Various Kabbalistic signs represent the main provisions of the mystical European doctrine that arose in the XII century, captured on a symbolic level. The symbols mentioned in Kabbalistic literature are for the most part common to all esoteric practices. The difference is only in variations of their meanings and innermost meaning.
The Origins and Origins of Kabbalah
It is believed that Jews had their own esoteric doctrine as a reaction to Jewish orthodoxy. The rabbis mainly tried to deduce moral, ethical and legal norms from the Holy Scriptures (Torah, Talmud). At the same time, interacting with the philosophical teachings of Neoplatonism and Gnosticism, individual thinkers tried to find something hidden in these texts. They asked questions about the essence of God and things, the ultimate goal of the universe, the origin of the soul. The rabbis did not encourage such activity and directly forbade commenting on chapters with an increased content of metaphysical concepts.
One of the most ancient Kabbalistic works that have survived to this day is the anonymous "Book of Creation", written in the first half of the 9th century. Attributed in the Kabbalistic teachings to the Jewish patriarch Abraham, this book in vague expressions tells of the mysterious connection of the other world with the numbers and letters of the Hebrew alphabet. Moshe de Leon, four centuries later, publishes the central book of Kabbalists, the Zohar (The Shining). Despite the lack of a system in it, the Zohar had a significant impact even on official Judaism. A characteristic feature of this work is the placement of man in a central place in the universe. According to the Zohar, a person is able to influence the actions of the supreme deity. Therefore, it seems to be a fundamentally important point that the Tree of Life (a symbol of the whole universe) is associated with the first person - Adam Kadmon.
The subsequent Kabbalistic literature repeats the main ideas of the Zohar and comments on them in accordance with the current state of affairs. The spread of Kabbalah is associated with the expulsion of Jews from Spain. Preachers reveal to the masses the essence of their teaching. In the XVII century, the first translations of the Zohar into Latin and national languages appear. This contributed to the popularization of Kabbalah and the strengthening of its ties with other mystical teachings.
The essence of the teachings of Kabbalah
Since the Zohar and other works of Kabbalistic literature are written deliberately vaguely, it is extremely difficult to present the essence of the teachings of Jewish mystics in a harmonious form, but some topos can be distinguished. The source of the universe and life in it is the infinite and unknowable God (En-Sof). The world of things is low, dirty and unworthy to touch God, since the latter would have tarnished its essence from this. But in order not to lose touch with the world, he placed creative forces between himself and him (Sephiroth, from the Jewish "safar" - "count"). There are ten of them, which allowed thinkers of later generations to link the Sephiroth and 10 celestial spheres of cosmology of Claudius Ptolemy. The arrangement of the Sephiroth became the essence of the symbol of the Tree of Life, perceived by the scribes either as a symbol of the first man Adam, or as a diagram of a metaphysical microcosm. Sephiroth include:
- Crown.
- Wisdom.
- Mind.
- Greatness (in other interpretations - Love).
- Strength (also Justice).
- Beauty (aka Mercy).
- Victory.
- Glory.
- Base.
- Kingdom.
The device of the real world is also complicated. It is divided into three levels: beria, Yetzirah and Asia. These names are derived from the corresponding verbs of the Hebrew language, which mean the same thing with different connotations - "create." Each of these worlds, in turn, is divided into structural elements. They are parallel to each other, and each element of one world has a correspondence in another.
The ultimate goal of Kabbalah, like Orthodox Judaism, is to fulfill divine law and achieve God. But the means for this vary. Orthodox Judaism is characterized by formalism, the requirement of literal execution of the law (curiosities are curious, such as prohibiting any action on Shabbat, since it can be perceived by the deity as forbidden labor on this day). Kabbalists, on the other hand, sought to unite with infinity not so much in the body as in the soul. Metaphysical trials that doom a person to suffering are important for them as evidence of the immortality of the soul and its ability to reincarnate.
