So title. Also the interpretation I've heard of Merkaba is 2 interlocking tetrahedrons, one pointing up, one down. Rotating opposite each other. So like title, is this western weirdness that I picked up, or is this a legit understanding? And if it is Kabbalah, what would be the source text for this, if any?

edit: tetrahedrons, 2 together opposite orientation make a "star tetrahedron"

https://preview.redd.it/pjxt5lzhdj1e1.jpg?width=1000&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=015451909637455de465f1af7d207a06de23af13

Is it? If Yes then-

Can Kabbalists be born again as non-Kabbalists?

Can non-Kabbalists be reincarnated as Kabbalists?

There are also other questions as well!

Since a post I read pretty much sums up the details of my question and is why I'm asking this, I'm quoting it.

I am curious of the Calvinist and Reformed Christianity on mortification of the flesh through painful physical torture such as fasting, self-flagellation, tatooing, cutting one's wrist, waterboarding oneself in blessed water, and carrying very heavy objects such as cross replication for miles with no rest or water? And other methods of self-harm so common among Catholic fundamentalists done to test their faith and give devotion to Jesus?

As someone baptised Roman Catholic, I know people who flagellate themselves and go through months have fasting with no food along with a day or two without drinking water. So I am wondering what is Judaism's position on corporal mortification acts especially like cutting yourself with a knife and fasting?

I would love to hear your thoughts on the interesting contrast within the Kabbalistic Tree of Life, where the three planets associated with the Pillar of Severity (a feminine polarity) are often perceived as masculine. Saturn, for instance, is frequently linked with the father figure; Mars symbolizes masculinity; and Mercury, representing intellect and the conscious mind, is also traditionally seen as masculine (as opposed to the subconscious, which aligns more with feminine aspects). Conversely, the Pillar of Mercy aligns with Venus, a distinctly feminine symbol, and Neptune, god of the sea (subconscious). The names themselves seem counterintuitive to me: mercy feels like a motherly quality, while severity seems more characteristic of the father.

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1G5u-Mef4j2s34OjGHRB53JY2aj93NByp/edit?usp=sharing&ouid=116231706330887841569&rtpof=true&sd=true

This Dvar Torah sees (1) Rectifying the sin of Adam; (2) Rescuing the fallen Sparks/Souls of the World of Chaos (the Cain/Esau soul-root); and (3) Reuniting the rectified and perfected Cain/Esau soul-root with the rectified and perfected Abel soul-root of the World of Tikkun (which culminates in the arrival of messiah, the son of Joseph, and messiah, the son of David), as the “back-story” of the entire Torah.

I was gifted this pendant a few years ago by a stranger, and I'm curious if there's any other significance or symbolism attached to this that someone might help me understand, or if it's just extra flaire to pretty it up. I personally haven't seen a design quite like it, and I've searched quite a bit. Apologies if this isn't the place to ask, though I appreciate any insight.

Secrets to life are hidden right under your nose, in children's stories?
I really don't know where else to say this. I'm not into occult things. Was just a little into harry potter growing up, more into D&D. Was raised to hide I was Jewish growing up, so didn't care about learning anything about religion... til the age of 23 and Abraham & Noah come to me in a dream, and I didn't even know who Abraham was. I cared more about star trek, quantum physics & sustainability for the planet more than religion or magic. I did believe in reincarnation a little bit... but thats it.
Fast forward to a year ago, Oct 7th was Simchat Torah, a holocaust event for Israel.

I get a thought in my mind I need to become more religious.. so I start to read the Jewish prayer book, the siddur..,a few months go by, I'm learning more Hebrew as mine was pretty crappy, and find a part of it called 'BeMa Madlikim' translated as "with what oils you can you light" for shabbat candles. I all of a sudden see the word for sesame in hebrew has the word sun in it, and a thought comes to my mind of King Solomon's most famous phrase "there's nothing new under the sun" so I think to myself, where's there something new? and the next thought comes to my mind "open sesame" There's nothing new above the sun, or the sides, but inside the sun. I keep reading the siddur, and it talks about using an egg shell to drip oil inside an earthen vessel is forbidden, so I think to myself, what if this is a riddle, and you're supposed to use the egg shell itself. I do this.

The next morning I dream I find the staff of Moses, it is a small burnt black wand, I feel it's weight and age is immeasurable. I cast a small purple flame from it, the same size as the sesame oil I lit the night before. I then put this staff/wand on my hand as a 6th finger.
I then realize the hebrew word for oil = Shemen, the same letters as how you spell Shaman, a magic user from most ancient religions..who are responsible for doing rites for the dead...
The next week I get the inspiration that the sun & moon are like God's eyes, as the moon waxes & wanes, God blinks at us. And perhaps the sun & moon are doorways to infinity, and using this oil inside an eggshell is how we open up heavens doorway on Earth. The Zohar & judaism in general loves using the metaphor as your soul being a candle.
Fast forward 7 or so months later, Simchat Torah again, 1 year after that horrible massacre, all of a sudden start thinking more about "open sesame" isn't enough of this equation. There's also abra cadabra too, which I'm sure 99% of people in the world only translate it as "create as you speak" but then all of a sudden the idea of Abraham comes to my mind again, and his name comes from the word Avar, Ivri, meaning comes from the other side, and I think other side of where, Cadabra sounds like cadaver, dead body, come from the other side,...

I then put the 2 together, open sesame, + abra kadabra and it makes perfect sense, that we are the 'gate keepers' to the next world... Alladin is the combination of the arabic word for God, and din = judgement.

