JUDAISM

Judaism, Judaism (ancient Greek Ἰουδαϊσμός), “Jewish religion” (from the name of the tribe of Judah, which gave its name to the Kingdom of Judah, and then, starting from the era of the Second Temple (516 BC - 70 AD), became the common name of the Jewish people - Hebrew יהודה‎) - the religious, national and ethical worldview of the Jewish people, one of the oldest monotheistic religions of humanity.

In most languages, the concepts “Jew” and “Jew” are designated by one term and are not differentiated in conversation, which corresponds to the interpretation of Jewry by Judaism itself.

In the modern Russian language, there is a division of the concepts “Jew” and “Jew,” denoting, respectively, the nationality of Jews and the religious component of Judaism, originating from Greek language and culture. IN English language there is a word judaic (Judaic, Jewish), derived from the Greek Ioudaios - a broader concept than Jews.

According to historians, until the 7th century. BC. the Jews had a different religion. They call her Hebrew religion . It originated in the 11th century. BC. along with the emergence of classes and the state among the Jewish people. The ancient Hebrew religion, like all other national religions, was polytheistic. Historians believe that monotheistic ideas among Jews formed into a religion only in the 7th century. BC. during the reign of King Josiah in Judah (Southern Palestine). According to historians, not only the century, but also the year of the beginning of the transition of Jews from the Hebrew religion to Judaism is known from sources. It was 621 BC. This year, King Josiah of Judah issued a decree prohibiting the worship of all gods except one. The authorities began to decisively destroy traces of polytheism: images of other gods were destroyed; sanctuaries dedicated to them were destroyed; Jews who made sacrifices to other gods were severely punished, including death.

According to historians, the Jews called this only God by the name Yahweh (“The Existing One,” “The Existing One”). Cultists believe that it is impossible to assert that God’s name was Yahweh, because if the people of that distant time knew the name of God, then today’s generation of people, for a certain historical reason, does not know His name.

The international directory “Religions of the World” states that in 1993 there were 20 million Jews in the world. However, this figure is apparently unreliable, because a number of other sources indicate that in 1995-1996 there were no more than 14 million Jews in the world. Jews. Naturally, not all Jews were Jews. 70 percent of all Jews live in two countries of the world: in the USA 40 percent, in Israel 30. The third and fourth places in the number of Jews are occupied by France and Russia - 4.5 percent each, fifth and sixth. England and Canada - 2 percent each. In total, 83 percent of Jews live in these six countries of the world.

In Judaism there are four denominations.

Main denomination - Orthodox Judaism .

Orthodox Judaism (from ancient Greek ὀρθοδοξία - literally “correct opinion”) is the general name of movements in Judaism, the followers of which are continuers of the classical form of the Jewish religion. Orthodox Judaism considers it obligatory to adhere to Jewish religious law (Halacha) as it is recorded in the Talmud and codified in the Shulchan Aruch. There are several directions in Orthodox Judaism - Lithuanian, Hasidism of various kinds, modernist Orthodox Judaism (from English Modern Orthodox Judaism), religious Zionism. The total number of followers is more than 4 million people.

Litvaks. Representatives of the most classical direction in the Ashkenazi branch of modern Judaism. They are called Litvaks, since their main spiritual centers - yeshivas - were located, until the Second World War, mainly in Lithuania (Lithuania, or more precisely the Grand Duchy of Lithuania, included the lands of modern Lithuania, Belarus, Poland and Ukraine). The “Lithuanian School” appeared chronologically before Hasidism and religious Zionism. The Litvaks are followers of the Vilna Gaon (Rabbi Eliyahu ben Shloime Zalman), the great Jewish Talmudic scholar. With his blessing, the first modern Litvak yeshiva was created in Volozhin. In Russia, Litvaks are members of the KEROOR (Congress of Jewish Religious Communities and Organizations of Russia). Outstanding rabbis, scientists and public figures belonging to the Litvak movement: Rabbi Yisroel Meir HaKohen (Chafetz Chaim), Rav Shah.

