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#kabbalah — Public Fediverse posts

Live and recent posts from across the Fediverse tagged #kabbalah, aggregated by home.social.

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  1. From Kabbalah Experience:
    Whether it be the sun or the moon, eclipses fascinate our imagination even if the mystery has long been revealed. The word eclipse has its roots in a sense of abandonment, "failing to appear" which found its way into a sister word, ellipsis, which means "falling short" (geometry) or "trailing off" as in written or spoken....well you know what I mean. We look forward to seeing you this fall to share in the awe of mystery and discover what is hidden in the plain sight of your life.

    More Info: kabbalahexperience.com/product

    #Mazeldon #Jewish #Judaism #Kabbalah

  2. !Electronical-Computer-Mechanical
    t.me/scilib_yura15cbx/373

    !COmputer & Programming
    #компьютер, #компьютеры, #ЭВМ, ремонт компьютеров, компьютерная техника, железо, #программы, #настройка, #диагностика, операционные системы, игровые приставки, аппаратные средства, computer, #computers, computers, computer repair, computer equipment, #hardware, #programs, #setup, #diagnostics, operating systems, game consoles, #hardware, #комп'ютер, #комп'ютери, #ЕОМ, ремонт комп'ютерів, комп'ютерна техніка, #залізо, #програми, #налаштування, діагностика, операційні системи, ігрові приставки, апаратні засоби ремонт телевизоров, #мониторы
    t.me/scilib_yura15cbx/372

    _Фонд редких книг
    t.me/scilib_yura15cbx/371

    Энергетика и целительство
    Energy and healing, Енергетика та цілительство
    t.me/scilib_yura15cbx/370

    Эзотерическая рунология
    Esoteric runology, Езотерична рунологія
    t.me/scilib_yura15cbx/369

    Шаманизм, Шаманізм, shamanism
    #Шаманизм, #Шаманізм, #shamanism
    t.me/scilib_yura15cbx/368

    Фэн - шуй
    Фен Шуй, Feng Shui
    t.me/scilib_yura15cbx/367

    Тантрическая традиция, Tantric tradition
    t.me/scilib_yura15cbx/365

    Медитации и транс, Meditation and trance
    #Медитации и #транс, #Meditation and #trance
    t.me/scilib_yura15cbx/364

    Магия, Magic
    #Магия, #Magic
    t.me/scilib_yura15cbx/363

    Каббала и Тора, Kabbalah and Torah
    #Каббала и #Тора, #Kabbalah and #Torah
    t.me/scilib_yura15cbx/362

    Йога, Yoga
    #Йога, #Yoga
    t.me/scilib_yura15cbx/361

    Иудаизм, Judaism
    #Иудаизм, #Judaism
    t.me/scilib_yura15cbx/360

    Индуизм, Hinduism
    #Индуизм, #Hinduism
    t.me/scilib_yura15cbx/358

    веды, Veda
    #веды, #Veda
    t.me/scilib_yura15cbx/356

    suteres, koans
    #suteres, #koans
    t.me/scilib_yura15cbx/355

    esoteric эзотерика мистика мистицизм оккультизм
    #esoteric #эзотерика #мистика #мистицизм #оккультизм
    t.me/scilib_yura15cbx/353

    RELIGION
    религия секты учения
    #RELIGION
    t.me/scilib_yura15cbx/352

    _Цигун, qigong Qi Books
    #Цигун, #qigong #Qi Books
    t.me/scilib_yura15cbx/351

    _буддизм, Buddhism
    #буддизм, #Buddhism
    t.me/scilib_yura15cbx/349

    _Дзен, zen
    #Дзен, #zen
    t.me/scilib_yura15cbx/348

    _Даосизм
    Taoism
    #Даосизм
    #Taoism
    t.me/scilib_yura15cbx/347

  3. !Electronical-Computer-Mechanical
    t.me/scilib_yura15cbx/373

    !COmputer & Programming
    #компьютер, #компьютеры, #ЭВМ, ремонт компьютеров, компьютерная техника, железо, #программы, #настройка, #диагностика, операционные системы, игровые приставки, аппаратные средства, computer, #computers, computers, computer repair, computer equipment, #hardware, #programs, #setup, #diagnostics, operating systems, game consoles, #hardware, #комп'ютер, #комп'ютери, #ЕОМ, ремонт комп'ютерів, комп'ютерна техніка, #залізо, #програми, #налаштування, діагностика, операційні системи, ігрові приставки, апаратні засоби ремонт телевизоров, #мониторы
    t.me/scilib_yura15cbx/372

    _Фонд редких книг
    t.me/scilib_yura15cbx/371

    Энергетика и целительство
    Energy and healing, Енергетика та цілительство
    t.me/scilib_yura15cbx/370

    Эзотерическая рунология
    Esoteric runology, Езотерична рунологія
    t.me/scilib_yura15cbx/369

    Шаманизм, Шаманізм, shamanism
    #Шаманизм, #Шаманізм, #shamanism
    t.me/scilib_yura15cbx/368

    Фэн - шуй
    Фен Шуй, Feng Shui
    t.me/scilib_yura15cbx/367

    Тантрическая традиция, Tantric tradition
    t.me/scilib_yura15cbx/365

    Медитации и транс, Meditation and trance
    #Медитации и #транс, #Meditation and #trance
    t.me/scilib_yura15cbx/364

    Магия, Magic
    #Магия, #Magic
    t.me/scilib_yura15cbx/363

    Каббала и Тора, Kabbalah and Torah
    #Каббала и #Тора, #Kabbalah and #Torah
    t.me/scilib_yura15cbx/362

    Йога, Yoga
    #Йога, #Yoga
    t.me/scilib_yura15cbx/361

    Иудаизм, Judaism
    #Иудаизм, #Judaism
    t.me/scilib_yura15cbx/360

    Индуизм, Hinduism
    #Индуизм, #Hinduism
    t.me/scilib_yura15cbx/358

    веды, Veda
    #веды, #Veda
    t.me/scilib_yura15cbx/356

    suteres, koans
    #suteres, #koans
    t.me/scilib_yura15cbx/355

    esoteric эзотерика мистика мистицизм оккультизм
    #esoteric #эзотерика #мистика #мистицизм #оккультизм
    t.me/scilib_yura15cbx/353

    RELIGION
    религия секты учения
    #RELIGION
    t.me/scilib_yura15cbx/352

    _Цигун, qigong Qi Books
    #Цигун, #qigong #Qi Books
    t.me/scilib_yura15cbx/351

    _буддизм, Buddhism
    #буддизм, #Buddhism
    t.me/scilib_yura15cbx/349

    _Дзен, zen
    #Дзен, #zen
    t.me/scilib_yura15cbx/348

    _Даосизм
    Taoism
    #Даосизм
    #Taoism
    t.me/scilib_yura15cbx/347

  4. donna-anna.org/en/on-the-symbo The Sephiroth are a system, while prayer beads are a tool. However, they reveal a fundamental similarity, which is explained in the article “On the Symbolism of Prayer Beads and the Sephiroth.” #Sephiroth #Prayerbeads #Symbolism #Kabbalah #Metaphysics

  5. "Every so often, a discovery comes along that reminds us how much of #Jewish #history still lies hidden on library shelves, in forgotten archives, and within private collections. For collectors, scholars, and anyone fascinated by the world of rare #Hebrew #books and #manuscripts, such moments are exceedingly rare. This is one of them.

