Various Kabbalistic signs represent the main provisions of the mystical European teaching that arose in the 12th century, imprinted on a symbolic level. The symbols mentioned in Kabbalistic literature are for the most part common to all esoteric practices. The difference is only in the variations of their meanings and hidden meanings.
The emergence and origins of Kabbalah
It is believed that the Jews developed their own esoteric doctrine as a reaction to Jewish orthodoxy. The rabbis mainly tried to derive moral, ethical and legal norms from the Holy Scriptures (Torah, Talmud). At the same time, interacting with the philosophical teachings of Neoplatonism and Gnosticism, individual thinkers tried to discover something hidden in these texts. They asked questions about the essence of God and things, the ultimate goal of the universe, the origin of the soul. The rabbis did not encourage such activity and directly forbade commenting on chapters with a high content of metaphysical concepts.
One ofThe most ancient Kabbalistic works that have survived to this day are the anonymous "Book of Creation", written in the first half of the 9th century. Attributed in Kabbalistic teachings to the Jewish Patriarch Abraham, this book tells in vague terms about the mysterious connection of the other world with the numbers and letters of the Hebrew alphabet. Moses de León publishes the central book of the Kabbalists, the Zohar (Radiance), four centuries later. Despite the lack of a system in it, the Zohar had a significant impact even on official Judaism. A characteristic feature of this work is the placement of man in a central place in the universe. According to the Zohar, man is able to influence the actions of the supreme deity. Therefore, it seems fundamentally important that the Tree of Life (the symbol of the entire universe) is associated with the first man - Adam Kadmon.
Subsequent Kabbalistic literature repeats the main thoughts of the Zohar and comments on them in accordance with the current state of affairs. The spread of Kabbalah is associated with the expulsion of the Jews from Spain. Preachers reveal to the masses the essence of their teaching. In the 17th century, the first translations of the Zohar into Latin and national languages appeared. This contributed to the popularization of Kabbalah and the strengthening of its links with other mystical teachings.
The essence of the teachings of Kabbalah
Since the Zohar and other works of Kabbalistic literature are written deliberately vaguely, it is extremely difficult to present the essence of the teachings of Jewish mystics in a coherent form, howeversome topoi can be distinguished. The source of the universe and life in it is the infinite and unknowable God (En-Sof). The material world is low, dirty and unworthy to come into contact with God, since the latter would stain his essence from this. But in order not to lose touch with the world, he placed creative forces between himself and it (sefirot, from the Hebrew "safar" - "to count"). There are ten of them in total, which allowed thinkers of later generations to connect the Sephiroth and 10 celestial spheres of Claudius Ptolemy's cosmology. The location of the Sephiroth became the essence of the symbol of the Tree of Life, perceived by the scribes either as a symbol of the first man Adam, or as a scheme of the metaphysical microcosm. The Sephiroth are:
- Crown.
- Wisdom.
- Mind.
- Greatness (in other interpretations - Love).
- Strength (also, Judgment).
- Beauty (otherwise Mercy).
- Victory.
- Glory.
- Foundation.
- Kingdom.
The structure of the material world is also difficult. It is divided into three levels: beria, yetzira and asiya. These names are formed from the corresponding verbs of the Hebrew language, denoting the same thing with different connotations - "to create." Each of these worlds, in turn, is subdivided into structural elements. They are parallel to each other, and each element of one world has a counterpart in the other.
The ultimate goal of Kabbalah, like Orthodox Judaism, is to fulfill divine law and reach God. But the means to do so vary. Orthodox Judaismit is distinguished by formalism, the requirement for the literal fulfillment of the law (curious curiosities are curious about this, such as the prohibition of any action on Shabbat, since it can be perceived by the deity as work prohibited on this day). Kabbalists, on the other hand, sought to unite with infinity not so much with the body as with the soul. Metaphysical trials that doom a person to suffering are important for them as evidence of the immortality of the soul and its ability to reincarnate.
