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This article is about correspondences between some allegorical teachings of traditional Jewish mysticism (Kabbalah) and allegorical teachings contained in the logia of Yeshua. For material about Christian or Hermetic Kabbalah see Kabbalah_in_non-Jewish_society

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Yeshua and Jewish Kabbalah describes a field of study related to a set of structural correspondences between material found in the logia of Yeshua, other Judeo-Christian, Jewish Christian, Messianic Jewish, Gnostic Christian material and Jewish mysticism, now known as Kabbalah. Such a comparison became possible after the discovery and spread of new religious texts throughout the 20th century, such as those found in the Nag Hammadi library.

The apparent correspondences still remain the subject of much controversy and ongoing debate between Jewish, Christian, Messianic and western occult schools of thought. Many of the participants in the western occult revival of the early twentieth century, though avowedly Christian, considered that Christ was an initiate of Jewish mysticism. The most prominent of these being Arthur Edward Waite and Dion Fortune. Baruch Ashlag, possibly relying on Lurianic tradition, states that Yeshua was obviously a student of the best Jewish mystical school of his time. Ashlag claims that it was on account of his knowledge of Jewish mysticism that Yeshua's work had such a global effect. Jesus, before he was expunged from Senhedrin, took a limited (mystical) knowledge, but even this knowledge led him to conquer almost all the world. [1]


Contents

[edit] Why Yeshua and not Jesus?

The Jewish form Yeshua is used here as the use of the name Jesus creates explicitly Christian connotations which redirect the whole question from its original Jewish context. And it is primarilly Jews, who do not see Jesus as the Christian god, who are the prime movers in this area of study [citation needed]. Although Christian Kabbalah considers the mystical nature and teachings of Jesus its understanding of this nature is quite different from the understanding of Jewish mysticism.

[edit] Short history of correspondences

The lack of exact historical knowledge regarding the persona and teachings of Yeshua, for example the search for the postulated lost textual source known as the Q document, has generated much debate. This has led to many comparisons being made between various fragments of extant sources related to him. Many of these comparisons were only comparisons of the texts e.g. A comparison of the Gospel of Thomas to the New Testament. It has been much rarer to find comparisons of the underlying structure of the spiritual teachings themselves, and this is the aim of this area of study.

Lurianic Kabbalah postulated [citation needed] that Yeshua was an expert in Jewish mysticism. This has been among the motivators for scholars who seek to make a comparison of the structures of modern Jewish mysticism (mostly in its Kabbalistic form) with the structures of the mystical teachings in Yeshua's recorded works. The last few decades have seen much of this type of comparison, from a variety of authors [citation needed].

In much the same way that the Q document is postualted to link the three synoptic gospels by being a common source for these gospels, reasearch into the Nag Hammadi Library and the work of Lurainic scholars now seeks to demonstrate that the structure of the mysticism expressed in the teachings of Yeshua corresponds directly to the structure of the mystical teachings of Judaism, especially its most important, mystical concepts and teachings [citation needed]. This outcome is hardly surprising given Yeshua's identity as a Jew.

[edit] Allegory correspondences

These are some known correspondences, but there are a lot more.

  • Hamor, Ass or Donkey: The Zohar describes story of humble driver of an ass, Zechariah 9:9 "gentle and riding on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a donkey". The same happens in Matthew 21:2 "saying to them, "Go to the village ahead of you, and at once you will find a donkey tied there, with her colt by her. Untie them and bring them to me".
  • Gerim Tzeddikim: There is well known in Judaism, that converts to Judaism, or Gerim Tzeddikim are type of Jewish souls migrated through gilgul to other nations and that real converts in Judaism have special and unique spiritual status even equal to Levi. There are special mitzvas concerning Gerim Tzeddikim. Matthew 10:5-6 clearly points to search or visit that kind of the souls as "go to lost sheep of Israel" and Gospel of Thomas 107 allegory speaks about lost soul. This place suggests, that teaching of Yeshua could be neither for Jews, neither to Christians, but to these lost sheep only.
  • Trinity and Tree of Life: - an mysterious and difficult dogmatic concept of Christianity has clear paralell with subject of central importance inside Jewish Kabbalah - "three lines" of the soul (Tree of Life or Shalosh Kavim in hebrew). There is no other more important spiritual triad inside Kabbalah and it's naming is almost the same as in Christian Trinity. Also it is a concept of Shilush in Messianic Jewish Theology. There are a lot of allegories of the Tree of Life, i.e. 3 or 2 mystical lines or kavim (cinnor and cinnorot too) in logia. This subject is very important for spiritual practice in Kabbalah. The same aspect could be found through concept of 3 mystical Godhead personalities in Christianity as Trinity.
  • Two aspects of Messiah - well known in Kabbalah as (ben David and ben Yosef) in New Testament are clearly same aspects as Yeshua had (he was a descendant of David and son of Yosef). Plus Lurian Kabbalah explains Messiah as spiritual power, but not a Zeir Anpin (or person, what is instinctive thinking of most people) what changes point of attack to all problem of Historical Jesus and his messianity.
  • Kavim - lines: For studies of Kabbalah there is one essential but very deep topic. It is called kav or kavim, what is energy lines inside soul or Tree of Life. From the learning and practicing of these lines starts first point of ascension, evolution or spiritual work. A lot of books are written about this subject, while it remains obscure and difficult to understand. Reading of logia from Gospel of Thomas suddenly shows clear links to this obscure aspect of Kabbalah, especially sayings