King Solomon in the system of Kabbalistic teachings
The historical tradition of the Jewish people was very important for the development of Kabbalistic signs and symbols, which were traditionally declared to be ancient and reached some contemporaries in some roundabout ways. It is well known that Jews perceive their history as a chain of successive ups and downs as a punishment for pride. Therefore, the period of independent existence for the Jews was short and poor for famous characters, whose authority could justify the significance of the symbol. The Solomon seal, which is in the form of equilateral triangles superimposed on one another, for this reason often coincides with the Star of David - his father. But this symbol in Kabbalah was assigned the very first name.
One possible reason is Solomon’s understanding of him as one of the greatest sages of antiquity. David, better known as a psalmist, is perceived ambiguously in sacred texts: his frequent departures from the Moses Decalogue, militancy fraught with unjustified cruelty, and also love for sensual pleasures are known. Solomon possesses the charm of a sage and a seeker of ultimate truth. In any case, the identity of Solomon is much more suitable for the mystical component of Kabbalah.
72 demons
Orthodox tradition declares that Solomon asked God for wisdom in order to become a worthy king and judge of his people. Otherwise, this topic is revealed in mystical teachings. Solomon allegedly discovered and defeated 72 demons (in the Islamic tradition - genies), after which he tied them up and sealed them in a vessel. He forced these demons to reveal to him secret knowledge about the nature of things, which allowed him to become famous for wisdom and justice.
On the Solomon seal, between the rays and in the center formed by the superposition of equilateral triangles of the star, either points or circles are located. Their meaning in mystical teaching varies. According to one, the dots on this Kabbalistic symbol designate seven planets (with the inclusion of the Sun and the Moon; Uranus and Neptune were not yet known at that time).
In the Kabbalah, the pentacles of King Solomon are also known, which are powerful magic talismans. According to legend, the king used his magic ring to make them. The principle of action of Solomon's pentacles is based on the doctrine of parallel worlds. According to him, each of them is associated with some of the spirits, the same, in turn, interacts with a higher being. Such parallelism supposedly helps to change circumstances in accordance with the wishes of the owner of the pentacle. In this regard, Solomon is considered by many thinkers of Kabbalah as the founder of esoteric teachings.
Name of god
The unknowable essence of God is especially vividly realized in the absence of his name in orthodox texts. The legend of the duel between the patriarch Jacob and God ends with the requirement of the victorious patriarch to open his name, from which God evades. In this regard, the tetragrammaton, which contains the name of God, is considered by the adherents of this teaching to be the most powerful symbol. It consists of four letters of the Hebrew alphabet, mystically connected with the elements: fire, water, earth and air. According to the idea of parallel worlds, this Kabbalistic sign can have another interpretation - a symbol of the unity of God, motherhood (that is, generating potency), daughter and son.
The appearance of a daughter on this list represents a very important borrowing of Kabbalists from Gnosticism. According to Gnostic views (in this they strongly oppose Kabbalah), such a base world could not be created by a creature as noble and immaculate as God. Either the fallen angel Lucifer (who does not deny the indirect participation of God - the omniscient being) or the weakest of the highest spirits named Sophia (i.e. wisdom) had a hand in unfolding the potency in Genesis. Kabbalists have significantly changed the content of this philosophical construct, leaving, however, the daughter as the substantial element of the tetragrammaton.
Confusion in terms
The Zohar and other Kabbalistic tests sin with the confusion caused by the esoteric nature of the teaching. In this regard, Kabbalistic signs sometimes appear under various names. At present, tracking the distribution of the same symbol under different names is even more difficult, since Masons, secret Christian societies and other esoteric movements have taken up a significant part of the symbolic corps of Kabbalah. For example, the seal of Solomon very often appears in literature under the name of a Kabbalistic tetragram or hexagram. But some differences can still be traced.