    An entirely unknown, previously unpublished eighteenth-century #Kabbalistic #manuscript has surfaced from a private collection and has now been officially consigned for sale through #Mizrahi #Bookstore. More than simply another #handwritten volume, this remarkable #codex opens an extraordinary window into the formative years of #Lurianic #Kabbalah in Eastern #Europe, decades before these teachings became widely available in print.

    The manuscript is a unique recension of the Lurianic #Kavvanot, the intricate mystical intentions associated with prayer, for #Shabbat and the Jewish festivals. Dated to 1717[...]"

    jewishpress.com/the-aris-influ

  6. A practice for when you can't fix the big thing:

    Do the next small real thing. Drink the water. Wash the one cup. Answer the one message.

    Kabbalah calls repair tikkun — and it's never the whole world at once. It's one spark, lifted, then the next.

    The floor taught me the same thing. You rebuild by the inch.

    #Kabbalah #Mindfulness #Writing

  7. A thing I learned on the floor that I still use:

    When everything's too much, find one object in the room and name what it actually is. The crack in the wall. The hum of the fridge. The weight of your own hand.

    Kabbalah calls the broken vessels holy. I didn't believe that for years. Some nights I still don't.

    But naming what's real puts you back in your body. Costs nothing.

    #Kabbalah #Mindfulness #Writing

  8. New Offering! A large 8.5x5.5" Sticker Sheet of the Sephirot of the Tree of Life!

    Artisans Co-op Link: artisans.coop/products/kabbala

    Or, as a Fediverse denizen you can DM me to buy via Venmo, Paypal, or Square invoice at a discount - $15 per sheet instead of $18.

    Stickers of the Major Sephirot are 1.5" across, and the Da'at is one inch, for a total of 11 stickers.

    #FediArt #MastoArt #FediGiftShop #Art #NoAI #HandMade #Stickers #Altar #Meditation #Kabbalah #Sephirot

  9. Spirituality & Religious Studies @spiritualityreligiousstudies.wordpress.com@spiritualityreligiousstudies.wordpress.com ·

    Kabbalah, Part 1

    Also spelled Qabalah or Qabbala. It literally means the act of receiving, acceptance.

    This is an esoteric method, discipline, & school of thought in Jewish mysticism. It forms the foundation of mystical religious interpretations within Judaism. A traditional Kabbalist is called a Mekubbal (“receiver”).

    Jewish Kabbalists originally developed transmissions of the primary texts of Kabbalah within the realm of Jewish tradition. Often using classical Jewish scriptures to explain & demonstrate their mystical teachings.

    Kabbalah came out of earlier forms of Jewish mysticism in 12th-13th century Occitania, specifically in Languedoc, among Hakhmei Provence.

    Following the movement of Jews from Southern France & Spain, it was found in the Rhineland school of Judah the Pious, al-Andalus, L& was reinterpreted during the Jewish mystical Renaissance in the 16th-century Ottoman Palestine.

    The Zohar was authored in the late 13th century, likely by Moses de Leon. Isaac Luria (16th century) is considered the father of contemporary Kabbalah. Lurianic Kabbalah was popularized in the form of Hasidic Judaism from the 18th century onwards.

    The primary texts of the major lineage in medieval Jewish tradition are the Bahir, Zohar, Pardes Rimonim, & Et Chayim (‘Ein Sof’). The early Hekhalot literature is recognized as ancestral to the sensibilities of this later flowering of the Kabbalah, & more especially, the Sefer Yetzirah is acknowledged as the forerunner from which many of these books draw their formal inspiration.

    The Sefer Yetzirah is a brief document of only a few pages, written many centuries before the high & late medieval works (sometime between 200-600 CE), detailing an alphanumeric vision of cosmology & may be understood as a kind of prelude to the major phase of Kabbalah.

    The history of Jewish mysticism encompasses various forms of esoteric & spiritual practices aimed at understanding the divine & the hidden aspects of existence. This mystical tradition has evolved greatly over millennia, influencing & being influenced by different historical, cultural, & religious contexts.

    Among the most prominent forms of Jewish mysticism is Kabbalah, which developed in the 12th century & has since become a central component of Jewish mystical thought. Other notable early forms include prophetic & apocalyptic mysticism, which are evident in biblical & post-biblical texts.

    The roots of Jewish mysticism can be traced back to the biblical era, with prophetic figures such as Elijah & Ezekiel experiencing divine visions & encounters. This tradition continued into the apocalyptic period, where texts like 1 Enoch & the Book of Daniel introduced complex angelology & eschatological themes.

    The Hekhalot & Merkabah literature, dating from the 2nd century to the early medieval period, further developed these mystical themes. This focuses on visionary ascents to the heavenly palaces & the divine chariot. Hekhalot literature (from the Hebrew word for “Palaces”) relates to visions of entering Heaven alive.

    Merkabah (or Merkavah) mysticism is a school of Jewish mysticism, centered on visions such as those found in Ezekiel 1, or in the hekhalot literature, concerning stories of ascents to the heavenly palaces & the Throne of God.

    According to the Zohar, Torah study can proceed along 4 levels of interpretation (exegesis). These 4 levels are called pardes from their initial letters (PRDs, “orchard”):

    • Peshat (“simple”): The direct interpretations of meaning.
    • Remez (“hints”): The allegoric meanings (through allusion).
    • Derash (from the Hebrew darash, “inquire” or “seek): Midrashic (rabbinic) meanings, often with imaginative comparisons with similar words or verses.
    • Sod (“secret” or “mystery”): The inner, esoteric (metaphysical) meanings, expressed in kabbalah.

    Kabbalah is considered by its followers as a necessary part of the study of the Torah. The study of the Torah (the Tanakh & rabbinic literature) is an inherent duty of observant Jews.

    There are 3 different types of Kabbalah: Lurianic Kabbalah, Meditative-Ecstatic Kabbalah, & Practical Kabbalah. These 3 types can be distinguished by their basic intent with respect to God:

    • The Theosohical/Theosophical-Theurgic tradition of Theoretical Kabbalah (the main focus of the Zohar & Luria) seeks to understand & describe the divine realm using the imaginative & mythic symbols of human psychological experience. Its theosophy also implies the innate, centrally important theurgic influence of human conduct on redeeming or damaging the spiritual realms, as man is a divine microcosm. The purpose of traditional theosophical kabbalah was to give the whole of normative Jewish religious practices this mystical metaphysical meaning.
    • The Meditative tradition of Ecstatic Kabbalah strives to achieve a mystical union with God, or nullification of the meditator in God’s Active intellect. Abraham Abulafia’s “Prophetic Kabbalah” was the supreme example of this. Though marginal in Kabbalistic development. His alternative to the program of theosophical Kabbalah. Abulafian meditation built upon the philosophy of Maimonides, whose followers remained a rationalist threat to theosophical Kabbalists.
    • The Magico-Talismanic tradition of Practical Kabbalah endeavours to alter both the Divine realms & the World using practical methods. While theosophical interpretations of worship see its redemptive role as harmonizing heavenly forces, Practical Kabbalah properly involved Practial Kabbalah properly involved white-magical acts, & was censored by Kabbalists for only those completely pure of intent, as it relates to lower realms where purity & impurity are mixed. Consequently, it formed a separate minor tradition shunned from Kabbalah. Practical Kabbalah was prohibited by the Arizal until the Temple is rebuilt & the required state of ritual purity is attainable.

