The Way: Using the Wisdom of Kabbalah for Spiritual Transformation and Fulfillment

The Way Using the Wisdom of Kabbalah for Spiritual Transformation and Fulfillment......Page 2
Contents......Page 6
Acknowledgments......Page 12
Introduction......Page 14
The night fear......Page 17
The benefits......Page 19
Using this book......Page 20
Questions to keep in mind......Page 21
PART ONE The Way of Kabbalah......Page 22
CHAPTER 1 Creating Fulfillment......Page 24
The Creator......Page 27
The Light of the Creator......Page 29
The rocky path to transformation......Page 31
Accomplish what you came here for......Page 33
CHAPTER 2 Kabbalah through the Ages......Page 37
Abraham created a portal......Page 38
The powers of the letters......Page 39
The Zohar......Page 41
Rabbi Luria and tikkun......Page 42
Opening to the Light......Page 43
Advanced Kabbalah......Page 45
CHAPTER 3 The Light and the Vessel......Page 48
Light and Vessel: The metaphysics of creation......Page 49
The Light......Page 51
The Vessel......Page 52
The shattering......Page 53
Reconnecting with the Light......Page 56
The four central principles of the Way......Page 58
Our own best interests......Page 59
The intention of sharing......Page 60
The story of one people—and of all people......Page 62
The inner creation......Page 64
The Rabbi and the Landowner......Page 66
The Upper Worlds......Page 70
You have to earn it......Page 71
PART TWO Getting Ready for the Light......Page 74
CHAPTER 4 The Work of Living......Page 76
The one-directional pathway......Page 78
Proactive versus reactive......Page 79
Going against our nature......Page 81
Positive and negative, light and dark......Page 83
We’re all in the same boat......Page 84
Put together the jigsaw puzzle......Page 86
The source of pain and suffering......Page 88
What is evil?......Page 89
There are spiritual laws......Page 92
The element of choice......Page 93
Wheels of the Soul......Page 95
Use your time well......Page 98
CHAPTER 5 Building a Relationship with the Creator......Page 101
A Great Gift, Well Disguised......Page 102
Ask for it......Page 104
The Master Builder......Page 106
It is never too late......Page 107
Higher than the angels, lower than the worms......Page 108
The Hell Within......Page 109
Chaos and the meaning of angels......Page 113
Without the Creator we are less than nothing......Page 116
The Dark Angels, the Light Angels, and the Gray Angels......Page 118
CHAPTER 6 The Twelve Spiritual Laws of the Way......Page 122
2. Hear the Voice from Above......Page 123
3. Understand that we are all mirrors......Page 124
The Rabbi and the Train......Page 125
5. Ask for divine assistance......Page 129
6. Realize that we are always being tested......Page 130
7. Repent with joy......Page 134
Cleaning the Barn......Page 135
The Three Judges......Page 136
9. Walk like the blind......Page 140
10. Use death as a motivation......Page 141
11. Experience the pain as our own......Page 142
12. Don’t judge others......Page 144
PART THREE Spiritual Transformation......Page 146
CHAPTER 7 Understanding Our Thoughts and Feelings......Page 148
Live with joy......Page 149
Appreciation brings joy......Page 150
Realize that envy is a constant temptation......Page 152
Know all the meanings of fear......Page 155
We are truly not alone......Page 156
Always be aware of anger......Page 157
Embrace love......Page 159
CHAPTER 8 Using the Spiritual Tools......Page 162
Our Inner Nature......Page 163
1. Be before doing......Page 167
2. Be ruthless and without mercy......Page 168
3. Realize that difficulties are more apparent than real......Page 169
Practice charity......Page 170
2. Know what to give......Page 173
3. Start small......Page 174
4. Keep it quiet......Page 176
5. Remember that money isn’t everything......Page 177
Pray......Page 178
An Open Heart......Page 182
1. Love your neighbor......Page 185
2. Replace doubt with certainty......Page 186
3. Pray the way that works best for you......Page 187
4. Pray for others......Page 188
5. Understand the answers......Page 189
Practice Shabbat, the Sabbath......Page 190
OBSERVING SHABBAT......Page 195
3. Greet Shabbat......Page 196
5. Give blessing......Page 197
Celebrate holidays and miracles......Page 198
1. Shift your perspective......Page 202
2. Pay attention to miracles......Page 203
3. Borrow on your tzaddik......Page 204
Study......Page 206
1. Know where you’re starting from and where you want to go......Page 215
3. Give thanks......Page 216
4. Scan the Zohar......Page 217
Practice introspection and meditation......Page 218
The Near-Catastrophe and Its Lesson......Page 220
1. Practice breathing meditation......Page 224
2. Meditate on sacred verses......Page 226
3. Practice spiritual conversation......Page 227
4. Practice listening meditation......Page 229
5. Practice creating love and forgiveness......Page 230
6. Practice music meditation......Page 233
7. Practice proactive visualizations......Page 234
Go into daily life......Page 238
CHAPTER 9 Sharing the Way......Page 239
Kabbalah’s answers to the fundamental questions......Page 240
A call to action......Page 243
The Envelopes Slipped under the Doors......Page 245
Glossary......Page 251
Bibliography and Sources for Further Reading......Page 253
Index......Page 254