Kabbalah of
Prayer ~ Sacred Sounds and the Soul's
Journey
Brooklyn
Bodhisattvas ~ A Book of Visions and
Kabballistic Poetry
"Broken Land, Poems of Brooklyn." ~ Shulamit's poem Brooklyn Bodhisattvas has been published in an anthology New York University Press, (Kasdorf and Tyrell eds.).
Study Kabbalah and
Kabbalah Sound Prayer with Shulamit.
The Kabbalah teaches us
the mysteries of creation and how we can use these
mysteries in order to live correctly, thereby
enriching our lives and truly connecting to God.
Shulamit's students, in addition to their academic inquiries, use their lives (sorrows, pains, joys, limitations and gifts) as part of their lesson plan, along with the power of Kabbalah
Sound Prayer.
My question for you is if the kabbalist learned the mysticism from the Rabbi. Method being from the rabbi's mouth to the students ear.And only to the male student, of course. How can you offer classes in the ancient rituals of the kabbalah? Especially being a woman?
T.G.
A.
You ask a very important question. You are correct in that traditional modern (post 17th Century) Judaism forbids women from studying Kabbalah, let alone teaching it.
It is also true that this tradition holds that men under the age of 40 are forbidden to study Kabbalah. And yet, Issac Luria, Moshe Luzatto and many other mystics, teachers and interpreters of Kabbalah all died before the age of 40. The books of these men are studied, and their memory glorified, for they were spiritual geniuses.
It is also important to know that these restrictions on reading and teaching Kabbalah were onlyput in place by Rabbisin the late 1600s inresponse to the apostasy of Sabbatai Svi (born in Smyrna in 1626) who usedKabbalah to justify his claim to beingthe Messiah, only toconverted to Islam under threat of death. This was an extraordinarily traumatic event in Jewish history.
In addition, as you know, thereare different branches of Judaism with different teachings about Kabbalah, and of courseJudaism itself has evolved over the years to the point where even withinsome Orthodox communities a few women study Talmud and interpret Halacha....so not everyone accepts medieval strictures, even within the traditional community.For example, my book Kabbalah of Prayer, Sacred Sounds and the Soul's Journey, was read, prior to publication,by a Chassidic Rabbi to verify the halachic correctness of certain statements.
Finally, we must never forget that Judaism teaches that each individual has a unique destiny and a unique reason for being.What that destiny is must be uncovered by each individual in the journey towards the awakened ofhis/her Neshamah (Higher Soul).That destiny, that individual soul's journey, does not depend on the will of the collective, northe will of any temporal authority, but only on the will of God. In the end, itis very hubristic for anyone to tell another human beinghow they should and can approach God Despite being raised Orthodox, I am comfortable and at peace with what I have been called to do.
Q.
I know that judgement is not ours to make. However, I tried very hard to forgive and let go of a situation where someone has done very wrong to me. I don't understand how people sleep at night with the things that they do and always to people who have been so good to them. Its getting better but I can't help but have this sick feeling inside.
Ann
New York
A.
I
understand how wounded you must
feel.
Please
also understand this: that as
long as you hold this person
and what has happened in your
heart and mind, the bad effects
of that unfortunate association
will be prolonged and continue
to exert a negative influence
on your life.
Perhaps
you are seeking justice and
understanding,and while that
may come in time, it will not
come as a result of sickness
of heart, but rather as a function
of properly directed efforts.
Instead
of working on trying to forgive,
work on compassion. By cultivating
compassion, forgiveness arises
naturally.
I
suggest you undertake the compassion
practice and Sound Prayer practices
outlined in my book Kabbalah
of Prayer, Sacred Sounds and
the Soul's Journey. In it you
will find a compassion practice
that can change your life.
While
this is a period of suffering
for you, this situation also
offers an opprotunity for growth
of consciousness whose reward
is joy.
Q.
I
have done a lot of bad things.
I think it is too late for me
to change.
Anonymous
A.
Although
we cannot change our past we
can transform our lives. Every
soul has the potential to redeem
itself.
Put
aside what you have done in
the past and concentrate on
what you are doing right now.
For we create our future in
the present moment.
Our
Jewish Sages say: "We are
not permitted to abandon the
(spiritual) work, nor are we
expected to complete it."
If
your heart is yearning for connection
and an end to suffering and
loneliness, then it is essential
that you begin to study and
embark on a spiritual path.
