Volume One

Introduction

Introduction

-F or a long time Kabbalah has remained virtually

inaccessible to the average person: Its study has been restricted

either to the more Orthodox sects of Judaism or to academic
scholars.
Orthodox Judaism has always stressed the prime importance of
Talmudic studies, viewing Kabbalah as suitable only for those who are
already knowledgeable in Talmud and Mishnah, and who have reached
an age when they can cope with the secrets of esoteric wisdom. The
academic world, on the other hand, sees in Kabbalah the ideal field for
research, complete with abstruse texts, colorful personalities and masses
of symbolism to be collected, collated and set down in numerous
papers. Neither Orthodox Judaism nor the field of academia makes a
recognizable attempt to treat the vast literature of Kabbalah as a living
and viable system of thought. As a result, little effort has been made to
present the material gleaned from research in a format that could be
understood by the vast majority of people who lack any specialized
knowledge on the subject. The ordinary person who wants to find out
more about the nature and content of the study of Kabbalah will find
himself facing difficulties. If he approaches "religious figures," he will
inevitably be discouragedeither because of the widespread ignorance
that exists within religious circles about Kabbalah, or by the stringency
of the qualifications that will be demanded before he can undertake
even preliminary investigations.
The result of this disregard of Kabbalahwhich, as we shall see, signifies
a lack of understanding of the position held by Kabbalah on the Torah
(Bible)can be seen in the all-too-frequent degeneration of religion into
an insignificant social activity, and in the flight of young people away
from religion to the more mystically-inclined eastern religions.