Meditation 1

Kabbalah and Jewish Mysticism by RABBI MOSHE MILLER

Meditation is making your thoughts cleave Above

STRUCTURED AND UNSTRUCTURED MEDITATIONThere are two general types of meditation – structured and unstructured. Unstructured meditation allows the mind to roam freely, while you detach yourself from your thoughts, observing them objectively. Structured meditation uses a fixed meditational structure, usually a kabbalistic or chassidic discourse, but sometimes also the image of a holy object, such as one of the Divine Names.THE AIM OF MEDITATION Rabbi Chaim Vital, the greatest of the students of Rabbi Yitzchak Luria (who is commonly known as the Ariz’l) discusses several states of heightened awareness in his book Sha’arei Kedusha (part 3 shaaar 7). Having made the distinction between Divine Prophecy (Nevu’a) and Divine Inspiration (Ruach Hakodesh), he goes on to explain that in our times, i.e. ever since the destruction of the Beis Hamikdash, Prophecy is no longer available to us. However “Divine Inspiration is available to all, Jew or Gentile, man or woman, etc., depending on his or her deeds.” (quoted from Tanna D’vei Eliyahu chap. 9, 1).Divine Inspiration can be manifested in five different ways, he explains:

 

[editor]: The teachings of Rabbi Chaim Vital concerning "Divine Inspiration", can we understand that Ruach Hakodesh one can reach it doing good deeds with deep sincerity and all the intention is to Heaven's sake. With a pure heart and sanctifying the body through mitzvoth's observance?

[Rabbi’s answer]: Yes, he says this explicitly in Shaarei Kedusha.

Through dreams: This is considered to be the lowest form of Ruach Hakodesh.

Through a revelation of Eliyahu HaNavi (Elijah the Prophet). Depending on the level of spirituality of the individual, this revelation can be with his knowledge (i.e. revealed), or without his knowledge (concealed). Eliyahu might reveal himself to the person on even a single occasion, in order to save him from a certain situation, or to reveal a secret, or to direct him on his path of Divine service etc. Alternatively, Eliyahu might become the person’s teacher, revealing to him (mystical) teachings of the Torah, as was the case with the Rashbi (Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai, author of the Zohar), and with the Ariz’l himself.

Through a Maggid: A Maggid is a spiritual teacher who appears to the person who is worthy in order to teach him a path in Torah. The most well known Maggid was the one who taught Rabbi Yosef Caro, author of the Shulchan Aruch. He recounts his experiences and the instructions of his spiritual guide in the work entitled “Maggid Meisharim.”

Through the revelation of the root of the soul. Through Divine Service, contemplation, purification and prayer, (as well as other, less accessible, means) a person’s soul-root reveals itself to him. He then becomes ” who he really is”, so to speak. (See Yonati in Likkutei Torah Shir HaShirim; VeAtah Tetzave 5752)

Through Ibbur Nishmat haTzaddik: The soul of a Tzaddik, living in this world, or in the world of Truth, which is related to his soul either intrinsically or due to his performance of certain mitzvot, or through certain types of contemplation, or through certain aspects of Divine Service such as Hiskashrus (cleaving to the Tzaddik or to his ways according to the teaching of “cleave to the Divine Presence by cleaving to Talmidei Chachamim“, see e.g. Tanya ch.2), and Mesirat Nefesh.(See Tanya end ch.14, ch.18, 25).

[Editor]: The Tzaddikim, of blessed memory, are we "cleaving to the Tzaddik" when one felt like sparks of lights are in each letter, in each word and teachings of tzaddik inspires and influences our deeds and soul?

[Rabbi’s answer]: Not to the Tzaddik himself necessarily but to the G-dliness contained in his words and teachings. In fact the Baal Shem tov explains that every holy word (and each letter) has three levels - olamaot, neshamot, Elokut. Outer form, inner life force and Godliness. One may say that the neshamah aspect of a word or letter is the kavanah of the Tzaddik therein. But the ultimate level which we aspire to cleave to is Elokut.

ABOUT:

Moshe Miller, a guest teacher at Ascent when he lived in Israel, was born in South Africa and received his yeshivah education in Israel and America. He is a prolific author and translator, with some twenty books to his name on a wide variety of topics, including a new, authoritative, annotated translation of the Zohar. He currently lives in Chicago.

The Sages of the Talmud and the Zohar state that “fifty gates of understanding were created in the world. All of them were given to Moshe (Moses) except for one” – the fiftieth gate. That one we have to complete by disseminating the wellsprings of the inner dimensions of the Torah (Rebbe Rashab).

And the earth will be filled with the knowledge of God as the ocean covers the sea-bed (Isaiah 11:9).

Written by: Rabbi Moshe Miller
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Photography by: Aryel Nachman ben Chaim