King Solomon in the system of Kabbalistic teachings
The historical tradition of the Jewish people was very important for the development of Kabbalistic signs and symbols, traditionally declared ancient and reached contemporaries in some roundabout ways. It is common knowledge that Jews perceive their history as a series of successive rises and falls as a punishment for pride. Therefore, the period of independent existence for the Jews turned out to be short and poor in well-known characters, whose authority could substantiate the significance of the symbol. Solomon's seal, which has the form of equilateral triangles superimposed on each other, for this reason often coincides with the Star of David - his father. But it was the first name that was assigned to this symbol in Kabbalah.
As a possible reason, one can name Solomon's understanding of him as one of the greatest sages of antiquity. David, better known as a psalmist, is perceived ambiguously in sacred texts: his frequent deviations from the Mosaic Decalogue, militancy, fraught with unjustifiedcruelty, as well as love for sensual pleasures. Solomon, on the other hand, has the charm of a sage and a seeker of ultimate truth. In any case, the personality of Solomon is much more suitable for the mystical component of Kabbalah.
72 demons
Orthodox tradition states that Solomon asked God for wisdom in order to become a worthy king and judge of his people. Otherwise, this theme is revealed in mystical teachings. Solomon allegedly discovered and defeated 72 demons (Jinns in Islamic tradition), after which he bound them and sealed them in a vessel. He forced these demons to reveal to him secret knowledge about the nature of things, which allowed him to become famous for wisdom and justice.
On the Solomon seal, between the rays and in the center of the star formed by superposition of equilateral triangles on each other, there are either dots or circles. Their significance in mystical teaching varies. According to one, the dots on this Kabbalistic symbol represent seven planets (including the Sun and the Moon; Uranus and Neptune were not yet known at that time).
In Kabbalah, the pentacles of King Solomon are also known, which are powerful magical amulets. According to legend, the king used his magic ring to make them. The principle of operation of the pentacles of Solomon is based on the doctrine of the parallelism of the worlds. According to him, each of them is associated with some of the spirits, the same, in turn, interacts with a higher being. Such parallelism allegedly helps to change circumstances in accordance with the desires of the owner of the pentacle. Solomonin this regard, is considered by many thinkers of Kabbalah as the founder of esoteric teachings.
Name of God
The unknowable essence of God is especially vividly realized in the absence of his name in orthodox texts. The legend of the duel between the patriarch Jacob and God ends with the demand of the victorious patriarch to reveal his name, which God evades. In this regard, the tetragrammaton, containing the name of God, is considered by the adherents of this teaching to be the most powerful symbol. It consists of four letters of the Hebrew alphabet, mystically associated with the elements: fire, water, earth and air. According to the idea of the parallelism of the worlds, this Kabbalistic sign can have another interpretation - a symbol of the unity of God, motherhood (that is, producing potency), daughter and son.
The appearance of a daughter in this list represents a very important borrowing by the Kabbalists from Gnosticism. According to Gnostic views (in this they sharply oppose Kabbalah), such a base world could not have been created by a being as noble and immaculate as God. Either the fallen angel Lucifer (which does not deny the indirect participation of God - an omniscient being) or the weakest of the higher spirits named Sophia (that is, wisdom) had a hand in the deployment of potency in Genesis. Kabbalists significantly changed the content of this philosophical construct, leaving, however, the daughter as a content element of the Tetragrammaton.
Confusion of concepts
"Zohar" and other Kabbalistic tests sin the confusion caused by the esotericthe nature of the teaching. In this regard, Kabbalistic signs sometimes appear under various names. At present, tracking the spread of the same symbol under different names is even more difficult, since Freemasons, secret Christian societies and other esoteric movements have adopted a significant part of the symbolic body of the Kabbalah. For example, the seal of Solomon very often appears in literature under the name of the Kabbalistic tetragram or hexagram. But some differences can still be traced.