    According to Kabbalistic belief, early kabbalistic knowledge was imparted orally by the Patriarchs, prophets, & sages. Eventually, to be “interwoven” into Jewish religious writings & culture. According to this view, early kabbalah was, around the 10th century BCE, an open knowledge practiced by over a million people in ancient Israel.

    Foreign conquests drove the Jewish spiritual leadership of the time (the Sanhedrin) to hide the knowledge & make it secret, fearing that it might be misused if it fell into the wrong hands.

    From the Renaissance onward, Jewish Kabbalah texts entered non-Jewish (Gentile) spaces. Where they studied & translated by Christian Hebraists & Hermetic occultists. Christian Hebraists are scholars of Hebrew texts who approach the works from a Christian perspective.

    The syncretic traditions of Christian & Hermetic Kabbalah developed independently of Jewish Kabbalah. They read Jewish texts as universalist ancient wisdom preserved from Gnostic traditions of “the olden days.” Both adapted the Jewish concepts freely from their Jewish understanding. This made it possible to merge with multiple other theologies, religious traditions, & magical associations. In the time of the Age of Reason, Christian Kabbalah declined. Hermetic Kabbalah took a much different route, a route that some secretive “societies” went: they went underground.

    The technical definition of Kabbalah varies according to sect & the aims of those following it. In its earliest & original usage in ancient Hebrew, it means “reception” or “tradition.” In this context, it tends to refer to any sacred writing written after (or otherwise outside of) the 5 books of the Torah. (This is the 1st 5 books of the Old Testament.)

    After the Talmud was written, it refers to the Oral Law. In the much later writings of Eleazar of Worms (circa 1350), it refers to theurgy or the conjuring of demons & angels by the invocation of their secret names.

    The nature of the divine prompted kabbalists to envision 2 aspects to God: 1.) God is essence, absolutely transcendent, unknowable, limitless divine simplicity beyond revelation, & 2.) God in manifestation, the revealed persona of God through which He creates, sustains, & relates to humankind.

    Kabbalists speak of the 1st as the Ein Sof (“the infinite/endless,” literally “there is no end”). Of the impersonal Ein Sof, nothing can be grasped.

    However, the 2nd aspect of divine emanations, accessible to human perception, dynamically interacting throughout spiritual & physical existence, reveals the divine immanently, & is bound up in the life of man. Kabbalists believe that these 2 aspects aren’t contradictory but complement 1 another, emanations mystically revealing the concealed mystery from within the Godhead.

    As a term describing the Infinite Godhead beyond Creation, Kabbalists viewed the Ein Sof itself as too sublime to be referred to directly in the Torah. It’s not a Holy Name in Judaism. No name could contain a revelation of the Ein Sof.

    The structure of emanations has been described in various ways: Sephirot (divine attributes) & Partzufim (divine “faces”), Ohr (spiritual light & flow), Names of God & supernal Torah, Olamot (spiritual worlds), a Divine Tree & Archetypal Man, Angelic Chariot & Palaces, male & female, enclothed layers of reality, inwardly channels (“limbs” of the King) & the divine Souls of Man.

    These symbols are used to describe various levels & aspects of Divine manifestation, from the Pnimi (inner) dimensions to the Hitzoni (outer). It’s solely in relation to the emanations, certainly not the Ein Sof Ground of all Being, that Kabbalah uses anthropomorphic symbolism to relate psychologically to divinity.

    The Sephirot/Sefirot/Sefirah are the 10 emanations & attributes of God with which He continually sustains the existence of the universe. These emanations are viewed as parts of God’s divine nature, which reveal themselves in different ways.

    The Zohar & other Kabbalistic texts elaborate on the emergence of the sephirot from a state of concealed potential in the Ein Sof until their manifestation in the mundane world. In particular, Moses ben Jacob Cordovero (known as “the Ramak”) describes how God emanated the myriad details of finite reality out of the absolute unity of Divine Light via the 10 sephirot, or vessels.

    According to Lurianic cosmology, the sephirot correspond to various levels of creation. 10 sephirot are in each of the 4 Worlds. 4 Worlds within each of the larger 4 Worlds, each containing 10 sephirot, which themselves contain 10 sephirot, which themselves contain 10 sephirot, to an infinite number of possibilities.

    They emanated from the Creator for the purpose of creating the universe. The sephirot are considered revelations of the Creator’s will (ratzon), & they shouldn’t be understood as 10 different “gods” but through the Emanations. It’s not God who changes but the ability to perceive God that changes.

    Divine creation through the 10 Sephirot is an ethical process. They represent the different aspects of Morality. Loving-Kindness is a possible moral justification found in Chessed, & Gevurah is the Moral Justification of justice, & both are mediated by Mercy, which is Rachamim.

    However, these pillars of morality become immoral when taken to extremes. When Loving-Kindness becomes extreme, it can lead to sexual depravity & a lack of Justice to the wicked. When Justice becomes extreme, it can lead to torture & the Cain-ing of innocents & unfair punishment.

    The tzadikim or “righteous” ascend these ethical qualities of the 10 sephirot through righteous action. If there were no tzadikim, the blessings of God would become completely hidden, & Creation would cease to exist.

    While real human actions are the “Foundation” (Yesod) of this universe (Malkuth), they must be accompanied by the conscious intention of compassion. Compassionate actions are often impossible without faith (Emunah), meaning trusting that God seems hidden.

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    #10Sephirot #10thCenturyBC #12thCentury #12thCenturyAD #13thCentury #16thCentury #16thCenturyAD #18thCentury #200CE #2ndCentury #600CE #AbrahamAbulafia #AbulafianMeditation #AgeOfReason #alAndalus #AncientHebrew #AncientIsrael #Arizal #Bahir #BookOfDaniel #BookOfEnoch #Chessed #ChristianHebraists #Circa1350 #Creation #Darash #Derash #DivineMacrocosm #DivineMicrocosm #DivineTree #EinSof #EinSofGroundOfAllBeing #EleazarOfWorms #Elijah #EtzChayim #Exegesis #Ezekiel #Gentile #Gevurah #Gnosticism #God #Godhead #Hakhme #HasidicJudaism #Hebraists #Hebrew #Hekhalot #HermeticKabbalah #HermeticOccultists #Hitzoni #InfiniteGodhead #IsaacLuria #JewishKabbalah #JewishKabbalists #JewishMysticism #Jews #JudahThePious #Judaism #Kabbalah #Kabbalist #KalipotShells #Languedoc #LovingKindness #Luria #LurianicKabbalah #Macrocosm #MagicoTalismanicTraditiion #Maimonides #Malkuth #MedievalJudaism #MeditativeEcstaticKabbalah #Mekubbal #Mercy #Merkabah #MerkabahMysticism #Merkavah #Midrashic #MosesBenJacobCordovero #MosesDeLeon #Occitania #Ohr #Olamot #OralLaw #Ottoman #OttomanPalestine #Palestine #PardesRimonim #Partzufim #Patriarchs #Peshat #philosophy #Pnimi #PracticalKabbalah #Prophet #PropheticKabbalah #Prophets #Provence #RabbinicLiterature #Rachamim #Ratzon #Religion #Remez #Renaissance #Rhineland #RitualPurity #Sages #Sanhedrin #SeferYetzirah #Sefirah #Sefirot #Sephirot #Sod #SouthernFrance #Spain #Spirituality #Syncretism #Talmud #Temple #TheRamak #TheoreticalKabbalah #TheosophicalKabbalist #TheosophicalTheurgicTradition #Theurgy #ThroneOfGod #Torah #TraditionalTheosophicalKabbalah #Tzadikim #Yesod #Zohar
  10. Spirituality & Religious Studies @spiritualityreligiousstudies.wordpress.com@spiritualityreligiousstudies.wordpress.com ·

    Archangel Gabriel

    In Judaism, Christianity, & other Abrahamic religions, Gabriel (or even Cebrail (Djebrail) in some cultures) is an archangel with the power to announce God’s will to mankind as the messenger of God. He’s like the Abrahamic Apollo. He’s mentioned in the Hebrew Bible/Christian Old Testament, the New Testament, & the Quran.

