Rabbi Abraham Abulafia - A Holy Tabernacle in the Heart
Ivan M. Granger September 25th, 2009
A Holy Tabernacle in the Heart (from Life of the Future World)
by Rabbi Abraham Abulafia
English version by Jewish Theological Seminary
However,
the breath
which is
from the second one
is a
holy
tabernacle
in the heart.
One ascends
with the Unique Name
to the sky
to depict with Unifications
the relationship
between everything that
is difficult
in this
science of pronunciation.
It alone is
life in the Name.
It is remembered and sealed
in the Book of Life
to make the individual live
with passion
which enlightens
constantly, when
every thought,
every soul
is concentrated on it.
— from Meditation and Kabbalah, by Aryeh Kaplan
/ Photo by Andréia /
Sunday evening begins Yom Kippur, the Jewish day of atonement.
When we approach our own imperfections with honesty, integrity, and humility, we are surprised to find ourselves freed and able to make new, better decisions in the future.
Our mistakes rarely come from lack of will power. It’s not usually that we didn’t try hard enough. When we really look, we discover that most of our mistakes come from limited perception. We make poor choices when our awareness is clouded. The work, then, is not to be stricter with ourselves; instead, we need to see ourselves and our world more clearly. When we do that the best path of action not only becomes obvious, it is the path we prefer.
to make the individual live
with passion
which enlightens
constantly, when
every thought,
every soul
is concentrated on it.
===
There is an interesting connection in this verse that is easily missed. Rabbi Abulafia is, of course, saying something about the Kabbalistic practice of word permutations, as a way of discovering the foundational Word. This “Unique Name” becomes a ladder, allowing us to ascend to the heavenly realms, where we discover the interrelationship of things and the “Unifications” underlying reality.
But if we back up to the very beginning lines, he could be reminding us that this “science of pronunciation,” the speaking of words rides upon the breath. And the breath emerges from the “holy tabernacle in the heart.”
He is giving us a sacred formula:
Heart > Breath > Words > The Word > Heaven
Words without heart and breath, do they lead anywhere?
| Rabbi Abraham Abulafia |
Rabbi Abraham (or Avraham) Abulafia was an important figure in Spanish Kabbalah mysticism, founder of “prophetic Kabbalah.” He was born in Zaragosa, Spain.
His father was his first teacher, instructing him in knowledge of the Torah and Talmud.
His father died when he was Rabbi Abulafia was 18. He then began to travel. He went to Palestine, but in the chaos following the Crusades, he found it too dangerous. He then traveled through Greece and into Italy, where he settled for a while and studied philosophy, including Kabbalah and the works of Maimonides. During this time he also gained notoriety as a teacher.
Rabbi Abulafia eventually returned to Spain, where he deepened his esoteric study. He delved deeply into important Kabbalistic texts, like the Sefer Yetzirah, as well as the writings of other Jewish mystics.
Rabbi Abulafia is especially associated with the Kabbalistic tradition of meditating on sacred words. Because each act of creation in the Torah begins with the phrase, “And God said…,” he understood words both as keys to manifestation, but also signposts pointing the way back to the Divine Source. Rabbi Abulafia taught a meditation practice in which the letters of sacred words are manipulated and rearranged as a way to gain deep insight into the true nature of creation and oneself and, ultimately, to reconnect with God.
He continued his travels, returning to Greece and Italy, teaching and writing. While teaching in Italy, he was condemned by some of the local Jewish communities for his unorthodox views. When important rabbis in Spain heard of the controversy, it became clear he was no longer welcome in Spain. He spent his remaining years traveling and writing in exile.
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Ivan…
Bless you for the lovely flowers you plant along the fabled Silk Road.
Here is a poem:
ALABASTER
I am partial to spring and autumn
as I am to dawn and twilight
(that most fleeting chance
between curtains),
as I am partial to alabaster,
soft incandescence
blending soil and light,
earth longing for sky,
glowing like yellow roses
(awash in Rainlight).
–Barbara Smith Stoff
My husband, Sheldon Stoff, is one of the authors of UNIVERSAL KABBALAH: DAWN OF A NEW CONSCIOUSNESS…and more recently, THE WESTERN BOOK OF CROSSING OVER: CONVERSATIONS WITH THE OTHER SIDE. In the latter, there is an amazing story of a poem given through ‘the ethers’ then found through google…when the publisher/editor wanted a documentation. I wrote about it as ‘google and the akash’…
Blessings…keep on the road. Barbara
This poet so right in saying that words spoken without sincerity
of heart lead us nowhere meaningful. Just not worth listenig to. For example I listened to
Michael Moore this a.m., and I have to say I love the way his heart/mind works.
He tries so fervently to share with us, who are willing to
listen, his ideas concerning not only the dangers but the
horrors of capitalism on the human psyche. That’s the gist of his latest movie, and I look forward to seeing it.
He speaks with simple words, not the academician’s or
the great intellectual’s choice, and to me, this poet and Michael Moore are champions of speaking with a true sincerity of heart. Poet Abulafia and Mr. Moore speak of
the idea of a unity that underlies all of this world-reality.
Life IS a sacred gift that we don’t stop often
enough to examine and remain forever grateful for.
Mary Ann…I too have been watching the interviews with Michael Moore–with happiness that he is so brave and willing…and I do believe that many people see and hear him as you do!
thanks, Ivan
Words without heart and breath, do they lead anywhere?
words and presence make a life, which is a miracle
Hi Ivan,
Thanks.
IE: “Words without heart and breath, do they lead anywhere?”
Without breath there would be no words, breath has to pass over the apparatus in the throat in order to create sound. No breath no sound, not even a whisper without breath. And of course if the heart is not pumping, no blood flow, no body life, no breath, no sound. All is interconnected.