Authentic Kabbalah and Practical Wisdom With Samuel Ben-Or Avital

Samuel Ben-Or Avital, author of “The Invisible Stairway: Kabalistic Meditations on the Hebrew Letters,” will be holding a seminar on authentic Kabbalah, starting January 21 in Boulder, CO.  The seminar, entitled Gathering of the Sparks: Authentic Kabbalah and Practical Wisdom, will run January 21, 28 and Feb 4, 11, 18, 25, 2011, six Fridays from 10 am to 12 noon.  This series will focus on the Hebrew letter Peh.

Avital, descendent of Moroccan Kabbalists tracing their lineage to 15th Century Spain and before, explains that the Hebrew letters in particular are one of the most basic keys to properly explore the Kabbalah’s “mysteries.”  In his seminars, Avital delves into the spiritual meanings and discoveries contained in each letter, what each letter stores within her story.  He describes the letters as the “blueprint from which the stuff of creation is created, formed and made,” explaining that “Each verb has built in its essence a nucleus and a root to plant and build oneself within ‘the world.’  Each letter contains and symbolizes a spiritual power or energy.”

Avital views Kabbalah as tradition that is “personal, practical, and universal,” and is available to all who have “a sincere heart desire to learn.”  Avital shared just a few of the meanings of the letter Peh, which will be covered in the upcoming workshop:

PEH (פ), the 17^th letter, is the ultimate symbol of silence and speech. PEH means mouth in Hebrew.  It indicates speech and the importance of uttering words – what we say and how we say it, the quality of our words.   Through the mouth we communicate with words and silence the essence of our soul and our existence in this “passing moment” we call life.

The quality of our speech IS the quality of our life’s essence and creative existence.  According to the quality and quantity of our speech we can cause either good or evil, and that depends on how we use the power of choice to speak or not to speak.  Our easy tendency to speak ill of the other is actually the cause of harm to ourselves and everyone.  As you imagine IT, arrange IT; speak IT, so IT IS. What one thinks is where one is, and so it becomes that which you speak.”  This is most important in our relationships between ourselves and the other selves.  We see how important it is to BE the speaker of the good = = טוב 17.

The first cosmic order of the universe in the first chapter of the Torah Beresheet is the Great Utterance: “יהי אור- ויהי אור“ “YEHI OR” = Let there be LIGHT!  VAYEHI OR. And the LIGHT becomes manifested.”

If we ponder deeply into this constant cosmic utterance that reverberates always in the Eternal Existence of the Universe, we will understand the great power of the words that we allow our mouth to bring into this world. We could then sense deeply, within our being the great gift of the power of the speech, and always be more careful and mindful what we speak and how we speak, and then we will feel the exhilarating experience of the profound and practical wisdom of King Salomon, who declares:

וְחַיִּים בְּיַד לָשֹון וְאֹהֲבֶיהָ יֹאכַל פִּרְיָהּ: (משלי יח. כא.) מָוֶת

“Death and life are in the power of the tongue; and those who love it shall eat its fruit.” Proverbs 18. 21”

For more information on the Gathering of the Sparks Seminar, or to register, please visit:

http://kabbalahnow.indranet.com/seminars/index.html

http://kabbalahnow.indranet.com/seminars/application.html