Kabbalah Centre at 1062 S Robertson Blvd in Los Angeles, California

The Kabbalah Centre is a non-profit organization headquartered in Los Angeles, California, that provides courses on the Kabbalah online, and through its local centres and study groups. The modern-day presentation of Kabbalah was developed by its current leader, Philip Berg (a traditionally trained orthodox rabbi who had left the religious clergy and became an insurance salesman before learning Kabbalah) and his wife, Karen Berg.^[1] The Kabbalah Centre includes Jewish and non-Jewish teachers and students.^[2]

Kabbalistic tradition has long held that Kabbalah is so complicated and so easily misunderstood that students may only begin to approach it with a strong background in Jewish law and only after age 40, the age of wisdom according to the Mishnah.^[3] Some see the Centre as a perversion of Judaism's ancient and secretive mystic tradition.^[4]

As a religious not-for-profit organization, it is exempt from federal income taxes under section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code.^[5]

History[link]

Kabbalah Centre in New York City in 2008

The Kabbalah Centre was founded in the United States in 1965 as The National Research Institute of Kabbalah by Philip Berg (born Feivel Gruberger) and Rav Yehuda Tzvi Brandwein.^[6] Brandwein in turn was the Dean of Yeshivah Kol Yehuda in Israel (a precursor of the US Kabbalah Centres) which was founded in 1922. After Brandwein's death, and after several years in Israel, Philip Berg and his wife Karen Berg, re-established the U.S. Kabbalah Centre in New York.

The current headquarters of the Kabbalah Centre in Los Angeles was opened in 1984. Karen and their sons Yehuda and Michael act as directors and spiritual leaders of the organization. The organization is a registered non-profit^[5] with over fifty branches worldwide, including major ones in Los Angeles, New York City, London and Toronto.

Teachings[link]

Approach[link]

The Kabbalah Centre's approach to teaching is to start students with practical methods that do not make previous knowledge of Hebrew and Jewish texts a prerequisite for understanding.

The Kabbalah Centre often cites Kabbalah as the inspiration for recent scientific discoveries, including The Big Bang, String Theory, atomic structure, and Newton's Third Law.

Relation to religion[link]

According to its views, all widely-held spiritual or religious belief systems are merely specific branches of a universal wisdom. The effect of this is a resemblance of religions such as Christianity, Judaism, and Buddhism, as well as new-age teachings, to Kabbalah. In accordance with this belief, the Kabbalah Centre does not present itself as an alternative to any religion in particular, but rather, as a supplement to it.

The Bible[link]

The Hebrew Bible is not to be taken literally, as it is wholly a code, and can only be truly understood in this context.^{[citation needed]} The Kabbalah Centre claims that its teachings, based largely on the text and understanding of the Zohar, provide the conventions to unlock and understand this code. This includes the true meaning of the days of creation and the story of Adam and Eve in the Book of Genesis.

Some biblical passages, such as the Passage of the Red Sea, are spoken of as actual historical events.

The Light[link]

One should primarily be concerned with their relationship with the essence of God, rather than God himself, as he is beyond comprehension. The essence of God is referred to in its teachings as Light.^[7] In the beginning, there was only Light, but its nature was to share and it had no recipient for this natural desire. Therefore the Light created a vessel to be the recipient of the Light. Upon receiving this Light, the vessel came to inherit some of its properties, just as a glass, when filled with cold water, becomes cold itself. Chiefly, the vessel inherited the desire to share. To accomplish this, the vessel refused the Light, an act called Restriction, and thus broke into two parts so that it could share with itself. It is from these two parts that the souls of all males and females are derived, respectively. The breaking of the vessel created ten unique sefirot, all of which have a particular relationship to humans and the perceivable universe.^{[citation needed]}

99%[link]

The five senses provide access to a mere 1% of reality, which is the byproduct of a 99% reality that cannot be accessed by the senses.^[8] Since the circumstances of the unperceivable 99% of reality dictate those of the 1% normally perceived, one must use kabbalistic wisdom to access the 99%, thereby providing context to the 1%. No occurrence in life, in the 1%, is accidental or random; rather it is completely the calculated result of the 99%. All confusion and appearance of chaos is an illusion created by the absence of such context. The 99% is characteristic of pure joy, understanding, and truth.^{[citation needed]}

Restriction[link]

Naturally, an event occurs, which triggers an emotional response, which one then acts on. To truly control a situation, one must consider one's emotional reactions themselves as the enemy, and not one's cause. If one is able to restrict himself from acting on his primary emotional reactions, the best possible course of action will come to him naturally. Only by restricting one's emotional reflexes to negative situations can one consciously remove the impact of his ego.^{[citation needed]} One's instinct to egotistically react to a situation is referred to as the Opponent, or "The Satan". For example, when one is standing in line at the automated teller machine for twenty minutes, it is not the person in front of him, but his frustration that is the enemy. If one does not practice restriction, his existence becomes the automatic outcome of our circumstances, rather than a proactive experience of his creation.^{[citation needed]}

Klippot[link]

Kabbalah Centre teaches the Kabbalistic concept of Klippot. The idea is that everyone has a direct and clear connection to the upper metaphysical-spiritual world of the Light (Ein Sof, unbounded God), but that this channel is blocked by Klippot, restricting the spiritual energy from entering the physical body. It is through meditation and practice of Kabbalah teachings and Jewish law (which the Kabbalah Centre says is early Rabbinistic construction to aid in practicing Kabbalah without revealing its secrets) that one removes Klippot, and it is by violence and negative behaviour that one adds Klippot.^[9]

