Jon, Let me clarify a few things:
Respect for going to sfat this weekend, wish I could have joined you, maybe
next time, I was up there a few months back, I imagine it's absolutely
gorgeous this time of year, no?
I'm not Israeli, but I cannot believe how complacently you seem to accept
some of these neo-liberalist views concerning Israel from people whom have
never been to the land or scene how things really work over here (or fair
to). I admit I went to fast to begin with, but I think there are times when
quickness to verbalistic arms is necessary and having insufficient background
on the topics at hand here I prematurely deemed this a necessary time to just
to those arms, my apologies below.
I've heard a lot of people spout that 'a Jewish male should not study Kabalah
until he is 40 years of age,' which I understand someone may have once
offhandedly said in the Talmud in interpretation some other quote. The
actual quote given by Chaim Vital (whom I assume your very familiar with if
you spend much time is sfat) spoke by Luria (or 'The Arie') was: "Man must
study the wisdom of the Kabbalah, but first, his body must be purified. This
is brought about by fulfilling the mitzvahs, which serve this purpose and are
essential thereto. Only after this can the soul radiate in this body like a
candle within a lantern -- shining and invigorating him through understanding
the secrets of the Torah, and revealing the secrets of the Torah, and
revealing its depth."
Now, until recently I was a Philosophical Taoist, but I would argue that the
vast majority of the mitzvoth I keep and the rest I'm working on, which is
the task of a Jew, no? But meanwhile I feel so long as I stick to surface
study and steer clear of extremely deep meditation on say 'Keter' and keep
off the Zohar, then I'm fine. I ASSURE you it is not something I trivialize
-- on the contrary, Metaphysics is something a facination/obsession of mine
and I respect the Jewish tradition very deeply, though I will comment here
that I disagree that there is a single Jewish tradition, there have always
been many Judaism's, since there was Judaism (say something in the Babylonian
era, I mean).
I do admit to both yourself and the group that my first few posts have been
both headstrong and impetuous -- sorry all, I'll tone down. I just jumped in
and saw a lot of things I found just plain wrong being said, and in the past
I've found my comments seem to go unheaded on this forum. Specifically,
Rasheed, if I've offended you already, I do apologize, I have around about 12
Islamic friends from Palestine, Lebanon, USA, Iran, and East Europe, and I
have nothing more against Islam than I do internal Jewish politics, to be
honest. Actually, I much more despise Christianity and Existentialism than
anything else to be honest; my problem is very directly aimed at terrorist
groups and recently at Yassir Arafat's responses to Israeli intentions of
peace.
Jae Angel
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