(47) Jesus said, "It is impossible for a man to mount two horses or to stretch two bows. And it is impossible for a servant to serve two masters; otherwise, he will honor the one and treat the other contemptuously. No man drinks old wine and immediately desires to drink new wine. And new wine is not put into old wineskins, lest they burst; nor is old wine put into a new wineskin, lest it spoil it. An old patch is not sewn onto a new garment, because a tear would result. Source

(48) Jesus said, "If two make peace with each other in this one house, they will say to the mountain, 'Move Away,' and it will move away.

What is exact explanation of what Rabbi Ashlag explains in his book "Shamati" [2]

  • Galgaltha in Kabbalah and Golgoth as a crucifixion place - maybe one of the most unique and intriguing previously unknown or forgotten links, showing old scheme of Jerusalem seen from above with geomantic scheme of spiritual parcufim.
  • Eli, Eli, lama sabahtani? was a clear emanation of emotional faculty of Zeir Anpin.

[edit] Main premises of finding these correspondences:

We are only beginning to understand the significance and impact of the so-called "Christian Kabbalah" on the history and development of western thought New Kabbalah.

  1. global spreading of Lurian-Ashlagian Kabbalah through such schools as Kabbalah Center and RAMLAN beginning from the end of 20th century;
  2. opening of famous 1945 gnostic goldmine fund of secret logia of Jesus from the Gospel of Thomas (Nag Hammadi Library). This fund (and other simlar new archeological funds) open advenced teaching of Jesus, not known for Christianity before;
  3. development of various Jewish concepts of Yeshua, fairly different from Christian view of Jesus: through Messianic Judaism and various scools of Nazarene and Jewish Notzrim focusing on original Jewish teaching of Yeshua, using aramaic Peshitta and hebrew translation of NT (B'rit Hadasha). These concepts devoloped much earlier, at least from 19th century.

Other background premises of this topic are based on:

  1. belief or knowledge, that Yeshua was a real historical person, that his teaching (as he himself states) was fulfillment of the Torah or written law
  2. belief or knowledge, that Jewish Kabbalah started back from Abraham himself or times of Abraham (but not from Middle Ages or Renessaince) and is a Sod ha Torah, i.e. deepest spiritual level and key of all Torah

This innovative religious trend of discussions and exploration within a modern Jewish Kabbalah study groups of former Christian background rises with a goal to understand deep links between Judaism and Christianity in general, i.e. Jewish Kabbalah and teaching of Yeshua especially. It tends to confirm (or deny) that logia of Yeshua have obvious allegories of secret Jewish mysticism with a level and type of allegory same to the Torah or the Zohar.

That's why there are no deep studies, except New Age, esoteric or occult books on the subject. Infact - near subject. Anyway this topic is of big importance for both correct understanding of Gospel of Thomas, all collection of logia, Quelle of New Testament and for Jewish Kabbalah studies too. Especially to those experts, who study important aspects of left and right lines inside Jewish Kabbalah.

At the beginning of 21th century we have a critical mass of obvious correspondences to see teaching of Yeshua in completely new light.

[edit] Place of non-Jewish Kabbalah

The subject of Christian Kabbalah is well known in a West, but before expansion of ashlagian kabbalah all adherents of Kabbalah used non Jewish material of Mirandola/Kircher Hermetic Quabbala. This occult latin interpratation in fact has nothing in common with real Jewish Kabbalah, so all links between Hermatic Quabbala and Jesus teaching were weak.

Links were weak because other reason too - knowledge of logia of Jesus were weak at these times too. After 1945, when gnostic goldmine of Nag Hammadi Library was found times changed. But preparation, translations, studies, explorations of these unique texts continued few decades, until only 10 years ago we got a possibility to read and compare new collections of logia and good translations of old Kabbalah.