Hasidism. Hasidism originated in Poland at the beginning of the 18th century. Hasidim are everywhere where there are Jews. The word “Hasid” means “pious,” “exemplary,” “exemplary.” Hasidim demand from their adherents “fervent prayer,” that is, loud prayer with tears in the eyes. Currently, centers of Hasidism are located in Israel, the USA, Great Britain and Belgium.

Orthodox modernism. Orthodox modernism adheres to all the principles of Orthodox Judaism, while integrating them with modern culture and civilization, as well as with the religious understanding of Zionism. In Israel, his followers include more than half of the Orthodox Jewish population. In the 19th century initial forms“Modern Orthodoxy” was created by rabbis Azriel Hildesheimer (1820-1899) and Shimshon-Raphael Hirsch (1808-1888), who proclaimed the principle of Torah ve derekh eretz - a harmonious combination of the Torah with the surrounding (modern) world.

Religious Zionism. Another direction of “Modern Orthodoxy” - religious Zionism - was created in 1850 by Rav Tzvi Kalisher, and then developed by Rav Avraham Yitzchak Kook at the beginning of the 20th century. In the second half of the 20th century, the main ideologists of the river movement. Zvi Yehuda Kuk (Israel) and R. Yosef-Dov Soloveitchik (USA). Prominent representatives at present: r. Abraham Shapira (died 2007), b. Eliezer Berkovich (died 1992), b. Mordechai Elon, b. Shlomo Riskin, b. Yehuda Amital, b. Aaron Lichtenstein, b. Uri Sherki, b. Shlomo Aviner. In the Russian-speaking Jewish community, the principles of modern Orthodoxy are followed by the organization Mahanaim, led by Zeev Dashevsky and Pinchas Polonsky.

Conservative (traditional) Judaism . The modern movement in Judaism arose in the mid-19th century in Germany, the first organized forms formed at the beginning of the 20th century in the USA.

Reform (Progressive) Judaism . Reformed Judaism arose at the beginning of the 19th century in Germany based on the ideas of rationalism and a change in the system of commandments - the preservation of “ethical” commandments while abandoning the “ritual” commandments. The Progressive Judaism Movement is a liberal movement within Judaism. Progressive (modern) Judaism believes that the Jewish tradition is constantly evolving, acquiring new meaning and new content with each new generation. Progressive Judaism strives for renewal and reform of religious practices in the spirit of modernity. The Progressive Judaism movement considers itself to continue the work of the prophets of Israel and follows the path of justice, mercy and respect for one's neighbor. The Progressive Judaism movement seeks to connect modern life with Jewish Teachings; its supporters are confident that at the turn of the millennium, Jewish traditions and Jewish education have not lost any of their relevance. Originating about 200 years ago in Europe, Progressive Judaism today has more than a million adherents living on 5 continents in 36 countries.

Reconstructionist Judaism . A movement based on the ideas of Rabbi Mordechai Kaplan about Judaism as a civilization.

Main features

1. Judaism proclaimed monotheism, deepened by the doctrine of the creation of man by God in his own image and likeness - the consequence of which is God’s love for man, God’s desire to help man and confidence in the final victory of Good. This teaching has given and continues to give rise to the deepest philosophical and religious insights, revealing the depth of its content over the centuries from more and more new angles.

2. The concept of God as absolutely Perfect, not only absolute Reason and Omnipotence, but also the source of Goodness, Love and Justice, who acts in relation to man not only as the Creator, but also as the Father.

3. The concept of life as a Dialogue between God and Man, conducted both at the level of the individual and at the level of the people (manifestation of Providence in national history) and at the level of “all humanity as a single whole.”

4. The doctrine of the absolute value of Man (both the individual and peoples and also of all humanity as a whole) - as an immortal spiritual being created by God in His image and likeness, the doctrine of the ideal purpose of man, which consists in endless, comprehensive, spiritual improvement.

