For those interested in learning kabbalah/the Zohar…
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For those interested in learning kabbalah/the Zohar...
...I want to talk about my own experience. As you can see from my tag, I love to learn and talk about Bircas Kohanim. I've spent literal years at this point reflecting on the sources and learning more and more about it. I probably know the topic way, way better than the average person.
So, I thought, it might be worthwhile to read what the Zohar has to say on Bircas Kohanim. After all, that's the roadmap - you learn the Bible, commentaries, and then you can graduate to more mystical sources.
I *could not* get the Zohar. It's treatment of Bircas Kohanim was different from how other sources speak of it, and beyond that, I could not grasp the internal structural the Zohar was speaking about. Clearly, for as much as I have learned, I could only glimpse at the vast gulf between me and understanding the Zohar on this relatively small area of Judaism. It was humbling and made me appreciate my Rabbis who clearly knew so much more than I.
So, for those who are interested in just jumping into the Zohar, without any preresquite studying, without years of mentor-student relationships and schooling, I have to ask - why? What are you getting out of reading some english intrepretation over a topic you don't have familiarity with?
For those Kabbalah-curious, let this be your warning: If you read the Zohar without preparation, your interpretations and understandings will be more reflective of you than the actual words on the page.
#religion
source
...I want to talk about my own experience. As you can see from my tag, I love to learn and talk about Bircas Kohanim. I've spent literal years at this point reflecting on the sources and learning more and more about it. I probably know the topic way, way better than the average person.
So, I thought, it might be worthwhile to read what the Zohar has to say on Bircas Kohanim. After all, that's the roadmap - you learn the Bible, commentaries, and then you can graduate to more mystical sources.
I *could not* get the Zohar. It's treatment of Bircas Kohanim was different from how other sources speak of it, and beyond that, I could not grasp the internal structural the Zohar was speaking about. Clearly, for as much as I have learned, I could only glimpse at the vast gulf between me and understanding the Zohar on this relatively small area of Judaism. It was humbling and made me appreciate my Rabbis who clearly knew so much more than I.
So, for those who are interested in just jumping into the Zohar, without any preresquite studying, without years of mentor-student relationships and schooling, I have to ask - why? What are you getting out of reading some english intrepretation over a topic you don't have familiarity with?
For those Kabbalah-curious, let this be your warning: If you read the Zohar without preparation, your interpretations and understandings will be more reflective of you than the actual words on the page.
#religion
source
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