Astrology[link]

Zodiac in a 6th century synagogue at Beit Alpha, Israel

The Kabbalah Centre has a strong belief in astrology and asserts that astrology has been part of Judaism since its inception. The Centre claims astrology was lost in Jewish tradition as part of the suppression of Kabbalah by rabbis nearly 2000 years ago (evidence of this includes ancient synagogues with zodiac rings). This claim is historically inaccurate, as astrology was studied by Jewish scholars throughout the Middle Ages, though it was opposed by more philosophically inclined thinkers such as Maimonides.^{[citation needed]}

There is a strong belief in the Kabbalah tradition that cosmic forces affect everything, and knowing how to understand them can prove to be valuable to the aspiring Kabbalist. Philip Berg, the founder of the Kabbalah Centre, is himself an astrologer and has written numerous books on astrology during his career.^{[citation needed]}

Sex[link]

It is not recommended that men masturbate, as the sperm are abandoned souls that become demons. When a woman's insides come into contact with a man's sperm, they are coming into contact with the essence of their energy and are affected by this for several years.^[9] The man should not orgasm before the woman, as it injects selfishness into the act of love making.^[9] A couple should not engage in sex with the woman positioned above the man, as she is then drawing energies into herself from below, instead of above.^[9] The most Light is derived from sex that occurs early Saturday morning.^[9]

Celebrity followers[link]

Madonna studies regularly with a personal Kabbalah Centre rabbi, no longer gives concerts on Friday night (which is the onset of Shabbat), wears the red string around her left wrist for protection and to ward off the "Evil Eye" (Ayin Hara), has introduced Jewish ritual objects such as tefilin ("phylacteries") into her videos and tithes regularly to the Kabbalah Centre.^[10] In July, 2006 the media reported an unfounded rumour that Madonna was leaving the Kabbalah Centre^[11] and one media columnist speculated that one reason was alleged financial irregularities of donations to the centre.^[10] Despite the uncorroborated allegations of financial irregularities, the rumour turned out to be false, and Madonna continues to attend Kabbalah Centre events. In fact, Madonna has collaborated with the Kabbalah Centre on a new project called Raising Malawi, which will provide relief aid to the African nation of Malawi.^[12] When Madonna tried to partner Raising Malawi with UNICEF, UNICEF demurred due to this project's close association with the Kabbalah Centre.^[13]

Lindsay Lohan has also had some involvement with the organization, and has been seen wearing the associated red string on her wrist.^[14] Other celebrities that have been associated with the Centre include Roseanne Barr, Sandra Bernhard, Anthony Kiedis, Ashton Kutcher, Demi Moore, Mick Jagger, Jerry Hall, Lucy Liu, Pierre Lewis, Alex Rodriguez, Rosie O'Donnell, Naomi Campbell, Donna Karan, Elizabeth Taylor, Mischa Barton, Britney Spears, Paris Hilton,^[15] Nicole Richie, James Van Der Beek, and Heather McComb.

Britney Spears and Jerry Hall left the movement in 2006 and 2005. Jerry Hall, ex-wife of Rolling Stones singer Mick Jagger, left the Kabbalah Centre after she was asked to tithe ten percent of her revenues. Paris Hilton also left, and has gone back to the Roman Catholic faith.^[16]

Controversy and criticism[link]

The Kabbalah Centre has been described as an "opportunistic offshoot of the faith, with charismatic leaders who try to attract the rich and the vulnerable with the promise of health, wealth, and happiness." ^[17] Some Jewish organizations distinguish it as non-Jewish and consider its patronage by Jews problematic.^[18] The Centre's self-help teachings and its sale of Kabbalah-themed merchandise has been criticized as a perversion of Judaism's ancient and secretive mystic tradition.^[4]

There was media controversy in 2005 related to a recorded comment by a Kabbalah Centre leader regarding the Holocaust. According to a BBC news article, Eliyahu Yardeni, a senior figure in the London Kabbalah Centre has been quoted as saying, "Just to tell you another thing about the six million Jews that were killed in the Holocaust: the question was that the Light was blocked. They didn't use Kabbalah." This claim caused international outrage, with one scholar saying, "To me this is one of the most obscene statements anybody could possibly make."^[17]

A probe by an undercover journalist working for the BBC revealed that the Kabbalah Centre had made claims that spring water sold by the group had among its effects a curative effect on cancer. Reportedly, 10 bottles were sold to cancer sufferers for £400.^[17]

In Israel, authorities have refused to give the organization a certificate of proper management for three years running (as of 2005) because of accounting inadequacies. ^[17]

References[link]

External links[link]

• Kabbalah Centre Official website
• Yehuda Berg's Blog
• Michael Berg's Blog
• Kabbalah Centre Israel
• In Search of the Skeptical, Hopeful, Mystical Jew That Could Be Me
• Kabbalah books

Karen Berg is the co-founder of the modern Kabbalah Centre, along with her husband, Philip Berg.^[1] She is the mother of Yehuda Berg and Michael Berg.

References[link]

• Article by Daphne Merkin- http://www.nytimes.com/2008/04/13/magazine/13kabbalah-t.html

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