Yeshua correspondences with Jewish Kabbalah is not the same thing as Christian or Hermetic Kabbalah, while it has some common points too.

Difference:

  • Only complete taking Jesus back from Christian to pure Jewish context ("converting him back" to Judaism) naming him as Yeshua, thinking in Judaism terms lets to see obvious correspondences with Judaism (only through structure of Kabbalah allegories) never seen in Christian context. Messianic Judaism made first step to this direction earlier, "converting" Jesus to Yeshua.
  • After 1990-2000s we have next step - new and wide material of logia, Gnostic-Jewish interpretations (very similar to Jewish Kabbalah) and knowledge of teaching of Yeshua at the completely new level unknown in Renaissance, especially after Nag Hammadi fund.
  • Now we have completely different situation with Kabbalah sources available for public than it was in Renaissance. Instead of latin occult interpretations we have for public access primary and original material of Jewish Kabbalah.

Common: Those who studied Christian Kabbalah from times of Renessaince tried to prove similar correspondances, but from completely different angle - their task was either to prove and strenghten Christian doctrine through Kabbalah, either Renaissance humanists attempted to Christianize Kabbalah.

More Kabbalah_in_non-Jewish_society

[edit] References

  1. ^ 3 introductory books by Baruch Ashlag translated as "The Spiritual Secret in Judaism reveals the principles in simple style", by Michael Laitman. Vol 3. Israel 1984 Russian edition 1993 Novosibirsk, part 3, page 58. ISBN 5-7664-0934-6
  2. ^ The Work Along the Three Lines

[edit] General

  • Avi ben Mordechai Has a three volume set called MESSIAH-Understanding his life and teachings, in which he touches some of the basic concepts of Kabbalah related to the Besorot. ISBN 0-9643355-4-9
  • Gnosis Of The Cosmic Christ by Tau Malachi "The Kabbalah is an archaic system of Jewish Mysticism that has its roots in the assembly of prophets of ancient Israel and the Merkavah Mysticism..." ISBN: 0738705918
  • Blau, Joseph Leon/Thenaud, Jean The Christian interpretation of the cabala in the renaissance reprinted 1965, 1944 BM 525 B55 1944
  • Wirszubski, Chaim Pico della Mirandola's encounter with Jewish mysticism Harvard University Press : Cambridge, 1988 B 785 P54 W57 1989
  • The Christian Kabbalah: Jewish Mystical Books and Their Christian Interpreters (Harvard College Library) by Joseph Dan ISBN: 0914630199

[edit] Events

  • Mystical Encounters New exhibition at Houghton shows how Renaissance scholars used ancient Jewish Kabbalah to prove Christian doctrines
  • Coudert, A. P. “Leibniz, Locke, Newton and the Kabbalah” / Allison P. Coudert. // IN: The Christian Kabbalah : Jewish mystical books & their Christian interpreters : a symposium / edited by Joseph Dan. – Cambridge, Mass. : Harvard College Library, 1997.

[edit] Trinty

[edit] Reincarnation

[edit] See also

[edit] Addenda

  • Yeshua_and_Jewish_Kabbalah, an obvious set of structural links (at least 18 and growing) between inner layers of 2 well known religious trends were discovered through last decade (and was known much earlier). Now this subject is a hot interreligious topic to Judaism, Christianity, Messianics, Occultists and seculars. After new primary sources became public last decades - simple collation without deeper or expanded scholarship will make this discovery obvious even to nonexperts. But experts who knew these compared sides together are not so much. Some links were found long ago by independent scholars and were confirmed by many. So the article had a task to collect whole list of these works to whole mosaic to do this obvious to all. Noone of voters had reasonable argument, except emotional "Original research". Yes of course the material is thrilling, but needs constant improvement. This article was not an original research, but complex enough to cite all material in one week. It was just initiated and waiting for first experts to improve it. If speaking more strictly IMHO - these discoveries are comparable to a fresh archeological fund. On one side there is exactly archeological goldmine from the Egypt, on the other - previously untranslated to public hebrew explanations of the Bible and related material 22:50, 9 November 2006 (UTC)

[edit] External links

* Category:Bible Category:Christianity Category:Christian and Jewish interfaith topics Category:Jesus Category:Judaism Category:Judeo-Christian topics Category:Jewish mysticism Category:Gnosticism Category:Kabbalah Category:Non-traditional Kabbalah Category:Theology Category:Mysticism Category:Occult Category:Esotericism Category:Monotheism Category:Belief Category:Wikipedia articles needing style editing

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