysis coming from the power of Binah. The Chassidic philosophy also stated that the new discovery or insight of a scientist (Chochma) is the end result of a deep analysis and study of his topics (Binah).

However, Chassidic masters revealed that deep concentration for a longer period of time sometimes devoid intellectual contents that can lead to hallucinations, insanity, and sensory deprivation instead of achieving spiritual enlightenment. The true enlightenment corresponds with Torah understandings specifically the Hasidic and Kabbalah philosophy explanations.

Shluchot: A Jewish Prayer for Luck

Sometimes, I get chain emails.  While I don't believe in forwarding them because of the fear and guilt they seem to create, I have to admit that sometimes I get a lot of enjoyment out of simply reading them. Also, I figure that if I post them in my blog where people are actually coming to read them, it's way better than forwarding it to people who may not want their inboxes to be stuffed with chain emails.

I've seen so many Christian prayer chains, especially Catholic ones devoted to different saints.  But this one is the very first Jewish one that I've ever come across.  It was sent to me awhile ago, so I thought I'd share. :)

"You're one of my 12...Shluchot -- A mystical Jewish formula for good mazel and who of us can't use that!?  Please do not break! Just 27 words.

G'mar Chatima Tova!
G-D our Father, walk through my house & take away all my worries &
illness & please watch over & heal my family & other families
too...Amen.

This prayer is so powerful.
Pass this to 12 people
A blessing is coming to you of a new job, a house, marriage, good
health, or financial comfort

Do not break or ask questions."

Etiquette, Success, and Deutoronomy

The Bible is full life lessons.  Even if you aren't Christian, it is always a good idea to read it at least once in order to glean its lessons and to experience the richness of its literature.

One such important lesson is illustrated in the second chapter of Deuteronomy.  The wanderers consider waging war with various peoples as they encounter them in their travels, but instead they are advised by God to keep the peace.  Instead of pillaging, plundering, and helping themselves to the spoils which are not meant for them, God instructs them to pay for their food and water fairly, to behave graciously and not to harass or bother anyone across whom they come during this journey.


Not only is this prudent behavior in order to keep positive relationships with one's neighbors, but it is also important to remember that it's important to choose one's battles wisely.  If you are positive that you cannot win or make a positive impact in any way, then war is pointless as it wastes so many resources.


Deuteronomy 2

New International Version (NIV)
Wanderings in the Wilderness

2 Then we turned back and set out toward the wilderness along the route to the Red Sea,[a] as the Lord had directed me. For a long time we made our way around the hill country of Seir.

2 Then the Lord said to me, 3 “You have made your way around this hill country long enough; now turn north. 4 Give the people these orders: ‘You are about to pass through the territory of your relatives the descendants of Esau, who live in Seir. They will be afraid of you, but be very careful. 5 Do not provoke them to war, for I will not give you any of their land, not even enough to put your foot on. I have given Esau the hill country of Seir as his own. 6 You are to pay them in silver for the food you eat and the water you drink.’”

7 The Lord your God has blessed you in all the work of your hands. He has watched over your journey through this vast wilderness. These forty years the Lord your God has been with you, and you have not lacked anything.

8 So we went on past our relatives the descendants of Esau, who live in Seir. We turned from the Arabah road, which comes up from Elath and Ezion Geber, and traveled along the desert road of Moab.

9 Then the Lord said to me, “Do not harass the Moabites or provoke them to war, for I will not give you any part of their land. I have given Ar to the descendants of Lot as a possession.”

10 (The Emites used to live there—a people strong and numerous, and as tall as the Anakites. 11 Like the Anakites, they too were considered Rephaites, but the Moabites called them Emites. 12 Horites used to live in Seir, but the descendants of Esau drove them out. They destroyed the Horites from before them and settled in their place, just as Israel did in the land the Lord gave them as their possession.)

13 And the Lord said, “Now get up and cross the Zered Valley.” So we crossed the valley.

14 Thirty-eight years passed from the time we left Kadesh Barnea until we crossed the Zered Valley. By then, that entire generation of fighting men had perished from the camp, as the Lord had sworn to them. 15 The Lord’s hand was against them until he had completely eliminated them from the camp.

16 Now when the last of these fighting men among the people had died, 17 the Lord said to me, 18 “Today you are to pass by the region of Moab at Ar. 19 When you come to the Ammonites, do not harass them or provoke them to war, for I will not give you possession of any land belonging to the Ammonites. I have given it as a possession to the descendants of Lot.”

Meet Your Real Guardian Angel

"Make friends with the angels, who though invisible are always with you. Often invoke them, constantly praise them, and make good use of their help and assistance in all your temporal and spiritual affairs." -- St. Francis de Sales

Spirits are each given the task of watching over us and helping us throughout our time here on Earth: these are angels.  An angel is thought to be a spiritual being who acts as a messenger of God, assigned to assist someone in his or her life.  In Judaism, they are sometimes called "mal'akh elohim" (messengers of God).  The Islamic religion refers to them as Malaikah. The Catholic Church has long held a tradition of belief in these heavenly beings, although angels themselves are not necessarily affiliated with any specific religious belief.  We all have our own personal guardian angel whose job is to guide us, assist us, and to help us realize that doing good work is our duty here on Earth.

It could be said that an angel is a by-product of God, in much the same way that light emanates from a candle or lightbulb.  As soon as we are born, an angel is present near is, waiting to help and guide us.  They can understand our thoughts and feelings, and they can also hear our prayers whether silent or spoken.

