Unanswered Questions
170 questions with no upvoted or accepted answers
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For whom does Mekhilta d'Rashb"i mean the Zohar?
I saw that Malbim on Shir HaShirim (1:2) quotes the Zohar with the name מכלתא דרשב״י. Indeed, the words he quotes are in the Zohar here. On the other hand, there is another work called מכילתא דרשב״י, ...
- 10.8k
6
votes
0
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615
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Who were the Nistarim?
It has been documented that there is a group of righteous people called "The Nistarim". I am not referring to the lammed vav tzaddikim of the Gemara (Sanhedrin 97b, Sukkah 45b). Rather, a mystical ...
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5
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Smoking and psychedelics in kabbalah?
Many are familiar with stories of great tzaddikim smoking pipes and the like in some sort of kabbalastic rite. I've even heard some chassidic Rebbes having a so called "Kabbalah pipe". Im curious to ...
- 41
5
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291
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Understanding the Zohar's Anthropomorphism of God
Unlike the Rambam's now-conventional ideas against anthropomorphizing God, there are kabbalistic texts studied today which seem to espouse completely antithetical ideas.
I am familiar with the ...
- 17.9k
4
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126
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Source for Arizal’s teaching
I’m reading a book by Rabbi Shlomo Arush and he says the following: "According to our master, the Arizal, whoever wants to receive the light of Ein Sof in its entirety has to change its own nature ...
- 34.7k
4
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111
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Why read about Rashb"i's death at a memorial ceremony?
Why do many people read the passage (known as אדרא זוטא) from Zohar about the death of Rabbi Shim'on ben Yochai at memorial ceremonies?
A description of it can be found here.
- 17.9k
4
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1
answer
404
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Maggidim (angelic mentors) in Jewish history. How new is it?
Did the phenomenon of "maggidim" (celestial/angelic mentors) who come to teach a person kabbalistic mysteries and other revelations, but begin with those who studied Lurianic kaballah in the 1500's - ...
- 36k
4
votes
1
answer
280
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Is it obligatory / recommended / permitted / discouraged / forbidden to tie a red thread to a child's crib?
The comments to this question discuss tying to a red thread to a child's crib. Garvey80 claims that it is a minhag yisrael to do so, and is thus obligatory. User6591 claims that it may be forbidden, ...
- 16.7k
4
votes
1
answer
389
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Leaving the room during a kabbalistic dvar Torah
We learn from Maran HaRav Ovadia Yosef Z"l, as well as R' Hamburger Shlit"a, and the rest of the non-Chassidic, non-Lurianic world that it is improper for one unlearned in sha"s and halachah to learn ...
- 2,036
3
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How to reconcile the verse in Yeshaya 49:14 to the beginning of Shaar HaEmunah
BH
It says in Yishaya 49:14:
וַתֹּ֥אמֶר צִיּ֖וֹן עֲזָבַ֣נִי יְהֹוָ֑ה וַאדֹנָ֖י שְׁכֵחָֽנִי
whereas in Ner Mitzvah V'Torah Or (Shaar HaEmunah) it says:
וה' שכחני
Why does R. Dov-Ber Schneuri say ...
- 5,020
3
votes
0
answers
149
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Info about Kabbalah text translators E. Collé and H. Collé
I want to read a good English translation of Etz Chaim by Chaim Vital. I found this one online by E. Collé and H. Collé. It appears to be scholarly, but I can't find amy information online about ...
- 161
3
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141
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Why do we pray to be saved from Ayin Hara if we don't believe in it?
The Gemara says in Pesachim 110b
כְּלָלָא דְמִילְּתָא כׇּל דְּקָפֵיד קָפְדִי בַּהֲדֵיהּ וּדְלָא קָפֵיד לָא קָפְדִי בַּהֲדֵיהּ וּמִיהוּ לְמֵיחַשׁ מִיבְּעֵי.
The general rule is that anyone who is ...
- 34.5k
3
votes
0
answers
593
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Greys "Aliens" mentioned in Kabala?
I have heard and even read (in Rav Zamir Cohen's book The Coming Revolution) that the most well known Alien phenotype, the "Greys" (who have large heads, large dark eyes, slits for noses, and very ...
- 479
3
votes
0
answers
259
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Non-Jews reincarnating in Jews
I read in the name of (Ariz"l) some Kabbalistic books that Zimri Ben Salu was the reincarnation of Shechem ben Chamor that took Dina and the story of Bnot Moav is [allegorically] a repetition of the ...
- 28k
3
votes
0
answers
183
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Dating and Havdala candle
I've heard people talking about the merit of a good relationship with his shidduch in dating from the act of holding the Havdala candle. How does the two relate?
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