Boulder Jewish News Arts, Culture, Events, Lifestyles, Holidays, Synagogues, Education
GATHERING THE SPARKS
Authentic Kabbalah Tradition and Practical Wisdom
With Samuel Ben-Or Avital
Samuel Ben-Or Avital, author of “The Invisible Stairway: Kabbalistic Meditations on the Hebrew Letters,” will be holding a seminar on authentic Kabbalah, starting May 13 in Boulder, CO. The seminar, entitled Gathering of the Sparks: Authentic Kabbalah and Practical Wisdom, will run May 13, 20, 27 and June 3, 10, 17 2011, six Fridays from 10:00 am to 12:00 noon. This series will focus on the Hebrew letter Kof.
Avital, descendent of Moroccan Kabbalists tracing their lineage to 15th Century Spain and before, explains that the Hebrew letters 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 shared just a few of the meanings of the letter KOF, which will be covered in the upcoming workshop:
“The KOF ( ק ), which is the 19th Hebrew letter, and has a value of 100, is the symbol of Holiness and of Growth Cycles. The Kof is related to both Sanctity (ק ד ו ש ה – Kedousha (and to the Klippah ( ק ל י פ ה ), which is the Husk, Peel, or Cover of life.
As the 19th letter, the Kof is also related to the word Hogeh ה ו ג ה meaning sound, utterance, wheel, contemplation, philosophy, and study. The letter is also connected to the cycles of nature, the changing seasons, the monthly renewal of the Moon, and the 28 year solar cycle.
KUF ו ף ק is also the word for Monkey. Here is an interesting mystery. Why is it that the same letter KUF represents both Kedousha ( ק ד ו ש ה) Sanctity, and an animal that is a parody of the human? This represents that the Human Being has the ability to act animalistically, but also that the Human is created in the image of the Creator. He is charged with emulating Him, and He is assured that He can scale celestial heights. If Man acts as an “image of The Creator”, His potential is boundless.”
For more information on the Gathering of the Sparks Seminar, or to register, please visit:
