Walking the Path of the Jewish Mystic , livre ebook

Praise for Walking the Path of the Jewish Mystic
“A luminous guide on the spiritual journey of self-discovery and expansion of consciousness.... Will greatly enrich readers across religious traditions.”
— Dr. Maria Reis Habito , Zen teacher, Maria Kannon Zen Center; international program director, Taipei Museum of World Religions
“Filled with rich images and solid scholarship.... Leads us through the complexities of the historical Kabbalah with extraordinary adeptness.... Brings new light to an ancient wisdom.”
— Rabbi Ted Falcon, PhD , coauthor, Finding Peace Through Spiritual Practice: The Interfaith Amigos’ Guide to Personal, Social and Environmental Healing
“In a generation threatened by so much spiritual exploitation, it is rare to see such responsibility and integrity in a teacher.... Translate[s] the highest and most complex esoteric wisdom into soul-bites that can be comprehended by all.... Will draw you to be your highest self and connect to your ultimate truth.”
— Reb Mimi Feigelson , lecturer of Rabbinics and Chassidic Thought, American Jewish University
“Powerful.... A profound discussion of the truths that underlie the human condition. A wonderful book that you will return to again and again.”
— Nan Fink Gefen, PhD , author, Discovering Jewish Meditation: Instruction and Guidance for Learning an Ancient Spiritual Practice
“A combination of laser-like clarity and gentle authority.... A provocative vision, grounded in serious scholarship and supported by a thousand years of esoteric understanding.”
— Mirabai Starr , author, God of Love: A Guide to the Heart of Judaism, Christianity and Islam
“A uniquely valuable spiritual resource that masterfully interweaves Kabbalistic teachings with esoteric wisdom from other traditions.... A profoundly rich and evocative guide for the expansion of individual consciousness, as well as for the spiritual evolution of humanity as a whole.”
— Dr. Yehezkel Landau , director, Building Abrahamic Partnerships; associate professor of interfaith relations, Hartford Seminary
“This book is to be treasured, placed on one’s nightstand to be read frequently for spiritual elevation. Not only does this book transmit deep Kabbalistic teachings, the reading of the book itself places the reader in a wonderful meditative state.”
— Melinda Ribner , author, The Secret Legacy of Biblical Women and New Age Judaism
“Opens the door to a world that is inaccessible for most people.... Makes personal transformation attainable to the one who is ready to do the work.... A gift to the soul and the mind.”
— Rabbi Marcelo Bronstein , Congregation B’nai Jeshurun, New York City
“An excellent guide.... Shares a profound understanding of the paths of ancient wisdom while leading us onward toward the higher awareness that can become a catalyst for spiritual evolution and growth.”
— Rabbi Shefa Gold , author, The Magic of Hebrew Chant: Healing the Spirit, Transforming the Mind, Deepening Love
“An exceedingly rare, inspiring integration.... Clarity and conviction with ecumenical universalism.”
— Dr. J. H. (Yossi) Chajes , University of Haifa; author, Between Worlds: Dybbuks, Exorcists and Early Modern Judaism
“Informed by a depth of meditation practice and spiritual learning, Rabbi Glick’s mystical and yet accessible teaching offer[s] an illuminating portrait of the planes of inner human topography, the multifaceted nature of Divine energy, and the unfolding of creation.”
— Rabbi Elie Kaplan Spitz , author, Increasing Wholeness: Jewish Wisdom and Guided Meditations to Strengthen and Calm Body, Heart, Mind and Spirit



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For my sons, Adir and Navonel, passionate seekers of wisdom and truth
Contents
Illustrations
Introduction: Awakening the Higher Knowledge ( Daat Elyon )
A Note on Language
The Garden and the Cosmic Vessels
Two Ancient Paradigms That Define Our Existence
Made in the Image of God
1. The Body of Spiritual Centers
How Are We Created in the Image of God?
2. The Centers
A Detailed Exploration of the Sefirot
The Science of the Soul
3. The Nature of the Soul
We Are a Multilayered Being
4. Our Soul Family
We Have a Higher Home in the Heavens
5. The Garments of the Soul
Five Bodies of Manifestation
6. Incarnation and Evolution in the Human Kingdom
How Do We Grow and Progress as Human Beings and Souls?
7. Key Factors in Spiritual Evolution
What Determines Our Spiritual Growth?
8. Larger Group Souls / The Soul of Israel
Identity Beyond the Individual
The Divine Structure of Reality
9. The Organization of the Heavens
What Is Our Relationship to the Cosmos?
10. The Angelic Kingdom
The Spiritual Dimension of the Natural Realm
11. Incarnation and Evolution in the Divine Kingdom
Can God Evolve?
12. Fundamental Forces at Work in Human and Divine Evolution
Influence and Interaction on the Micro- and Macrocosm
Revealing the Kingdom of Heaven on Earth
13. The Shekhinah —the Feminine Divine Presence
Approaching the Universal Mother and Her Power
14. The Evolution of the Concept of the Temple
Creating a Dwelling Place for the Divine
15. The Manifestation of the Divine Thoughtform in the Four Realms
The Journey from the Mind of God to Concrete Reality
16. The Messianic Soul
The Great Ones Who Answer Our Cry for Help
Acknowledgments
Notes
Suggested Resources
About the Author
Copyright
Also Available
About Jewish Lights Publishing
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Illustrations
1.Yogic/Kabbalistic sefirot
2.The three energy pathways
3.The sefirot and the endocrine glands
4.The evolution of the sefirot
5.The five levels of the soul
6.The five bodies of manifestation
7.The body of earth
8.The seven planes of earth
9.The partzufim or divine countenances
10.Our wider reality
11.The divine thoughtform of the Temple in the four realms



Introduction
Awakening the Higher Knowledge ( Daat Elyon )
T he purpose of this book is to create a foundation of understanding about the nature and workings of the inner life and the higher realm for spiritual seekers. It is not an exhaustive study, nor is it an authoritative treatise on the subject. It is a window into another reality; a door that leads to a different way of looking at life.
The Kabbalah, Jewish mystical teaching, speaks of two types of knowledge: daat elyon , the higher knowledge, and daat tachton , the lower knowledge. The lower daat relates to intellectual ideas, facts, and figures. The higher daat is something else entirely. It is an intuitive impression of the essence of a person or an object. Daat elyon is a direct experience where we merge with the object of our investigation and comprehend its true nature as it exists in the mind of God.
A common analogy that is used by the mystics to explain this type of knowledge is Genesis 4:1, “And the man knew his wife Eve.” It is this kind of intimate knowledge that is at the heart of the inner life. This higher knowledge leads to a transformation in awareness that becomes the catalyst for spiritual evolution and growth. 1
One of the keys to opening the door to daat elyon is the study of spiritual wisdom. As we enter into the wisdom teachings, the celestial worlds become alive for us. Our consciousness expands and our understanding deepens.
This type of study is not accomplished by intellectual learning, though the intellect has a part to play, but through contemplation and meditation on the higher truths. The exploration of the nature of consciousness, the anatomy of the soul, the geography of the higher worlds, and the structure of the supernal planes are all an integral part of such religious investigation.
The approach of this book is focused on awakening daat elyon . Four principles are employed to actualize its intuitive power. These four principles form the conceptual foundation for the teaching.
The First Principle: A Universal Approach
The essence of the spiritual life is the expansion of our consciousness. God’s consciousness is all-inclusive and the divine love is all-embracing. If we want to join with the Eternal One, then we need to become all-inclusive and all-embracing as well.
The mystical teachings of the various religions are each like one of the proverbial blind men trying to describe an elephant. 2 Each religion gives us one perspective of the greater picture. No one religion has all the answers. We can discover the contours of the overall outline, however, by incorporating the insights from these different paths. The synthetic vision that arises from this interreligious investigation will begin to provide us with a comprehensive view of God’s universe.
Judaism has its own unique insights to contribute to this larger picture. Certain ideas in the Kabbalah have a universal appeal. These concepts resonate with the teachings found in other world faiths. They attest to the common basis of understanding among the traditions, while imparting their own perspective on the nature of the world. These Jewish beliefs offer a vision that emerges out of our particular experience as a people and the distinctive qualities embodied in our religion.
Rebbe Nachman of Breslov, the late-eighteenth-century Hasidic master who was known for his innovative and