    In the Book of Daniel, Gabriel appears to the prophet Daniel to interpret his vision. Gabriel also shows up in the Jewish apocryphal 1st Book of Enoch & other Hebrew writings.

    Along with the archangel Michael, Gabriel is described as the guardian angel of the Israelites, defending them against the angels of the other peoples. Many sects of Christianity revere Gabriel as a saint.

    In the New Testament’s Gospel of Luke, Gabriel appears to Zachariah, predicting the birth of John the Baptist. Gabriel later appears to Mary, mother of Jesus, to announce that she would conceive & bear a son via a virgin birth.

    Islam regards Gabriel as an archangel sent by Allah/God to different prophets, including Muhammad (PBUH). The first 5 verses of the Al-Alaq (96th chapter of the Quran) are believed by Muslims to have been the 1st verses of revelations given by Gabriel to Muhammad (PBUH).

    The only book in the Hebrew Bible that explicitly mentions Gabriel is the Book of Daniel, & Gabriel appears to the prophet Daniel to explain his visions (Daniel 8:15-26, 9:21-27). In Daniel’s final vision, an unnamed angel appears to him & speaks of receiving help from the archangel Michael in battle against the Prince of Persia (not the video game) & also Michael’s role in times to come. This unnamed angel is thought to be Gabriel.

    Though not named specifically, the “man clothed with linen” mentioned in the Book of Ezekiel chapters 9 & 10 is interpreted as Gabriel in Yoma 77a of the Babylonian Talmud.

    There are many references to Gabriel in the Book of Enoch. According to this book, Michael, Uriel, Raphael, & Gabriel complain to God about the many wrongs perpetuated by Azazel & Samyaza. Especially the fact that they revealed “eternal secrets” & sins to mankind & defiled themselves with human women who later gave birth to giant offspring. Or, 1 of our fav subjects to circle back to, the Nephilim. (We will be doing the Nephilim in a future post. It’s currently being researched right now. Along with the Watchers, the Nephilim’s dads.)

    As a result, God decides to destroy the Earth (which has been corrupted by those pesky fallen angels; these fallen angels were led by Azazel & Samyaza) & all of its inhabitants except for Noah. God sends Gabriel & the other archangels to go after the fallen angels & cast them into the darkness until the day of their judgment.

    In Chapter 20, Gabriel is listed as 1 of 7 holy angels who watch. In Chapter 40, Gabriel is listed as 1 of 4 presences who stand on the 4 sides of God. These 4 archangels will be the ones to cast the fallen angels into the abyss of condemnation on Judgment Day.

    According to Rabbinic Judaism, Gabriel (along with Michael, Uriel, & Raphael) is 1 of the 4 angels that stand at the 4 sides of God’s throne & serve as guardian angels of the 4 parts of the Earth. Michael stands on/at the right hand of God. While Gabriel (who ranks beneath Michael) stands at the left. Michael & Gabriel often work together. But Michael is mainly occupied in Heaven, while Gabriel (as the messenger of God) typically executes God’s will on earth.

    Gabriel is also associated with the metal gold (the color of fire). Alongside Michael, Gabriel is described as the guardian angel of Israel, defending the Israelites against the angels of the other nations.

    Gabriel is 1 of God’s archangels in Kabbalah literature. He’s pictured working in concert with Michael as part of God’s court. He’s identified with the sefira (or the Counting of the Omar. It’s a period of 49 days known as sefira(h).) of Yesod (this is a node in the kabbalistic Tree of Life.). Gabriel isn’t to be prayed to because only God can answer & sends Gabriel as his agent/messenger/courier.

    According to Jewish mythology, in the Garden of Eden there’s a tree of life or the “tree of souls” that blossoms & produces new souls, which fall into the Guf, the Treasury of souls. This is located in the 7th Heaven. Gabriel reaches into the Treasury & takes out the 1st soul that comes into his hand.

    Gabriel’s 1st appearance in the New Testament is found in the 1st part of Chapter 1 of Luke. This is where the annunciation of the birth of John the Baptist is. John’s dad, Zachariah, was childless because John’s mom, Elizabeth, was barren. An angel shows up to Zechariah to announce the birth of his son. When Zechariah questions the angel, the angel names himself as Gabriel (Luke 1:5-25).

    Gabriel’s next appearance is in the 2nd part of Luke, chapter 1. This time, to announce the birth of Jesus to Mary (Luke 1:26-38). In the 1st part of the passage, the angel identifies itself as Gabriel; in the 2nd part of the passage, the angel doesn’t. It’s the author of Luke who calls this angel Gabriel.

    Gabriel is more frequently referenced in early Christian pseudepigraphic texts (these are texts whose authorship isn’t by who it’s claimed to be or a real author attributed to some bigger name of the past) than in Amy of the canonical Biblical texts.

    Gabriel is mentioned in some of the infancy Gospels, like the Nativity Gospel of Mary, Protevangelium of James, & First Gospel of the Infancy of Jesus Christ. Gabriel is also mentioned in some of the early Christian apocalyptic texts, like the Greek Apocalypse of Ezra & Second Book of Enoch.

    In Gnosticism, angels are portrayed as belonging to a pantheon of spiritual beings involved in the creation of the world. According to 1 ancient Gnostic manuscript, the Holy Book of the Great Invisible Spirit. (Which we have posted!) Gabriel is a divine being & inhabitant of the pleroma (This refers to the total of divine powers.) that existed before the demiurge (This is an figure who is responsible for fashioning & maintaining the physical universe). There’s also a reference to Gabriel in Chapter 17 of the Gospel of Judas.

    In the theology of the Mormon Church, Gabriel is believed to have lived a mortal life as the prophet Noah. The 2 are regarded as the same individual. Noah was his mortal name & Gabriel being his heavenly name.

    Gabriel’s fast day was exclusively celebrated on March 18 between 1588 & 1921. The feast of St. Gabriel was included by Pope Benedict XV in the General Roman Calender in 1921 for celebration on March 24.

    In 1969, the day was officially transferred to September 29 for celebration in combination with the feasts of Michael & Raphael. Today, the September 29 date (known as Michaelmas) has been adopted by the Catholic Church, Church of England, Lutheran faith, Anglican Communion, & Western Orthodox churches.

    The Eastern Orthodox Church & those Eastern Catholic Churches that follow the Byzantine Rite (a.k.a. the Rite of Constantinople is a liturgical rite developed in the Eastern Christian church of Constantinople.) celebrated the Feast of the Archangels (or Synaxis of the Archangel Michael & the Other Bodiless Powers) on November 8.