Each
and every one of us must begin
where we are. There are communities
and teachers who will accept
you as you are and will help
you learn.
When
we begin our journey with sincerity
we are helped by angels and
many wonderful human souls.
Q.
What
is the Kabbalah's view of reincarnation?
A.
Within
Kabbalah there is a doctrine
of "gilgul," which deals
with reincarnation. It is an
esoteric interpretation that
arises out of the Biblical
saying "one generation
passes away and another comes."
(Ecclesiastes 1:4) According
to this doctrine, the soul is
reincarnated for its own benefit
- to complete work that had
not been accomplished in a single
lifetime. This gives each individual
a chance to perfect their soul,
fulfill commandments not previously
honored and correct transgressions
of former lifetimes. In addition,
the righteous are said
to reincarnate over and over
again for the benefit of
the world and its inhabitants.
Q.
My
questions is about the awakening
of the higher soul - is it a
one time happening and from
that period happiness? Or do
we have to awaken it constantly
and will it come bit by bit?
Mirjam,
Amsterdam Holland
A.
We
are each born into the world
with different capacities. Depending
on work done in prior lives,
our souls may be more or less
elevated. Regardless, in each
life every one of us must work
to awaken our Neshamah
or higher soul. This is because
in each person the Neshamah
is "clothed" by the
Nefesh or animal soul, which
is at the root of our ordinary
existence. The speed and success
of this awakening varies from
person to person. Over
time, we may have moments of
great clarity and joy which
arise when we reside in the
light of our higher soul. However,
it is quite easy to slip
back into ordinary consciousness.
Persistence over time, through
concentration on purifying thought,
speech and action as well
as prayer practices, is
needed by most of us.
Q.
Are
men and women equal?
Arnthor
, Iceland
A.
Men
and women are equal before God
and each have the same responsibility
for their own conduct as well
as for their own spiritual awakening.
Having said that, it is clear
that men and woman, while having
a similar intellectual capacity,
have different biological
and psychological aspects
to their being.
Kabbalah
teaches that within each human
exist both male and female attributes,
which are contained in the right
and left sides of the body.
While in each of us one side
dominates, both are needed to
avoid being out of balance.
We can observe this in ourselves
and in others.
A
person out of balance is a person
at risk. As it is with individuals
so it is with society. At present
our society is out of balance
and at great risk. In part
this is because female energy
and female wisdom (which resides
in both males and females) do
not have the amount of influence
called for. An increase in the
influence of the feminine is
imperative for the survival
of the world.
Q.
I
believe in giving and loving.
I am in most cases hurt by the
same people who I have loved
and cared
for. The more I give the more
I am disappointed.
Yvonne
, Florida
A.
Giving
is a choice. You can make a
choice to try to give only
if you are certain that the
others love will also nourish
you. But it is important to
remember that human beings can
and do act in ways that are
extremely disappointing, and
often impossible to predict.
Therefore, if you make the choice
to give at all, give freely
without expectation of reward,
if you act from freedom and
love, you will grow spiritually
and profit greatly. Additionally
your compassion will deepen
and you will not suffer the
same degree of disappointment.
Q.
I
have been working as a pastor
my entire adult life, for more
than a quarter of a century.
Within the past couple of years
I have been deeply questioning
everything, including God. I
don't feel that I am good at
my work anymore, and often feel
completely numb. Nobody else
seems to notice the change in
me. Can you provide any insight
which can help me?
Anonymous
A.
You
described a crisis of faith
deep enough that you are surprised
that it doesn't "show."
You speak of work, forged out
of love and commitment becoming
stale and rote; and a sense
of deadness in the midst of
life.
These
feelings are part of a
natural evolution that many
others experience as well. It
is amply described in spiritual
literature. Change is
upon you. The outcome
of this "dark night of
the soul" is as yet unknown
and depends on your will, as well
as on grace. The most favorable
outcome is expanded consciousness,
a deepening of faith, renewed
commitment, greater compassion--
a more profound love leading
to deeper service.
Now
is the time to find new light
and seek a rebirth.
"The experience of Sound Prayer teaches us that while our knowledge is finite our consciousness is limitless.... Our Sound Prayers send vibrations up the spinal column of all the worlds.... In this way we help bring our earthly world into alignment with the upper worlds as we attune to the rest of the universe. Sound Prayer promotes stability, integration, and peace in all the worlds by helping harmonize the many disparate forces within us and within the universe."
