Yehuda Ashlag

Rabbi Yehuda Leib Ha -Levi Ashlag ( Hebrew רַבּי יְהוּדָה לֵיבּ הַלֵּוִי אַשְׁלַג; * September 24, 1884 in Warsaw, † 1954 in Jerusalem ) was a Kabbalist of the 20th century.

Ashlag systematically interpreted the Kabbalah new. He wrote extensive comments on basic Kabbalistic writings " Etz Chaim " (Tree of Life) by Isaac Luria and the Zohar. After his work " Talmud Eser Sefirot " ( Comments on Luria's writings ) and his Zohar commentary is also called Baal Hasulam ( בַּעַל הַסּוּלָם, "Master of the Ladder" ) Ashlag.

Life

Ashlag reportedly began with the study of Kabbalah at the age of seven years after he had fallen on his head a Kabbalistic book, as he lay in bed. His father told him, "This book was written for angels, not for man." Ashlag read these writings still hidden and torn pages of Luria's " tree of life" between those of the Talmud, which he was supposed to study. At nineteen he was ordained as a rabbi in Warsaw. During this time he also studied German and read original texts of Hegel, Marx, Nietzsche, and Schopenhauer.

1918 Ashlag met an unidentified businessman who proved to be a Kabbalist him. Ashlag studied with him for three months every night until his pride between him and the teacher asked who subsequently disappeared. Two months later, he met the visibly weakened teacher one last time. After he had revealed to him a cabalistic mystery, the teacher died the next day.

In 1921 Ashlag to Israel, a trip that lasted several months. The first few years he lived anonymously and provided his family with a regular daytime job and wrote at night his comments. Finally, his work won recognition and he was appointed in 1924 Rabbi of Givat Shaul, an Orthodox church in the west of Jerusalem.

Ashlag was a friend of Abraham Isaac Kook, the chief rabbi of the British mandate over Palestine. Ashlag's hoping to meet in Jerusalem Kabbalists, who agreed with his views on the Kabbalah, but was disappointed. 1926 Ashlag went to London, where he, his commentary on Luria's " Tree of Life " wrote " Panim Meirot Umasbirot ". In 1928, he returned to Palestine.

Apart from the works published by Ashlag himself the book " Shamati " also belongs to him. These are direct transcriptions of utterances Ashlag by his son and successor Baruch Ashlag ( 1906-1991 ).

Writings

• Sefer Torah - matan. Research Centre of Kabbalah, Jerusalem and New York, 1982, ISBN 0943688302 ( Hebrew)
• Ten Luminous Emanations. Kabbalah Learning Center, 1991, ISBN 0943688906 ( English )
• Entrance to the Zohar. Kabbalah Learning Center, 1974, ISBN 0943688043 ( English )
• An Entrance to the Tree of Life of Rabbi Isaac Luria. The Kabbalah Learning Centre, 1977, ISBN 0943688353 ( English )