http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zohar
The Zohar is a commentary on Torah, it is in effect, the Jewish oral tradition (a part of Judaism that Christianity ignores) put in writing. (Any one can benefit from this wisdom). It was written after the second destruction of the temple because of a need to retain the tradition after the dispersion of the Jews. It was not revealed to the world until Moses de Leon stumbled across it and still it was not understood. Some said it was madness. The Zohar was not explained in a language understandable to the masses until the mid 20th century. Between the time the book was discovered (13th century) and today was written about it. All of those books are speculation. The man who explained the Zohar in common language did not do so until the mid 20th century. It was not allowed. After Israel became a nation permission was given by the Chief Rabbi to once again to teach Kabbalah (it was forbidden to teach outsiders for 2000 years).
From the quote that you provided, Moses De Leon did not "stumble" across it. It was give to him by the prophet Elijah, which makes it suspect - Elijah died 1000s of years ago and if he was talking to DeLeon it is consider necromacy - which we know God hates. The esoteric religions all base their "origins" on a secretive method of understand via "revelations". In Judaism, only men study kabbalah and only after they turn 40 because the study of kabbalah is so intense and hard to understand.
If you think Kabbalah only dates as far back as the 1400s, you have to be mistaken, it is the oral tradition (it is since the beginning). You wrote of seferoit, where does that come from? Abraham wrote in names and seferoit. Read "the book of Creation" attributed to Abraham and see where it comes from. You don't have a clue about real Kabbalah, you have not studied it, you rely on the words of others. Name one thing that real Kabbalah speaks of and we may be able to have a discussion. Until then, you're wastin my time with your speculation. Kabbalah pre-dates all religion but is not a religion itself. It is simply an explanation of what "Torah" is written about.
I did not say that kabbalah dates back only to the 1400s. I said it was not complied, made a religion, the zohar was not written until the 1300s. Up until then there are strands of it, but basically, the Zohar, is the "Holy Book" of kabbalah and without it there is no kabbalah to actually adhere to.
I am not sure how Abraham fits into it other than what the Zohar states, which is not accurate. Again, all information therein comes from a source that is speculative [Elijah appearing] at best. There is no written proof before then. Oral tradition is not reliable. Ever play the telephone game? :chuckle:
I won't bother to find any source for the meaning of the word "Torah", you would not consider it authoritative. I will tell you that the Hebrew word for "light" (the main metaphor of Kabbalah) is "ohr" and the word "Torah" is derived from it. The common translation in our time is "instruction".
Is "instruction" not "enlightenment". I know a lot of brains can't make that jump, If yours is one of those, we're done here, you would be a little too far left on the bell curve for me to deal with.
I looked up Torah in the BDB [Brown Driver Briggs]. The root word of Torah is yara, not ohr.
H8451
תּרה / תּורה
tôrâh
BDB Definition:
1) law, direction, instruction
1a) instruction, direction (human or divine)
1a1) body of prophetic teaching
1a2) instruction in Messianic age
1a3) body of priestly direction or instruction
1a4) body of legal directives
1b) law
1b1) law of the burnt offering
1b2) of special law, codes of law
1c) custom, manner
1d) the Deuteronomic or Mosaic Law
Part of Speech: noun feminine
A Related Word by BDB/Strong’s Number: from H3384
H3384
ירא / ירה
yârâh / yârâ'
BDB Definition:
1) to throw, shoot, cast, pour
1a) (Qal)
1a1) to throw, cast
1a2) to cast, lay, set
1a3) to shoot arrows
1a4) to throw water, rain
1b) (Niphal) to be shot
1c) (Hiphil)
1c1) to throw, cast
1c2) to shoot
1c3) to point out, show
1c4) to direct, teach, instruct
1c5) to throw water, rain
Part of Speech: verb
A Related Word by BDB/Strong’s Number: a primitive root
When the bible says "let those with understanding", it means those who have studied Kabbalah and have had the meaning explained to them. You would do well to see what Kabbalah actually says.
I have been studying this for over 2 years now, if you want to discuss it come back after you know what you're talking about.
I have been researching kabbalah for over 10 years. The Bible has nothing to with kabbalah, and here is why. kabbalah uses the shekinah which is the feminine presence of God. God is not a she
kabbalah also defines the Holy Spirit as the "Mother Spirit" - again, no where in the Bible is the Holy Spirit referred to as a "she". So these concepts, not shown in the Hebrew Scriptures, were added at some point. They are not part of the OT as far back as we have a record for.
kabbalah is mysticism, magic and part of the occult - they are the base of the Golden Dawn, illuminati, Rosicrucian, Knights Templar, Free-Masonry, Mormanism, and other such religions which are not accepted as being Biblical, and which are not exactly real high on God's list - it's actually a big no-no as far as He is concerned
