Aryeh Kaplan Quotes

Understanding is the level immediately below Wisdom. It is on the level of Understanding that ideas exist separately, where they can be scrutinized and comprehended. While Wisdom is pure undifferentiated Mind, Understanding is the level where division exists, and where things are delineated and defined as separated objects.

If you are willing to devote your life to continued growth, there are virtually no limits to the levels you can reach.

These 32 paths are said to be paths of Wisdom (Chakhmah). In a Kabbalistic sense, Wisdom is seen as pure, undifferentiated Mind.20 It is pure thought, which has not yet been broken up into differentiated ideas. Wisdom is the level above all division, where everything is a simple unity.

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The main method of meditation as outlined by Rabbi Abraham, thus involves the contemplation of nature. A person can contemplate the greatness of the sea, marveling at the many creatures that live in it. One can gaze at a clear night sky, allowing his mind to be completely absorbed by the glory of the stars. Through such intense contemplation, one can attain a meditative state directed toward the Divine. This is seen as the level of Aseph, one of the co-authors of the Psalms, who purified his heart and mind, cleansing it of all things other than the Divine. It is regarding this state that he said, "My flesh and heart fade away," When he divorced his consciousness from everything but God, he said, "Who have I in heaven? And with You, I have no desire on earth" (Psalm 73)

The Talmud teaches that the early saints would wait an hour before praying in order to concentrate their thoughts upon God. The commentaries explain that this means that they would empty their minds of all mundane thoughts, and would bind their consciousness to the Master of all, with fear and love. [These saints would then pray for an hour, and finally wait another hour after their prayers, so that they would spend a total of three hours on each of the three daily services.] It thus came out that they would take off a total of nine hours each day from their sacred studies in order to engage in meditation (hitbodedut), binding themselves [to God]. The Light of the Divine Presence would appear over their heads as if it were spread around them, with them sitting in the midst of the Light. I found this in an old manuscript from the early mystics.