The Kabbalistic hexagram differs from the tetragram in that it does not contain the number of the beast - 666. Kabbalists are not alone in using this alarming symbol. Long before the publication of the Zohar, the first Roman Christians were engaged in numerological calculations and came to the conclusion that 666 is a symbolic manifestation of the imminent coming of Satan. This number is also convenient because it clearly demonstrates the failure of the Devil in relation to God (the symbol of God is 777). The persecution of Christians by the emperor Nero assured those that this tyrant is the embodiment of Satan on earth, especially since through some manipulations the number 666 could be deduced from his name.
Pentagram
Due to the same confusion in Kabbalistic texts, the pentagram is most often associated with the pentacles of Solomon. The present Kabbalists no longer make drastic differences between them. It is assumed that both are a powerful magical tool, equally demanded in both white and black practices. What is a pentagram, everyone knows - it is a five-pointed star, which is a symbol of many occult currents. Meanwhile, this symbol inscribes in a certain way in the mystical teachings of David, the father of Solomon. There is another version regarding how Solomon got his wisdom. Before his death, his father handed him his ring, which depicted a pentagram. At that very moment, an angel appeared before the new king, giving him part of the divine wisdom.
The differences between the symbols can be seen in their interpretation. Understanding what a pentagram is is different from the definition of a pentacle in that the former symbolizes the omnipotence of the mind. Another interpretation is physical and hierarchical power, like a king over subjects.
Other Kabbalah Symbols
A significant part of the symbolism of Jewish mystics is either a modification of signs denoting the basic concepts of Kabbalah, or borrowing from other mystical teachings. The first is a heartgram that personifies the dichotomy of love and hate. The basis of this symbol was the hexagram.
From the ancient cults a swastika was borrowed, which was painted by the priests of the fiery god Agni. Almost unchanged, this symbol and the greeting of the priests to the Sun by raising their right hand was borrowed by the German National Socialists. Ancient Egyptian religious practices gave the Kabbalists such symbols as the Eye of Horus and the sign of the inexhaustible vitality of Ankh.
Talismans and charms
The most commonly used Kabbalistic amulet is the seal of Solomon. This is due to the wide range of its actions: it is able to bring its owner both material and spiritual benefits. Current ideas about the symbols of Kabbalah, which have significantly lost their previous metaphysical and God-seeking content, allow them to make amulets on their own. Printing is also allowed for a one-time promotion. In this case, it is allowed to use not pure gold, but gold paper or paint as a material. Only the requirements to perform the ritual on Sunday with the growing moon remain unchanged.
Having lost their mystical content, the signs of Kabbalah are often used in tattoos or become emblems of various youth movements and musical groups. But there remain people who believe in the power and meaning of these symbols. Very often you can see various jewelry on sale: kabbalistic bracelets, rings, earrings, covered with obscure letters and signs. The rings are in the greatest demand. Firstly, they remind of the ring of Solomon, and secondly, they have an additional symbolic load: being closed, the ring symbolizes the infinity of God.
Kabbalah today
The profanation of the basic symbols and concepts of Jewish mystics has led to some changes in their teachings. What remained hidden from the masses formed the basis of the esoteric Kabbalah - a teaching accessible only to a narrow circle of initiates. Although the 21st century seems an era of reason and rationality, mystical teachings are still in demand in society, as the sale of various charms and assurances of their power show. The confused text of published Kabbalistic books is quite applicable to any modern event. In the mysterious lines of the Zohar, if you wish, you can find predictions of terrorist attacks, sexual revolution and space flights. We must not forget about the shocks that have befallen humanity in the last century. Two world wars that claimed and crippled many lives, a number of local, but no less bloody conflicts, a rapid change in the world prompt many people to escape from reality and take refuge in a completely comfortable world of mysticism and occultism. Kabbalah, with its attitude to man as a microcosm of the macrocosm, attracts a significant portion of such seekers of higher meaning in the events of people. While keeping an essential part of the teachings hidden, many Kabbalists openly preach their ideas, claiming that reading their books and comprehension of the Divine essence can give people salvation and tranquility.