    For the churches that follow the Julian Calendar, November 9 currently falls on November 21 of the modern Gregorian Calendar (a 13-day difference).

    The Eastern Orthodox commemorate Gabriel not only at the Feast of the Archangels, but also on 2 other days: March 26 the “Synaxis of the Archangel Gabriel” & celebrates his role in the Annunciation. July 13, a.k.a. the “Synaxis of the Archangel Gabriel.”

    The Coptic Orthodox Church celebrates Gabriel’s feast of 13 Paoni, 22 Koiak, & 26 Paoni. The medieval Coptic work Investiture of the Archangel Gabriel, attributes the feast day of 22 Koiak to the day Gabriel was given the rank of archangel in Heaven.

    The Ethiopian Church celebrates Gabriel’s feast of December 18 (in the Ethiopian calendar). A sizable number of its believers making a pilgrimage to a church dedicated to “St. Gabriel” in Kulubi & Wonkshet on that day.

    Gabriel is in many places in the Quran. He’s revered as 1 of the primary archangels & as the Angel of Revelation in Islam. He’s primarily mentioned in the verses 2:97, 2:98, 66:4 of the Quran. However, the Quranic text doesn’t refer to him as an angel. In the Quran, the archangel Gabriel appears named in 2:97 & 66:4, as well as in 2:98, where he’s mentioned along with the archangel Michael.

    Tafsir (this is like the Jewish Midrash) narrates that Muhammad saw the archangel Gabriel in his full angelic splendor only 2x. The 1st time was when he received his 1st revelation. Islamic tradition holds that Gabriel was sent to numerous pre-Islamic Biblical prophets with revelation & divine injunctions, including Adam, whom Muslims believe was consoled by Gabriel sometime after Fall, too. He’s known by many names in Islam, such as “keeper of holiness.” In Hadith traditions, Jibril is said to have 600 wings.

    In Islam, the tree of souls is referred to as the Sidrat al-Muntaha. This is identified as a Ziziphus spina-christi. This is also known as Christ’s thorn jujube.

    Muslims believe that Gabriel was tasked with transmitting the scriptures from God to the prophets & messengers as Asbab al-Nuzul or revelation. Asbab al-Nuzul is occasions or circumstances of revelation names the historical context in which Quranic verses were revealed from the perspective of traditional Islam. When Muhammad was questioned which angel is revealing the holy scriptures, he told the Jews they’re revealed by Gabriel.

    Muslims also Revere Gabriel for several events that predate what they regard as the 1st revelation narrated in the Quran. Muslims believe that Gabriel was the angel who informed Zechariah of the Nativity of John the Baptist. As well as Mary about the future nativity of Jesus.

    Gabriel was 1 of 3 angels who had earlier informed Abraham of the birth of Isaac. Gabriel also makes a famous appearance in the Hadith of Gabriel, in which he questions Muhammad on the core tenets of Islam.

    Gabriel is also believed to have delivered punishment from God to the Sodomites by leveling the entire city of Sodom with the tip of his wing. According to a Hadith, Gabriel has the ability to regulate feelings or perception in humans. Particularly happiness or sadness.

    Gabriel is believed to have helped Muhammad overcome adversaries significantly against an ifrit during the Night Journey. An ifrit is a powerful type of demon in Islamic culture. Gabriel is also believed to have helped Muhammad overcome his adversaries during the Battle of Badr.

    The Yazidis worship 7 Archangels, including Gabriel (Jabra’il), Michael (Mikha’il), Raphael (Rapha’il), Dedra’il, Azra’il, Shamka’il, & Azazil. They’re emanations from God with which God entrusted the world. Yazidis associate Gabriel with Tawusi Melek (the “Peacock Angel”).

    Mandaeans venerate Ptahil as the “4th Life.” Ptahil is an uthra (a divine messenger of the light), identified with Gabriel, who creates the poorly made material world with the help of Ruha, a sinful & fallen female ruler who inhabits the World of Darkness.

    The creation of the material world occurs by God’s command. But is delegated to Ptahil (a subservient emanation or uthra) with the assistance of Gabriel & others.

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    #1921 #1969 #7thHeaven #Abraham #AbrahamicReligions #AlAlaq #Allah #AnglicanCommunion #Annunciation #Apocryphal #Apollo #Archangel #ArchangelGabriel #ArchangelMichael #Azazel #Azazil #AzraIl #BabylonianTalmud #BattleOfBadr #BookOfDaniel #BookOfEnoch #BookOfEzekiel #BookOfLuke #ByzantineRite #CatholicChurch #Cebrail #ChristSThornJujube #Christian #Christianity #ChurchOfEngland #CopticOrthodoxChurch #CountingOfTheOmar #Daniel81526 #Daniel92127 #December18 #DedraIl #Demiurge #Demon #Djebrail #EasternCatholicChurch #EasternChristianChurch #EasternOrthodox #EasternOrthodoxChurch #Elizabeth #EthiopianCalendar #EthiopianChurch #FallOfMan #FallenAngels #FeastDay #FeastOfTheArchangels #FirstGospelOfTheInfancyOfJesusChrist #Gabriel #GardenOfEden #GeneralRomanCalendar #Gnosticism #GospelOfLuke #GreekApocalypseOfEzra #GregorianCalendar #Hadith #HebrewBible #HolyBookOfTheGreatInvisibleSpirit #Ifrit #InfancyGospels #InvestitureOfTheArchangelGabriel #Isaac #Islam #Israel #Israelites #JabraIl #Jesus #Jibril #JohnTheBaptist #Judaism #JudgmentDay #JulianCalendar #July13 #Kabbalah #Kulubi #Luke12638 #Luke1525 #Lutheran #Mandaeans #March18 #March24 #March26 #Messenger #Michael #Michaelmas #Midrash #MikhaIl #MormonChurch #Muhammad #NativityGospelOfMary #NativityOfJesus #NativityOfJohnOfBaptist #Nephilim #NewTestament #NightJourney #Noah #November21 #November8 #OldTestament #PeacockAngel #Pleroma #PopeBenedictXV #PrinceOfPersia #Prophet #ProtoevangeliumOfJames #Pseudepigrapha #Ptahil #Quran #RabbinicJudaism #RaphIl #Raphael #RiteOfConstantinople #Ruha #Samyaza #SecondBookOfEnoch #Sefira #September29 #ShamkaIl #SidratAlMuntaha #Sodom #SynaxisOfTheArchangelGabriel #SynaxisOfTheArchangelMichael #SynaxisOfTheArchangelMichaelTheOtherBodilessPowers #Tafsir #TawusiMelek #TheGospelOfJudas #TreeOfLife #Uriel #Uthra #VirginBirth #VirginMary #Watchers #WesternOrthodoxChurch #Wonkshet #Yazidis #Yesod #Yoma77a #Zachariah #Zechariah #ZiziphusSpinaChristi
  11. Spirituality & Religious Studies @spiritualityreligiousstudies.wordpress.com@spiritualityreligiousstudies.wordpress.com ·

    Archangel Raphael

    The name Raphael comes from the Hebrew Rafa’el, meaning “God has healed” or “Medicine of God.”

    He’s not mentioned in the Tanakh/Old Testament or the New Testament; he’s definitely in the Book of Tobit. The Book of Tobit is a deuterocanonical work recognized by Catholic & Orthodox churches. He’s also mentioned in 1 Enoch, both books date from around the 3rd & 2nd centuries BC.