5. The doctrine of the equality of all people in their relationship to God: every person is the Son of God, the path to perfection in the direction of union with God is open to everyone, all people are given the means to achieve this destiny - free will and divine help.

6. At the same time, the Jewish people have a special Mission (that is, Chosenness), which is to convey these Divine truths to humanity and through this help humanity to get closer to God. To accomplish this task, God made a Covenant with the Jewish people and gave them commandments. The Divine Covenant is irrevocable; and it imposes a higher level of responsibility on the Jewish people.

7. Judaism invites all people and nations (non-Jews) to accept the necessary minimum of moral obligations imposed by the Torah on all humanity: while Jews are required to observe all 613 mitzvot extracted from the Pentateuch, a non-Jew who is considered a participant in the covenant made by God with Noah (Gen.9:9), is obliged to fulfill only the seven laws of the sons of Noah. At the same time, Judaism fundamentally does not engage in missionary activities, that is, it does not strive for proselytism (in Hebrew, giyur) and is the national religion of the Jewish people.

8. The doctrine of the complete dominance of the spiritual principle over matter, but at the same time the spiritual value of the material world as well: God is the unconditional Lord of matter, as its Creator: and He gave Man dominion over the material world in order to realize his own through the material body and in the material world ideal destination;

9. The teaching about the coming of the Messiah (Messiah, the word comes from Hebrew מָשִׁיחַ‎, “anointed one,” that is, king), when “And they will beat their swords into plowshares and their spears into pruning hooks; Nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war any more... and the whole earth shall be filled with the knowledge of the Lord” (Isaiah 2:4). (Mashiach is a king, a direct descendant of King David, and, according to Jewish tradition, should be anointed as king by the prophet Elijah (Eliyahu), who was taken to heaven alive).

10. The doctrine of the resurrection of the dead at the end of days (eschatology), that is, the belief that at a certain time the dead will be revived in the flesh and will live again on earth. Many Jewish prophets spoke about the resurrection from the dead, such as Ezekiel (Yehezkel), Daniel (Daniel), etc. So, the prophet Daniel says the following about this: “And many of those who sleep in the dust of the earth will awaken, some to eternal life, others to eternal life.” reproach and disgrace" (Dan. 12:2).

There are eight main principles in the dogma of Judaism. These are the teachings:

About sacred books

About supernatural beings

About Mashiach (Messiah),

About the prophets

About the afterlife,

About food prohibitions

About Saturday.

Holy books

Holy books Judaism can be divided into three groups.

The first group includes one book-volume, which is called the word Torah(translated from Hebrew as “Law”).

The second group again includes only one book-volume: the Tanakh.

The third group includes a certain number of book-volumes (and each volume contains a certain number of works). This collection of sacred books is called the word Talmud("Studying").

Torah- the most important, most revered book in Judaism. All copies of the Torah from ancient times to the present day are written by hand on leather. The Torah is kept in synagogues (as Jewish houses of worship are called today) in a special cabinet. Before the start of the service, all rabbis in all countries of the world kiss the Torah. Theologians thank God and the prophet Moses for its creation. They believe that God gave the Torah to the people through Moses. Some books say that Moses is considered the author of the Torah. As for historians, they think that the Torah was written only by people and it began to be created in the 13th century. BC.

The Torah is one book-volume, but it consists of five book-works. The Torah is written in Hebrew and in this language the books of the Torah have the following names. First: Bereshit (translated - “In the beginning”) Second: Veelle Shemot (“And these are the names”). Third: Vayikra (“And He Called”) Fourth: Bemidbar (“In the Desert”). Fifth: Elle-gadebarim (“And these are the words”).

Tanakh- this is one book-volume, which consists of twenty-four book-works. And these twenty-four books are divided into three parts, and each part has its own title. The first part of the Tanakh includes five books, and this part is called the Torah. The first holy book, which is called the Torah, is also an integral part of the second holy book, which is called the Tanakh. The second part - Neviim ("Prophets") - includes seven books, the third - Khtuvim ("Scriptures") - includes twelve books.