All around us, we can find these angels.  They are everywhere; if we remember to ask for their help, our guardian angels will do their very best to assist us.  It is in an angel's nature to be a liason between the mortal realm and that of the immortal, the divine, and they can exist in both realms, serving as a connection between these worlds.  Although they cannot be seen by the human eye, angelic presence can often be felt.

Because angelic beings are of the divine, earthly concepts such as time are not relevant to them.  They can be wherever they choose, in any way that they choose, because they exist in multiple dimensions.  A popular belief is that angels can travel more quickly than the speed of light.  Every living thing -- each animal, each plant, each person -- has an angel present, watching over it and caring for it.

When you become open to the possibilities of communicating with your angel, you are choosing to become open to a richer spiritual experience, and the opportunity for great spiritual self-improvement.  Acknowledging angelic presences helps us to enhance our own intuition, and thus become more readily able to accept their communications.  Meditating can be beneficial toward helping us remove the negative obstacles inside us, which make inner peace and self-improvement difficult.  By meditating, one can find the tranquility, love, and happiness that angels wish us to possess.

When you are in need of help, you have only to speak up and ask your angelic presence for assistance. By connecting with your guardian angel, you are reaching out to a liason of God, and thus connecting with the divine presence through your angelic helper.  And, when you achieve a calm and composed state of mind, it is much easier to connect.

Life can be distracting, fast-paced, and so full of "important" things to do.  However, it is important for us to give ourselves those moments of tranquility and peace that our inner souls crave.  When having a quiet moment, realize that this is an excellent time to try connecting with your personal angelic presence.  If you are in need of help, feel free to ask your angel for some assistance -- an angel will do its best to help you no matter what, but when you ask, the connection is that much stronger and easier.  If you can remember a time when you've had a serious problem and there seemed to be no way out of it, yet somehow you were able to come to a solution at the last second, you may have your guardian angel to thank for that assistance.

Modern Kabbalah Basics & the Tree of Life

The ancient school of thought that is known as Kabbalah has recently enjoyed some newfound popularity in the past few years; because of celebrities such as Madonna, Britney Spears, Lindsay Lohan, and Lady Gaga wearing Kabbalah bracelets and speaking out about Kabbalah's positive aspects, this practice has become a subject of newfound public interest. Ancient Kabbalah has much in common with the modern version with which we're currently familiar, but the modern version has evolved into something somewhat different as well.

Kabbalah's history originates in early Jewish mysticism. It has grown and evolved into various different forms since its beginnings, including Christian Cabbalah, Islamic Kabbalah, Practical Kabbalah, as well as more secular versions that we often see today, such as Hermetic Qabbalah (spelled with a "Q" to differentiate it from the other versions, as opposed to those which are specifically associated with the Abrahamic religions). Many modern practitioners of Kabbalah are not affiliated with any specific spiritual doctrine, instead choosing to treat it as an independent school of mystic thought.

The origins of Kabbalah are said to have begun with Moses himself, as legends have told that he received Kabbalah teachings on Mount Sinai; the ten commandments were to be distributed freely and taught to everyone, yet the Kabbalistic teachings were reserved only for a chosen few, to be practiced with utter secrecy and shared with extreme discretion. Another legend involving the Kabbalistic origins says that these mystic teachings were with mankind from the very beginning of our existence, bestowed to Adam at the time of his banishment from the Garden of Eden.

Although there are many mystical and spiritual teachings within the Torah and other Judaic writings, the Kabbalah was considered to be the most important of these at the height of its prevalence. Kabbalistic tenets are viewed by many as highly spiritualized information that transcends the beliefs of most organized religions, and therefore is more spiritually flexible and can apply to people of various faiths. Because of this flexibility, Kabbalistic teachings have moved from being a strictly Judaic faith-based concept into a more secularized version of itself, to provide motivation, insight, and strength to people of all different spiritualities and cultures. The modern-day study of this ancient practice is associated with the "Perennial Philosophy," which is the concept that there are truths which overlap throughout all of the world's primary religions. The Kabbalah's tenets are utilized to help recognize and build upon the philosophies of various spiritual traditions, by eliminating all except the very basics of each teaching.

The mystical properties of Kabbalistic teachings are such that, instead of directing the practitioner to conduct of a strict set of rules and practices, it will instead guide each seeker on a path which is personal in nature, even while the practice is a communal and social one. The journey of Kabbalah is one of mystic philosophy, as opposed to one which is based on a strictly religious dogma.

The essence of the Kabbalah's teachings is condensed in a diagrammed classification system which is known as the Tree of Life. This image is comprised of ten spheres (called sephiroth), representing objective existence; these are connected by a total of twenty-two paths which represent the human condition. it has 10 spheres, or sephiroth, and 22 paths connecting them, which represent the human condition. The Tree of Life serves as an implement which can be used to study and compare religious thought as well; in fact, it was described as a "spiritual filing cabinet." by occultist Aleister Crowley.

 The Tree of Life can also be applied toward other practices, including rituals and meditation, as well as being used in the philosophical method which was its original intent. Each sephiroth and path can be associated with archangels, angels, spirits, and other symbols which represent the nature of these entities.

Additionally, much of the magical property of Kabbalistic practice can be explained through modern scientific thought. An ideal example of this would be the invocation, where a Kabbalistic practitioner will call upon a spiritual power within him- or herself. It can be thought of as a supernatural occurrence, however when one applies scientific knowledge to this practice, it can also be explained as a psychological phenomenon of one who is able to harness their own subconscious mental energies.

You don't need to be Jewish, or even religious at all, to appreciate the Kabbalah and to enjoy the ways that its mysteries can enhance your life.