    In later Jewish tradition(s), he became identified as 1 of the 3 heavenly visitors entertained by Abraham at the Oak of Mamre. While the Bible doesn’t name him, Midrashic tradition identifies Raphael as 1 sent to heal Abraham’s pain after his circumcision.

    Later Christian tradition(s) identified him with healing & as the angel who stirred the waters at the Pool of Bethesda in John 5:2-4. But he isn’t specifically named in this passage.

    In Islam, his name is Israfil. He’s understood to be the unnamed angel of Quran 6:73. In this passage, he’s standing with a trumpet to his lips eternally, ready to announce the Day of Judgment.

    In Gnostic tradition(s), Raphael is represented on the Ophite Diagram. This diagram is/are a ritual & esoteric diagram used by the Ophite sect of Gnosticism.

    In the Book of Tobit, Raphael takes the human form of a man named Azarias. He serves as a protector for young Tobias on a perilous journey to Media. Azarias instructs Tobias on how to use the heart, liver, & gall of a giant fish to create medicinal ointments. These are used to drive away a demon (Asmodeus) & to cure the blindness of Tobias’ dad, Tobit.

    Because Raphael safely guided Tobias across vast distances, he became the patron saint of travelers, pilgrims, & even modern-day hitchhikers.

    His name comes from the Hebrew meaning “to heal,” & can be translated as “God has healed.” In Tobit, he goes by the name Azariah while in disguise as a man. In the book, he acts like a doctor/physician & expels, uses an extraordinary fish to heal Tobit’s eyes, & binds the demon Asmodeus. While in 1 Enoch, he’s “set over all disease & every wound of the children of the people.” He also binds the armies of Azazel & throws them into the valley of fire.

    According to the Babylonian Talmud, Raphael was 1 of 3 angels who appeared to Abraham in the Oak Grove (Oak wood/trees have been used for millennia in spiritual traditions) of Mamre, in the Hebron region.

    Michael walked in the middle because he was the “greatest,” with Gabriel on his right & Raphael on his left. Each had a specific mission they were commanded to carry out: Gabriel’s was to destroy Sodom; Michael’s was to tell Sarah that she was going to have Isaac; & Raphael’s was to heal Abraham from his recent circumcision & to save Lot. Now, the healing of the circumcision is HUGE in this context. Because Abraham was the 1st Hebrew/Jew to get a circumcision. AND he was a grown old man when he got it. He wasn’t a baby who’d “forget” the pain & healed up in a couple of days.

    In the Midrash Konen, it’s revealed that Raphael was originally named Libbiel (“God is my heart”). In the Midrash, God takes counsel with His angels before He creates Adam, the 1st man. The angels weren’t all of 1 opinion, with differing views & reasons.

    The Angel of Love & Angel of Justice both were in favor of Man’s creation as he (humans) would be affectionate & loving, alongside practicing Justice. The Angel of Truth & the Angel of Peace opposed Man’s creation, as he (humans) would be full of lies & be quarrelsome.

    To invalidate his protest, God cast the Angel of Truth down from Heaven to Earth. When the others cried out against the treatment of their companion, He said, “Truth will spring back out of the earth.” Before their objections, God had only told the Angels of the good that would be among the humans. But didn’t tell them of the evil, either.

    Despite not knowing the whole truth, the angels were nevertheless prompted to cry out: “What is man, that Thou art mindful of him? And the son of man, that Thou visitest him?” God replied: “The fowl of the air & the fish of the sea, what were they created for? Of what avail a larder full of appetizing dainties, & no guest to enjoy them?” The angels couldn’t but exclaim: “O Lord, our Lord, how excellent is Thy name in all the Earth! Do as is pleasing in Thy sight.” For not a few of the angels, their opposition bore fatal consequences.

    When God summoned the band under the Archangel Michael & asked their opinion on the creation of man, they answered scornfully: “What in man, that Thou art mindful of him? And the son of man, that Thou visited him?” God stretched out his little finger, & all were consumed by fire except their Chief Michael. And the same fate befell under the leadership of the archangel Gabriel; he alone of all was saved from destruction.

    The 3rd band consulted by the Archangel Libbiel. He learned from his predecessors’ horrible fate, so he warned his troops. “You’ve seen what misfortune overtook the angels who said, ‘What is man, that Thou art mindful of him? Let us have care not to do likewise, lest we suffer the same dire punishment. Gor God will not refrain from doing in the end what He has planned. Therefore, we should yield to His wishes.”

    Having been warned, the angels spoke: “Lord of the world (Not the universe? Huh.), it’s well that Thou hast thought of creating man. Do Thou create him according to Thy will. And as for us, we’ll be his attendants & his minsters, & reveal unto him all our secrets.”

    Thereupon, God changed Archangel Libbiel’s name to Raphael, the Rescuer, because his Host of Angels had been rescued by his sage advice. He was appointed the Angelic Prince of Healing, who has in his safekeeping all the celestial remedies, the types of medical remedies used on Earth.

    In the Midrash Tanhuma (a.k.a. Yelammedenu, this is the name given to a homiletic Midrash on the ENTIRE Torah), Satan became envious of the righteous. R. Matthew bar Heresh, after seeing him sitting occupied in Torah study, without looking at anyone’s wife or any other woman.

    Believing it to be impossible for a righteous man to exist in the world without sin, Satan asks God how He sees Rabbi Matthew; He sees him as completely righteous. Satan then asks for permission to test Rabbi Matthew (Is this starting to sound like the Job story to anyone else?), which God grants again.

    So Satan transforms himself into a beautiful woman upon finding the rabbi studying the Torah. After seeing that Satan would continue to truly & tempt him from all sides. He (the Rabbi) used hot pins to blind himself, so his evil inclination prevailed. Satan trembles in dismay & goes back to report to God.

    When God gets the report, He calls Raphael, Prince of the Healing Arts, commanding Raphael to go heal the rabbi’s eyes. When Raphael goes to the rabbi to heal him, Raphael reveals his identity & mission. Rabbi Matthew tells Raphael that he doesn’t want to be healed.

    Raphael returns to God & tells God what the rabbi said. When hearing this, God commands Raphael to tell the rabbi not to fear, because his evil inclination will not prevail. When the rabbi heard this from Raphael’s mouth, the rabbi accepted the healing & wasn’t afraid.

    In Rabbeinu Bahya, a commentary on the Torah written by Rabbi Bahya ben Asher (1255-1340), the Camp of Ephraim (situated to the west of the Tabernacle (Numbers 2:18)), corresponded to the celestial camp headed by the archangel Raphael, supported by the angels Zavdiel & Achziel.

    It’s also said that this is the camp that Moses alluded to when he prayed that Miriam be asked from her tzaraath by saying “please God heal her” (Numbers 12:13). He appealed to the attribute represented by Raphael.

    In the Beginning of Wisdom, an introduction to Kabbalistic thought composed by Rabbi Aharon Meir Altshuler (1835-1905) in Warsaw between 1887 and 1893. Raphael is said to be the Sephirah of Tiphereth (Beauty). He’s said to act as an intermediate conduit between Chesed (Kindness) corresponding to Michael, & Din (Judgment) corresponding to Gabriel. Uriel (a.k.a. Nuriel) is also said to act as an intermediate conductor alongside Raphael.

