any other kabbalist here at RHP?

Originally posted by vistesd
One of the burning theological questions of the Kabbalists was, “Where could there ever have been that God was not?”

Very good.

What is the function of the Messiah within Kabbalistic tradition?

Originally posted by aspviper666
WOW ! !
i expected a few posts ...but this is way cool
dion fortune wrote the best ( i think) introduction into the kabbala
called "The Mystical Kabbala" i am not sure off hand which spelling she used C Q or K lol
the books suggested by others are very good also but fortune puts most concepts in a way a non practioner of the occult or a non jew ...[text shortened]... and understanding god and his many eminations
of which you and i are all a part of
cheers
art

I've heard of Fortune, but never read her. Most of my studies have been within the Jewish context.

Originally posted by Bosse de Nage
Very good.

What is the function of the Messiah within Kabbalistic tradition?

Seems to be a mixed bag. Shokek has a section on messianism in Kabbalah, but he notes that "The Messiah himself does not appear in the Jewish sources in the form of one particular person, but rather in the figures of various redeemers and saviors. Moses is considered the first Jewish Messiah." [italics mine.]

In Lurianic Kabbalah the Messiah is in the collective body of Israel. Shokek also notes that messianism is not always eschatalogical in Judaism.

It's not a theme that I've spent much time with.

Originally posted by vistesd
Shokek has a section on messianism in Kabbalah, but he notes that "The Messiah himself does not appear in the Jewish sources in the form of one particular person, but rather in the figures of various redeemers and saviors. Moses is considered the first Jewish Messiah." [italics mine.]

For that reason, I think the Kabbalah is incompatible with orthodox Christianity. Of course, any number of ideas might be appropriated from it.

What are the objects of Kabbalistic practice, in your view?

Originally posted by Bosse de Nage
For that reason, I think the Kabbalah is incompatible with orthodox Christianity. Of course, any number of ideas might be appropriated from it.

What are the objects of Kabbalistic practice, in your view?

the messiah in kabbalistic terms is the sphere of tiphereth the sun sphere the very center and heart of the tree of life
most occultist attribute christ to that sphere on the tree and it makes sense.
as far as the goal of kabbala it is the same as all relgions basically... it is to become one with god.. and the limitless light beyond
art

Originally posted by aspviper666
the messiah in kabbalistic terms is the sphere of tiphereth the sun sphere the very center and heart of the tree of life
most occultist attribute christ to that sphere on the tree and it makes sense.
as far as the goal of kabbala it is the same as all relgions basically... it is to become one with god.. and the limitless light beyond
art

Ah, yes: t’ferit. Beauty. And what does beauty require? In Judaism, of course, t’ferit cannot be the Christ. The figure most often associated with it is Yaakov, who became Yisrael. Why? Yaakov was all sloppy emotionalism—too much chesed. He allowed himself to be used dishonestly by his mother to steal the birthright. And he was such a romantic, pining for Rachel. (But, must not the real birthright always be stolen? Not to take these stories on the literal level.) He allowed himself to be used by Laban—and all he could do was try to trick in return, a reaction, a rebellion from the underside of chesed (this is a false gevurah). Then he wrestled with the angel of YHVH and was wounded, and henceforth was called Yisrael, a “wrestler with God.” And it was only through this wound that he received sufficient gevurah to begin to walk upright.

And yet—I do not agree. His story remained one of too much chesed (think of Joseph and his brothers). Just as Aharon, just as Yitzhak; Aharon, the unthinking “rescuer,” Yitzhak, the compliant “victim.”

And so, I think this: Yes, t’ferit is the principal archetype for ha’moshiach. But not t’ferit alone; t’ferit as the center. There is no moshiach that does not embody also the other s’ferot. But ha’moshiach is not any one person in history. Every time you make tikkun, every time you free the sparks, you participate in the coming of ha’moshiach, and moshiach is in that tikkun.

So, the question is this: How is gevurah necessary for tikkun?

I have completed my foundation levels of Kabbalah after three years and 19 days....and now I am using applications for life...mainly in areas of creativity to create the life I want.