Talmud- this is a number of book-volumes. The original (written partly in Hebrew, partly in Aramaic), republished in our time, is 19 volumes. All volumes of the Talmud are divided into three parts:

2. Palestinian Gemara,

3. Babylonian Gemara.

According to the main idea of ​​this teaching, believers should honor the prophets. Prophets are people whom God has given the task and opportunity to proclaim the truth to people. And the truth that they proclaimed had two main parts: the truth about the correct religion (how to believe in God) and the truth about the correct life (how to live). In the truth about right religion especially important element(partially) was a story about what awaits people in the future. The Tanakh mentions 78 prophets and 7 prophetesses. Veneration of prophets in Judaism is expressed in the form of respectful conversation about them in sermons and in everyday life. Among all the prophets, two great ones stand out: Elijah and Moses. These prophets are also revered in the form of special ritual actions during the religious holiday of Passover.

Theologians believe that Elijah lived in the 9th century. BC. As a prophet, he proclaimed the truth, and in addition, performed a number of miracles. When Ilya lived in the house of a poor widow, he miraculously renewed the supply of flour and butter in her house. Elijah resurrected the son of this poor widow. Three times, through his prayers, fire descended from heaven to earth. He divided the waters of the Jordan River into two parts and, together with his companion and disciple Elisha, walked through the river through a dry place. All these miracles are described in the Tanakh. Behind special merits before God, Elijah was taken alive into heaven. In theology (both Jewish and Christian) there are two answers to the question of when Moses lived: 1/ in the 15th century. BC. and 2/ in the 13th century. BC. Supporters of Judaism believe that one of the great services of Moses to the Jews and to all humanity is that through him God gave the people the Torah. But Moses also has a second great service to the Jewish people. It is believed that God, through Moses, led the Jewish people out of Egyptian captivity. God gave instructions to Moses, and Moses, following these instructions, led the Jews to Palestine. It is in memory of this event that the Jewish Passover is celebrated.

Jewish Passover celebrated for 8 days. The main day of the holiday is the first. And the main way of celebrating is a festive family dinner, which is called the word “Seder” (“order”). During the Seder every year, the youngest of the children (of course, if he can talk and understands the meaning of what is happening) asks the oldest member of the family about the meaning of the Passover holiday. And every year the oldest member of the family tells those present about how God, through Moses, led the Jews out of Egypt.

All religions of class society have teachings about the soul. There are several main points in Judaism. The soul is the supernatural part of man. This answer means that the soul, unlike the body, is not subject to the laws of nature. The soul does not depend on the body; it can exist without the body. The soul exists as an integral formation or as a collection of smallest particles; the soul of each person was created by God. Also, the soul is immortal, and during sleep, God temporarily takes the souls of all people to heaven. In the morning, God returns the souls of some people, but not others. People to whom He does not return their souls die in their sleep. Therefore, having risen from sleep, the Jews in a special prayer thank the Lord for returning their souls. All other religions believe that while a person is alive, the soul is in his body.

The doctrine of the afterlife in Judaism has changed over time. We can talk about three options teachings about the afterlife, which successively replaced each other.

The first option took place from the time of the emergence of Judaism to the time of the appearance of the first books of the Talmud. At this time, the Jews thought that the souls of all people - both righteous and sinners - go to the same afterlife, which they called the word “Sheol” (the translation of the word is unknown). Sheol is a place where there was no bliss, no torment. While in Sheol, the souls of all the dead people awaited the arrival of the Messiah and the decision of their fate. After the arrival of the Messiah, the righteous were rewarded in the form of a happy life on a renewed earth.