    It’s explained that when he inclines to Chesed, he’s called Uriel. But when he inclines Din, he’s called Nuriel. In the same context, the Sefer Ha Bahir calls Raphael, the “Prince of Peace” (“Sar Salom”). The text states that the reconciliation between Michael (the prince of God’s right) & Gabriel (the prince of God’s left) is the meaning of the verse, “He imposes peace in His heights” (Job 23:2). With Raphael being the Archangel of Air that establishes peace between fire & water.

    In Kabbalistic astrology, Raphael is most commonly associated with the Sun (alongside Michael) & Mercury (the planet). The Zohar associates him with the image of man in the tetramorph (A symbolic arrangement of 4 differing elements, or the combination of 4 disparate elements in 1 unit) of the Four Holy Living Creatures (these are a class of heavenly beings in Judaism, described in the 1st & 10th chapters of the Book of Ezekiel), alongside the zodiac sign of Aquarius, & in ration to the image of man; the Sephriah of Malkhuth (Kingdom) & the Earth.

    As well as Tiphereth & Malkhuth, the Zohar also has Raphael corresponding to the Sephirah of Hod (Majesty), the Euphrates river, the left leg of the body, & the Israelite tribe of Ephraim.

    It’s also customary in Judaism to invoke Raphael as 1 of the Four Archangels after 1 recites the Shema (This is a Jewish prayer that serves as a centerpiece of the Jewish morning & evening prayer services.) before going to bed; with Michael by your right side, Gabriel by your left side, Uriel before you, & Raphael behind you.

    The New Testament only names 2 archangels (Michael & Gabriel, respectfully). But because of Raphael’s association with healing, he became identified with the unnamed angel of John 5:1-4, who periodically stirred up the Pool of Bethesda.

    Because of his actions in the Book of Tobit & the Gospel of John, Raphael is considered a protector & healer. Thus, the patron of travelers, the blind, happy meetings, nurses, physicians, medical workers, matchmakers, Christian marriage, & Catholic studies.

    He’s perhaps most seen in depictions of Tobias & the Angel, from the Book of Tobit, showing him walking with Tobias & his dog through a landscape. The subject became very popular in Italy from about 1450 for a century, as devotion to Raphael increased, at least partly through confraternities dedicated to him. A confraternity is generally a Christian voluntary association of laypeople created for the purpose of promoting special works of Christian charity or piety, & approved by the Church hierarchy.

    In altarpieces & the like, Tobias, his fish, & his dog may be used as identifying attributes of Raphael.

    Raphael is said to guard pilgrims on their journey, & when depicted as a single figure, is often depicted holding a staff. Also, he’s often pictured holding or standing on a fish, which alludes to his healing of Tobit with the fish’s gall. Early mosaics often show him & other archangels in the clothing of a Byzantine courtier.

    The feast day of Raphael was included for the 1st time in the General Roman Calendar in 1921, on October 24. With the 1969 revision of the General Roman Calendar, the feast was transferred to September 29 for celebration together with the archangels Saints Michael & Gabriel.

    Pope Benedict XVI’s Summorum Pontificum permitted, within certain limits for public use, the General Roman Calendar of 1960, which has October 24 as Raphael’s feast day. He’s commemorated in some Spanish dioceses on the old date & with a procession on May 7 in Cordoba, Spain.

    In the Diocese of Warsaw-Praga, he’s commemorated on October 3 (with Michael & Gabriel). The feast was transferred from September 29 (Devotion of St. Florian’s Cathedral).

    The archangel Raphael is commemorated by the Eastern Orthodox Church on November 8 in the Synaxis of the Archangel Michael & the Other Bodiless Powers.

    In the Oriental Orthodox Churches, the dedication of the church of St. Raphael on the back of a whale is commemorated on August 26 (or 3 Pagumen, this is an intercalary month of the ancient Egyptian, Coptic, & Ethiopean calendars are a period of 5 days in common years & 6 days in leap years in addition to those calendars’ 12 standard months, sometimes reconned as their 13th month.).

    The Coptic Orthodox Church celebrates Raphael’s feast on Kouji Nabot 3 & Koiak 13.

    In the Antiochian Western Rite Vicariate, St. Raphael the Archangel is commemorated on October 24.

    The Archangel Raphael is said to have appeared in Cordoba, Spain, during the 16th century. In response to the city’s appeal, Pope Innocent X allowed the local celebration of a feast in the Archangel’s honor on May 7, the date of the principal apparition.

    St. John of God (founder of the Hospital order that bears his name) is also said to have received visitations from Saint Raphael, who encouraged & instructed him.

    In tribute to this, many of the Brothers Hospitallers of St. John of God’s facilities are called “Raphael Centers” to this day. The 18th-century Neapolitan nun, St. Maria Francesca of the 5 Wounds, is also said to have seen apparitions of St. Raphael.

    In the Mormon tradition, Doctrine & Covenants 128:21 (this is part of a letter dated Sept. 7, 1842) refers to an appearance or manifestation of Raphael to Joseph Smith as 1 of several angels who had appeared to him either together or separately.

    Raphael is a venerated archangel, according to Islamic tradition. In Islam, he’s called Israfil. Israfil will blow the trumpet from a holy rock in Jerusalem to announce the Day of Judgment (Yawn al-Qiyamah). The trumpet is constantly poised at his lips, ready to go at Allah’s orders.

    Certain Islamic sources indicate that, created at the beginning of time, Israfil has 4 wings, & is so tall as to be able to reach from the earth to the pillars of Heaven. A beautiful angel who is a master of music, Israfil sings praises to God in 1,000 different languages, the breath of which is used to inject life into hosts of angels who add to the songs themselves.

    Further, he’s probably the highest angel, since he also mediates between God & other archangels, reading on the Preserved Tablet (al-lawh al-mahfooz) to transmit the commands of God. Although disputed, some reports assert he visited Muhammad prior to the archangel Gabriel.

    According to Sufi traditions reported by Imam Rafa’il, the Ghawth or Qutb (‘perfect human being’) is someone who has a heart that resembles that of the archangel Israfil, signifying the loftiness of this angel. The next in are the saints who are known as the Umdah or Awtad, amongst whom the highest ones have their hearts resembling that of the archangel Mikhail (Michael), & the rest of the lower-ranking saints having the heart of Jibrail (Gabriel), & that of the previous prophets before the Islamic prophet Muhammad. The earth is believed to always have 1 of the Qutb.

    In another account, Rafa’il is mentioned by name in the Islamic tradition narrated by Ath-Tha’labi from Ali. He’s said to have met Dhu al-Qarnayn, who’s mentioned in the last part of Sura 18 of the Quran, al-Kahf (“The Cave”). Dhu al-Qarnayn (The 2 Horned One) is believed by some to be Alexander the Great.

    The angel told Dhu al-Qarnayn about the Water of Life (Ayn al-Hayat). Hearing that there was such a spring, Dhu al-Qarnayn wanted to drink the Water of Life. But the only 1 who had succeeded in drinking it was his cousin, Khidir. In Islamic tradition, Khidr is the mystical guide popularly quoted, especially in Sufi traditions, who has attained a long life & appears to have selected Islamic saints throughout the times.

