From Tzfat to Denver

May we continue to grow and fulfill the teachings of the ARI in lifting the sparks of holiness in the world. We will do it though in an egalitarian way in which each individual, no matter what their background learns to be a part of the tikkun (rectification) as promoted by the spiritual insights of the Kabbalah.

Thirteen is the gematriyah (numerical value) of the Hebrew word Echad which means one. That is how many new students started class this summer.  Curiosity led to a question: How many students have taken Kabbalah classes since we started? The answer: With the 13 new students this summer we went over 500 students. So who is the 500th student? Well it is one among the thirteen, or if we grant the power of numerology—the 13 comprise the one. As I look at the 13 new students there is a typical mix of our current student demographic—

  • 9 women 4 men
  • 10 Jews 3 other backgrounds
  • 4 HEA, 2 Temple Sinai,  1 Bnai Chavurah, 1 Temple Emanuel, 5 unaffiliated

The mix of students speaks to our diversity across the Jewish community and beyond. We remain committed to building bridges within the Jewish community. We also try to serve as a bridge for those who want to explore and express their Jewishness in an open, safe and inclusive learning environment.

So what do I make of us surpassing more than 500 students?

This Friday is the yahrzeit (anniversary date of death) of Isaac Luria—the ARI—who before he died at age 38 left his imprint on Kabbalah teaching until this day.

His main disciple, Rabbi Chaim Vital writes of the ARI that his master overflowed with Torah. He was thoroughly expert in Scripture, Mishnah, Talmud, Midrash and Kabbalah. He was expert in the language of trees, the language of birds and the speech of angels. He could discern all that any individual had done, and could see what they would do in the future. He knew the mysteries of reincarnation.  With his eyes he gazed and saw the souls of the righteous, those who had died recently and those who had lived in ancient times. From these departed souls he studied the true mysteries. All this we saw with our own eyes.

If we were living in Tzfat in 1570, we may have known about the ARI but few of us would have gained entrance into his small and exclusive cadre of students. And you would have needed to be male, Jewish and conversant with all other Jewish learning.

The number 500 represents the opening up of Kabbalah study to those who would have been restricted from study in the holy circle of the ARI.  For that we can be very grateful.

May we continue to grow and fulfill the teachings of the ARI in lifting the sparks of holiness in the world. We will do it though in an egalitarian way in which each individual, no matter what their background learns to be a part of the tikkun (rectification) as promoted by the spiritual insights of the Kabbalah.

David Sanders

0 Comments

Leave a Reply

Avatar placeholder

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Related Posts

connecting at woolworth storefront greensboro ga

Connecting at Woolworth’s

by Melanie Gruenwald   On Monday, I stepped into an Uber in North Carolina, with a lovely driver who was warm and welcoming. I am on my first business trip since 2015—with great anticipation and

Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny with his wife Yulia in Moscow, Russia, in September 2013. (AP/Evgeny Feldman)

Convicted: Aleksei Navalny

by Dr. David Sanders Both criminals and saints are convicted and both may wind up in prison. The criminal is convicted for their anti-social or illegal behavior. The saint is convicted of their strongly held

dragons eye

The Other Trap

by Dr. David Sanders A response to Rabbi Irwin Kula’s Trapped in Trauma: Transcending the Dragon’s Gaze   I have a traveling companion who I have never planned a trip with, let alone visited anywhere

Koby Gruenwald

A New Redemption Song, in memory of Koby

by Melanie Gruenwald January 19, 2018- the 3rd day of the Hebrew month of Shevat, my 13 year old son, Koby, died from a glioblastoma (brain tumor). Koby brought me to Kabbalah Experience. We began

image of land divided by a river setting context

Out of Context

by Dr. David Sanders As students of Kabbalah we strive to become adept at “taking” things out of context. Mastery of metaphor, seeing the parallels between the abstract and the concrete underlies our spiritual awareness.