The second version of the doctrine of the afterlife existed from the time of the appearance of the Talmud until the second half of our century. In this version, the content of the books of the Talmud was interpreted as follows. To receive a reward, you do not have to wait for the Messiah: the souls of the righteous, immediately after parting with their bodies, were sent by God to heavenly paradise (“Gan Eden”). And sinners were sent to hell, to a place of torment. The words “Sheol” and “Gehenna” were used to designate hell. (“Gehenna” was the name of the valley in the vicinity of Jerusalem, where garbage was burned. This word was also transferred to the name of the place of torment of the soul after the death of its body.) At the same time, it was believed that Jewish Jews go to hell only for a while, and Jews are wicked and people other nationalities (they were called “goyim”) forever.

The third option is set out in a number of works by modern theologians. Compared to the second option, the third has only one change in the understanding of the picture of the afterlife. But this change is very significant. A heavenly reward, according to a number of theologians, can be received not only by Jewish Jews, but also by people of other nationalities and with a different worldview. Moreover, it is more difficult for Jews to earn heavenly rewards than for non-Jews. People of other nationalities only need to lead a moral lifestyle, and they will deserve to live in paradise. Jews must not only behave morally, but also comply with all the purely religious requirements that Judaism imposes on Jewish believers.

Jews must observe certain food bans. The largest of them are three. Firstly, they cannot eat the meat of those animals that are called unclean in the Torah. The list of unclean animals based on the study of the Torah is compiled by rabbis. It includes, in particular, pigs, hares, horses, camels, crabs, lobsters, oysters, shrimp, etc. Secondly, they are prohibited from eating blood. Therefore, you can only eat bloodless meat. Such meat is called “kosher” (“kosher” is translated from Hebrew as “suitable”, “correct”). Thirdly, it is forbidden to simultaneously eat meat and dairy foods (for example, dumplings with sour cream). If at first the Jews ate dairy foods, then before eating meat they should either rinse their mouths or eat something neutral (for example, a piece of bread). If they first ate meat food, then before eating dairy they must take a break of at least three hours. In Israel, canteens have two windows for serving food: one for meat and one for dairy.

Judaism is the religion of a small but talented people who have made a significant contribution to historical progress. And for this alone, the national religion of this people deserves respect.

Judaism was an important ideological source for the two largest religions in the world - Christianity and Islam. The two main holy books of Judaism - the Torah and Tanakh - also became sacred for Christians. Many ideas from these books were repeated in the holy book of Muslims - the Koran. The Torah and Tanakh gave impetus to the development of world artistic culture, so a cultured person should know what Judaism is.

Symbols

In a significant sense, the Shema prayer and the observance of Shabbat and kashrut, wearing a kippah (head covering) have a symbolic meaning in Judaism.

A more ancient symbol of Judaism is the seven-branched manorah (Menorah), which, according to the Bible and tradition, stood in the Tabernacle and the Jerusalem Temple. Two rectangular tablets with a rounded top edge located next to each other are also a symbol of Judaism, often found in the ornaments and decorations of synagogues. Sometimes the 10 commandments are engraved on the tablets, in full or abbreviated form, or the first 10 letters of the Hebrew alphabet, which serve for symbolic numbering of the commandments. The Bible also describes the banners of each of the 12 tribes. Since it is traditionally believed that modern Jews mainly come from the tribe of Judah and the Kingdom of Judah that existed on its territory, the lion - a symbol of this tribe - is also one of the symbols of Judaism. Sometimes the lion is depicted with a royal scepter - a symbol of the royal power that the forefather Jacob endowed this tribe with in his prophecy (Gen. 49:10). There are also images of two lions, on both sides of the tablets - standing “guarding the commandments.”

Menorah

One of the external symbols of Judaism since the 19th century is the six-pointed Star of David.

Menorah (Hebrew מְנוֹרָה - menorah, lit. "lamp") - a golden seven-barrel lamp (seven-branched candlestick), which, according to the Bible, was in the Tabernacle of Meeting during the wanderings of the Jews in the desert, and then in the Jerusalem Temple, until the destruction of the Second Temple. It is one of the oldest symbols of Judaism and Jewish religious attributes. Currently, the image of the menorah (along with the Magen David) has become the most common national and religious Jewish emblem. The menorah is also depicted on the coat of arms of the State of Israel.