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    #1Enoch #1450 #16thCentury #1887 #1893 #1921 #1960 #1969 #2ndCenturyBC #3rdCenturyBC #7September1842 #Abraham #Achziel #alLawhAlMahfooz #AlexanderTheGreat #Ali #Allah #AngelOfJustice #AngelOfLove #AngelOfPeace #AngelOfTruth #AntiochianWesternRiteVicariate #Aquarius #ArchangelLibbiel #ArchangelMichael #ArchangelRaphael #Asmodeus #August26 #Awtad #Azarias #BabylonianTalmud #bible #BookOfEzekiel #BookOfTobit #ByzantineCourtier #CampOfEphraim #Catholic #CatholicChurch #circumcision #Confraternities #Cordoba #DayOfJudgment #Demon #Deuterocanonical #DhuAlQarnayn #Din #Diocese #DoctrineCovenants12821 #Ethiopean #EuphratesRiver #FeastDay #Fish #FourArchangels #FourHolyLivingCreatures #GeneralRomanCalendar #Ghawth #Gnosticism #GospelOfJohn #Heaven #Hebrew #Hebron #HospitallersOfStJohnOfGod #Isaac #Islam #Israfil #Italy #Jewish #Jibrail #Job #Job252 #John514 #John524 #Judaism #Kabbalah #Khidr #Koiak13 #KoujiNabot3 #Libbiel #Lot #Malkhuth #Mamre #May7 #Media #Mercury #Midrash #MidrashKonen #MidrashTanhuma #Miriam #Mormonism #Moses #Muhammad #NeapolitanNun #NewTestament #November8 #Numbers1213 #Numbers218 #Nuriel #OakGrove #OakOfMamre #October24 #October3 #OldTestament #OphiteDiagram #Ophites #OrientalOrthodoxChurch #OrthodoxChurch #Pagumen #PoolOfBethesda #PopeBenedictXVI #PopeInnocentX #Prayer #PreservedTablet #Quran #Quran673 #RabbeinuBahya #RabbiMatthewBenHeresh #Sarah #Satan #SeferHaBahir #SephirahOfHod #SephirahOfMalkhuth #SephirahOfTiphereth #September29 #Shema #Sodom #Spain #StJohnOfGod #StMariaFrancescaOfTheFiveWounds #StRaphael #Sufi #Surah18 #SynaxisOfTheArchangelMichaelTheOtherBodilessPowers #Tanakh #Tetramorph #TheCave #Tobias #TobiasTheAngel #Tobit #Torah #TribeOfEphriam #Trumpet #Umdah #Uriel #Warsaw #WarsawPraga #WaterOfLife #Whale #Yelammedenu #Zavdiel #Zohar
  12. Random reflections on Hour #5 of #ShavuotLive by Abby Stein on kabbalah
    My attention wandered some in this session due to the arrival of my family (I skipped services to stay and do shavuot live), but I did come away with a deeper appreciation of the way that the kabbalistic movement shaped the practices of most other branches of Judaism.
    Also the chat discussions were delightful.

    #Mazeldon #Judaism #Kabbalah

  13. Kabbalah Simplified @kabbalahsimplified.wordpress.com@kabbalahsimplified.wordpress.com ·

    The Kabbalah of Head-Idols

    What do a news anchor, the Biblical teraphim-idol, and the skibidi toilet brain rot all have in common? Unless you know what the teraphim idols actually were, you probably have no clue about what the connecting theme might actually be.

    So, let’s first the describe teraphim idol.

    *****

    The complete description of the occult practice can be found in Sefer ha’Yasher 31:41-43.

    In order to create a teraphim idol (don’t try this at home), the sorcerer would take the decapitated head of a first born man, mount it, and anoint it with salt and oil.

    A small plate of copper or gold with the name of the demon god inscribed upon it would be placed under the tongue. (As a side note, this ingredient-type of a metal plate with something inscribed upon it frequently occurs in many odd/obscure magic rituals, such as those found in Sefer ha’Razim).

    The sorcerer would light candles or other lamps before the teraphim and bow to it. A demon would then possess the talking head and verbally communicate knowledge to the sorcerer.

    *****

    Note that the “first born” man is used.  Although my notes on this are still incomplete at the time of writing this article, what I can tell you is that the “firstborn superiority” is a myth.

    The reason why the firstborn get special blessings and inheritances is not because they are more special/blessed.  It’s actually because ever since the sin of the Garden, evil has a much stronger legal right/claim over whatever creature (man or beast) first emerges from the womb.  The blessings and inheritances are given to help counter this handicap.

    Cain was firstborn.  He killed Abel his brother.  Esau was firstborn, and he was a much more coarse man than his brother Jacob.  The Death Angel was given the right to slay the unprotected firstborn in Egypt.  The firstborn of a donkey that is not redeemed must be put to death.  Etc. Etc.  The evidence is clear: In the current world age we live in, the first born is born in a vulnerable state.

    And so, that is why the head of the first born is used in this ritual. It is more receptive to the Other Side.

    *****

    The demon seeks to inhabit the abandoned vessel.  The haunted house archetype comes from this basic operation of demons.  Abandoned home = fair game for demons.

    A normal human being, who is also a vessel, cannot be possessed by a demon unless there is something abnormal to facilitate the possession.  Whenever the human soul is fully intact within the human body, the human body cannot accept a demon.  It is only when there is some separation between body and soul that the demon can inhabit the abandoned body.

    Incorrect meditation, in which the subject intentionally tries to empty out their mind, has led to some startling experiences for some people where they begin to see demonic spirits.

    Genetic hybridization, like that which was practiced in the days before the Flood (Yasher 4:18), would also create an abandoned vessel, as the divine human soul cannot dwell in a human-animal hybrid body.  But a demon can.

    In the case of the teraphim, the head is from a deceased man.  No rites or special tricks are needed; the vessel is already abandoned.

    *****

    Demons are the disembodied spirits of man-eating nephilim giants.  And one of the things the nephilim would do to their prey is give them a terrifying smile.

    And that brings me to skibidi toilet.

    This cultural phenomenon is not what it seems to most people.  It is a reference to this ancient demonic idol recipe.  The “brain rot” is actually just another way of emptying the vessel – the vessel of children’s minds – down the toilet so that something else can take the place of where was once a human soul. 

    Brain rot is just another form of incorrect meditation, where the mind becomes emptied and receptive to things it should not be receptive to.

    *****

    It always struck me as funny that news anchors were referred to as “talking heads”.

    This, however, is not a coincidence, as the news anchor’s job is literally to be the “Lite” version of the teraphim.

    The news anchor temporarily empties themselves of their own thoughts and opinions in order to regurgitate a pre-written script that is not their own.

    It is a much safer (moral) and less permanent version of the teraphim idol, but the themes are strikingly similar.

    *****

    My final point is that “teraphim” is likely where we get “trophy,” which has the same three-letter root.  The typical trophy is actually a simplified icon of the mounted head, and the two “handles” on either side represent the ears of the head.

    The “trophy” is a cautionary tale, telling you not to be too proud of your own achievements, as even they become an idol that would cause you to forget that all of your gifts and talents come from God.

    *****

    The center feature image of the teraphim above comes from our game-in-progress, “Antediluvian: Seed in Peril.” Although the teraphim are not the central focus of that game, they are slated to make an appearance as tools that some of the antagonists will use against the player.

    ASIP is set to be an action-packed Witcher-like game where you battle against Nephilim giants, cryptids, and cultists. Consider joining our Discord for more information and future updates: https://discord.gg/v3H3CrtKm7

    As always, thank you for reading, and shalom.

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