The Kabbalistic hexagram differs from the tetragram in that it does not contain the number of the beast - 666. Kabbalists are not alone in using this disturbing symbol. Long before the publication of the Zohar, the first Roman Christians were engaged in numerological calculations and came to the conclusion that 666 is a symbolic manifestation of the imminent coming of Satan. This number is also convenient in that it clearly demonstrates the insufficiency of the Devil in relation to God (the symbol of God is 777). The persecution of Christians by Emperor Nero assured those that this tyrant is the embodiment of Satan on earth, especially since through some manipulations the number 666 could be deduced from his name.
Pentagram
Due to the same confusion in Kabbalistic texts, the pentagram is most often associated with Solomon's pentacles. Today's Kabbalists no longer make cardinal distinctions between them. It is assumed that both are powerful magical tools, equally in demand in both white and black practices. Whatthe pentagram, known to everyone, is a five-pointed star, which is a symbol of many occult currents. Meanwhile, this symbol in a certain way fits into the mystical teachings of David, the father of Solomon. There is another version of how Solomon got his wisdom. Before his death, his father gave him his ring, on which a pentagram was depicted. At the same moment, an angel appeared before the new king, giving him some of the divine wisdom.
Differences between symbols can be seen in their interpretation. Understanding what a pentagram is differs from the definition of a pentacle in that the former symbolizes the omnipotence of the mind. Another interpretation is physical and hierarchical power, like a king over his subjects.
Other symbols of Kabbalah
A significant part of the symbolism of Jewish mystics is either a modification of the signs denoting the basic concepts of Kabbalah, or borrowing from other mystical teachings. The first is a heartgram, which embodies the dichotomy of love and hate. The basis of this symbol was the hexagram.
The swastika was borrowed from the ancient cults, which was drawn by the priests of the fiery god Agni. Almost unchanged, this symbol and the greeting of the priests to the Sun by throwing up their right hand was borrowed by the German National Socialists. Ancient Egyptian religious practices gave the Kabbalists such symbols as the Eye of Horus and the sign of the inexhaustible life force Ankh.
Charms and amulets
The most commonly used Kabbalisticthe amulet is the seal of Solomon. This is due to the wide range of its action: it is able to bring both material and spiritual benefits to its owner. The current ideas about the symbols of Kabbalah, which have significantly lost their former metaphysical and God-seeking content, make it possible to manufacture amulets on their own. Printing is also allowed for a one-time action. In this case, it is allowed to use not pure gold as a material, but gold paper or paint. Only the requirements to perform the ritual on Sunday with the growing moon remain unchanged.
Having lost their mystical content, the signs of Kabbalah are often used in tattoos or become emblems of various youth movements and musical groups. But there are people who believe in the power and meaning of these symbols. Very often you can see various jewelry for sale: Kabbalistic bracelets, rings, earrings, covered with incomprehensible writings and signs. Rings are in high demand. Firstly, they are reminiscent of Solomon's ring, and secondly, they have an additional symbolic meaning: being closed, the ring symbolizes the infinity of God.
Kabbalah today
Profanation of the basic symbols and concepts of the Jewish mystics led to some changes in their teaching. What remained hidden from the broad masses formed the basis of esoteric Kabbalah - a teaching accessible only to a narrow circle of initiates. Although the 21st century seems to be the era of reason and rationality, mystical teachings are still in demand in society, as the sale shows.various amulets and assurances of their power. The confusing text of the published Kabbalistic books is quite applicable to any contemporary event. In the mysterious lines of the Zohar, if you wish, you can find predictions about terrorist attacks, the sexual revolution and space flights. We must also not forget about the upheavals that befell mankind in the last century. Two world wars that claimed and crippled many lives, a number of local, but no less bloody conflicts, the rapid change in the world encourage many people to escape from reality and take refuge in a completely comfortable world of mysticism and occultism. Kabbalah, by its attitude to man as a microcosm of the macrocosm, attracts a significant part of such people who seek the highest meaning in the events taking place. While keeping a significant part of the teaching hidden, many Kabbalists openly preach their ideas, arguing that reading their books and comprehending the Divine Essence can give a person salvation and peace.
