Kabbalah: magic or God's word

[Vanguard17]

first off, i am truly confused, not at kabbalah or how it works, but how its classified.

Before i write this, ide like to make known that i am not trying to offend anyone by stating this, its my personal belief, so please do not take it the wrong way.

Kabbalah is described as a form of magic... but in the Bible, God says that magic and witchcraft are of the devil, and are Satan's way of counteracting the works of the Holy Spirit. So i am confused as to why it is termed 'magic' when God not only does not believe in magic, but condemns it outright as a sin. I also see this when i read of the Archangels serving before the Lord, and that more then a few of them hold dominion over the power of Divine magic. The way i justify this is that When God works these powers, he works them not through magic, but through His Words, and that humans see this and just write it off as magic because thats what they are used to calling it.

i do view magic as a sin, sorry if people here dont like it, its my personal belief based on the faith i belong too. I would just like an answer because it doesnt make sense to me why God would have give man a form of magic when magic is inherently bad.

like i said, sorry if people are offended by this, its not what i meant to do...i just feel a very strong inner conflict about this, being a former magic-user...

 

[Yid613]

first off, i am truly confused, not at kabbalah or how it works, but how its classified.

Kabbala is the Jewish mystical tradition. It can be classified into three areas.

1. Theoretical - This area deals with the mechanisms of the spiritual world based on prophetic visions. Knowledge of these mechanisms helps provide an understanding of the inner aspect of the Torah (OT). It also provides a framework for the other areas.
   
2. Practical Kabala - Involves using Holy Names, astrology, and such to manipulate nature. This is the mechanisms used by Biblical figures, good and evil, to perform miraculous acts. Not much was written only general information the specific details were closely guarded secrets. As we no longer live in a spiritual time the application of this area is limited. However elements of this can be found in modern prayer.
   
3. Meditative Kabbala – This area deals with the uses of meditative techniques to obtain enlightenment. This is the mechanism used by the prophets to obtain prophecy. The era of prophecy has ended but some of these techniques can be used to draw close to G-d. Hitbodedut is a form of inner directed meditation that is still practiced. Modern prayer also contains meditative elements.

Non-Jewish Kabbala can be classified as:

• xtain Cabbala (spelled with a C) was started as a method of unifying the three major religions by providing a mystical and magical proof for xtainity. The Kabbalistic tradition was changed to conform to xtain doctrine.
  
• Occult Qabbala (spelled with a Q) was developed from the magical aspects of xtain Cabbala. These are modern magical systems containing very little of the original Kabbalistic tradition.

Kabbalah is described as a form of magic... but in the Bible, God says that magic and witchcraft . . .

The magical aspect of Kabbala was only a small part of it. We do see the prophets using it so it was permitted to them. Magic and witchcraft implies the use of magic outside of the Kabbalistic tradition this was not permitted.

I would just like an answer because it doesnt make sense to me why God would have give man a form of magic when magic is inherently bad.

Nothing is inherently bad. It is all in how we use it.

 

[Nehustan]

Funny you mention the hand of fatima/miriam, I'm just writing a paper which includes this very subject for my MSc, it is quite an interesting one when you relate it to the letter 'Ha' and the number 5.

 

[Ilias Ahmad]

Funny you mention the hand of fatima/miriam, I'm just writing a paper which includes this very subject for my MSc, it is quite an interesting one when you relate it to the letter 'Ha' and the number 5.

Is it a research paper?

 

[Nehustan]

Is it a research paper?

Yep, based on secondary sources tho'.

 

[Mr Cheese]

kabbalah has many aspects....
It has and has always had "occult" aspects
But it also has none occult aspects.

Being as that kabbalah incorporates everythign from the numerology of letters, wearign talismans, interacting with Angels, breathign correctly and chanting permutations of hebrew letters (and that is ust scratchign the surface of Judaic Kabbalah...

It is difficult to classify kabbalah...
So lets just stick to it being an esoteric practice.
I think that is most honest.