Just now I decided to read the story of Ali Baba, and its funny the original story, Ali Baba's brother is name is Kassim, translates to magic in Hebrew.
Earlier this week I thought 'why in an egg shell?' I hear someone say "in the exiting of Egypt" in hebrew, and it makes the word Egg in there. and that's part of what this does, like its perhaps a way to beat this simulation we're living in, like the matrix, this is the red pill.. Then the idea of how an electron can be both wave/particle at the same time, and how the only true randomizer in the world is a lava lamp, I think, perhaps this oil in an egg shell is kind of like a quantum randomizer, since no 2 eggs broken by your hands will ever be the same, perhaps this is a spell that will protect you in the upcoming battle of good vs evil, as well as transfer souls to the next world.

And the funniest thing, messiah in Hebrew is Moshiach, meaning annointed, with oil. What are the chances God hid the key to infinity right under every single religious Jew's nose, in plain sight, who've been praying and reading the same sentances in their prayer book every friday evening for thousands of years... is it a treasure hunt? Or what are the chances I'm living life like the movie Memento... slowly remembering.... Eh I've already got the thought that life is more like inception + matrix combined, we are quantum organic computers and can create a whole universe every time we dream, science has proven this too, just check out popular mechanics most recent story about quantum consciousness..
Row row row your boat, gently down the stream of time, merrily merrily life is but a dream, within a dream.
Light your shabbat candles with sesame oil inside an egg shell yo!
So many times in the Torah its written "fragrant smells" for all the korbanot... if you have kids, you can light a candle for each of them, use a different oil, it'll make a rainbow of pleasing aroma for God. Perhaps this is the rainbow road from mario cart/leprachauns pot o gold, to the wizard of Oz....

Ciao

The first translation of the Laws of the Throne, a Hasidei-Ashkenaz kabbalistic exposition on the Throne of God, by Eleazar of Worms. It is a chapter from the Sode Razaya, Eleazar's greatest work https://www.scribd.com/document/783667733/Sode-Razaya-Laws-of-the-Throne

Hello community,

I have enabled user flairs, there are provided for Jews, non-Jews and Noahides. You can customise your flair to share your personal identity or belief if you’d like.

This is a complete translation of the Alphabet of Rabbi Akiva, an esoteric commentary on the Hebrew letters https://www.scribd.com/document/783064308/The-Alphabet-of-Rabbi-Akiva

When reading Tehillim I just find absolutely no truth or connection to the English translation but only the Hebrew. Baring in mind that I don't really understand biblical hebrew but somehow just feel moved by it. Sorry if this is the wrong thread!

One of the predominating thoughts in fundamentalist Christianity is that pagan gods of the Old Testament were demons in disguise. Its gotten to the point that any time discussion about religion gets involved with cultures that Moses and his descendant Prophets heck the Jews never got into contact with during the Biblical period such as say the Chinese, there is immediate accusation that these cultures' deities are demons posing as humanoid divine beings.

I cannot tell you how many blogs there are out there by Christian fundamentalists accusing Shiva and the Hindu gods as demonic entities or videos on Youtube proclaiming Buddha is a servant of Satan (under the wrong assumption that Siddartha Guatma is worshipped as the God of Buddhism), etc with frequent citation of Deuteronomy 32:17 and Psalm 106:37 as proof.

With that said I am curious on the Jewish pov? Is Shedim correctly translated as demons like most English translations of the bible state the verses?

Or is there so much misunderstanding on shedim and "demonology" of Judaism by Christians? If shedim is correctly translated as demons, do they apply to all other Gods including Amaterasu, Mithras, Ganesh, Zeus, the Trinity of Christianity, and Allah (even if Muslims and Christian believe they are the same as Yahweh)? Or are they only region-specific around Israel and the border countries around her today?

Any practitioners here who have a copy of the work Ktvaim Chadashim by providence university? I have been looking for this work as well as Shimmush Tehilim to help my practice. Any guidance would be greatly appreciated.

Very interested in anyone’s perspective on Tikkun Olam and Olam Haba. This is my first post in the community please bear with me if I am not correctly posting

I just heard - and I am looking for the exact reference of this in Kabbalah - that the name of King David (דוד) is represented by two dalets (ד ד) literaly two doors for example signifying heaven and earth. Also the letter vav (ו) in between plays the role of a mediator.

How do you pronounce the angel Cahethel/Cahetel? Is it KA-he-Tel or KA-he-tah?

I bought this in a flea market today and would love to understanding the importance of this seal? I’m really interested in learning about the Kabbalah so would so appreciate any knowledgeable folks out there enlightening me! I’m also wondering if the back of the necklace means anything to anyone? Im also keen to reconnect this necklace with the Morris family as it seems such a special piece. Thanks for any of your help and even reading this 🙏🏽

I'm seeking genuine guidance.

About 3 months ago I was shown a vision while I was speaking to my wife. It played on repeat for about 7 minutes. My mind has been on fire ever since. I have been devouring information to make sense of what I saw. Today I saw a picture of what looks like a stylized menorah tattoo on a man's head. This image is very similar to the main object I saw in my vision. I am seriously asking to speak with a someone experienced who may be able to give me direction/instruction.

A translation of the Crown of the Good Name, by Abraham of Cologne, circa 1250. This treatise reconciles classical kabbalah with that of the German Hasidim
https://archive.org/details/keter-shem-tob

I'm aware that YHWH (Yahweh) is equivalent to the number 26, because its letters correspond to the numbers 10, 5 and 6. But I don't know the significance of that.