by Abraham Steinberg

Created on: August 13, 2008   Last Updated: August 31, 2008

There is no simple answer here. We learn that Abraham, although he preceded the giving of the Torah, he actually kept it. How do we understand this paradox? Well, we do know that the Torah is the blueprint of the world. Scripture states that God created the Torah first and then created the world using the Torah. So, Abraham with his deep understanding and knowledge of this world, he deduced the Torah and kept it. Now, if we say that the Kabbalah is just a deeper understanding of the Torah, in other words, it is one and the same thing, then the answer would have to be yes. Kabbalah was not recieved on Mount Sinai written on tablets of stone. It is there hidden in the texts and is waiting to be un-locked, as it were. Rabbi Shimon Bar Yochai did just this. Hiding in a cave with his son for many years and pondering on the Torah, he came out with the Zohar. This is the most famous work on the Kabbalah. If Rabbi Shimon Bar Yochai could do this then certainly Abraham could have done so. But since we have no sefer (book), such as the Zohar, written by Abraham, we cannot know for sure. To sum up... Is it POSSIBLE? The answer is a definite "YES". Do we know for sure? No!

On this subject... We have a new phenomenon today. Kabbalah centres. People who have no prior knowledge to anything thinking they can study Kabbalah. Before one can do this let me mention a story. I worked in a Jewish bookshop a few years back. A lady came in asking for material on Kabbalah. So I explained to her that before she can do this, she would have to study the five books of the Torah, and proceeded to show them to her. Then I explained the next step is the six books of the Mishnah, and agin showed her the full works. After that, I said, one would have to learn the complete Oral Law (the Gemara), and showed her the many volumes. Once all that has been learned with full knowledge of everything, one can then learn the Kabbalah. She paused and then said "But that will take a lifetime". "Exactly", I said. Another pause... "If it's alright with you i'll just take a book on the Kabbalah".

Ludicrous! No?

What is this fascination with the Kabbalah? It's like a baby trying to run before it can walk. Why do people insist on not learning the Torah and jumping straight to the Kabbalah. In the Jewish tradition, one should be atleast 60 years of age before one atempts this. Simply, one cannot understand it otherwise. One particular famous person, whom I shall not mention by name, is a great believer in studying Kabbalah but his/her personal life does not reflect their learning. Is this right. Perhaps we should concentrate on being a better version of oneself and make a bigger difference to this world. After-all the Torah and this world is one and the same thing.

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