According to Israeli researchers, Ephraim and Chana HaReuveni:

“Ancient Jewish sources, such as the Babylonian Talmud, indicate a direct connection between the menorah and a certain type of plant. In fact, there is a plant native to the Land of Israel that bears a striking resemblance to the menorah, although it does not always have seven branches. This is a genus of sage (salvia), called Moriah in Hebrew. Various species of this plant grow in all countries of the world, but some of the wild varieties growing in Israel very clearly resemble the menorah.”

In the botanical literature in Israel, the Syriac name for this plant is accepted - marva (Salvia Hierosolymitana).

The menorah had seven branches ending in seven lamps decorated in the form of golden flowers. Israeli researcher Uri Ophir believes that these were the flowers of the white lily (Lilium candidum), which is shaped like the Magen David (Star of David). See Number 6.

Egregor of Judaism

FOROWN - World of Egregors of Churches.
They are formed from the dark etheric radiations of the human multitude, which are brought in by any Soul that has not achieved righteousness, mixing with its religious states: from worldly thoughts, material interests, passionate states. Simple believing individuals are needed by the Egregors of the Churches to feed their own energies.
Two waves go to and from the Egregors: one that feeds the Egregor, and the second that gives off energy. On each religious temple there are two funnels: the supply and the receiving.
Religious Egregors provide protection on the Subtle Planes. To enter under the protection of a religious Egregor, it is necessary to undergo a special initiation (Initiation is dedication, the rite of a person’s voluntary entry into adepts, followers of any spiritual teaching), and then observe special rules behavior prescribed to a believer by a given religion.
Religious Egregors strive to cover all aspects of human life from birth to death.

- Judaism- Element Fire.

Symbols of attunement to the Egregor of Judaism

The Pharisees and Sadducees, the most ardent adherents of the Jewish faith, tirelessly ensured that the Jews strictly followed all religious rules and prohibitions. This was the whole point of their existence.

Heavenly Country of Judaism

Zatomis according to Daniil Andreev - the highest Layers of all metacultures of humanity, their Heavenly Countries, the support of the guiding Forces, the Abodes of the Synclites (Heavenly Societies of the Enlightened human souls).
The space is there 4-dimensional, but each Zatomis is distinguished by its own number of Time Coordinates.

N ICHORD - Zatomis of Jewish Metaculture, lower Layer of the Synclite of Israel.
The founder of Nihord was the great man-spirit Abraham. The ancient teachers of Jewry were involted by the demiurge of this superpeople, but the purity of this involtation was hampered by first spontaneous influences associated with the “genius loci” of Mount Sinai, then by the Jewish Witzraor. Nevertheless, under the Self of the biblical books one should see the Most High. Monotheization was necessary for all humanity, as the soil without which the task of Christ could not be realized in Enrof. The introduction of the idea of ​​monotheism into the consciousness of the people was achieved at the cost of a colossal effort, which exhausted Nihord for a long time. Hence the not always victorious struggle against demonic forces and the tragic nature of Jewish history. In the century that ended with the life and death of Jesus, this geographically small zone was the scene of the most intense struggle between the forces of Gagtungr and the Divine forces. Some more detail about this will be said elsewhere. The Resurrection of Christ was greeted in Nihord with great jubilation: the attitude of the Jewish synclite to the Planetary Logos is the same as in the other zatomis; there cannot be another. But for those who enter Nihord, before this, in Olirna, awaits the discovery of the truth of Christ, which they did not understand on earth - an amazing discovery, which many cannot comprehend for a long time. The death of Jerusalem and the Jewish kingdom was reflected in Nihord with sorrow, but with the consciousness of the logic of what happened: nothing else could have happened to the aggressive but weak Jewish Witzraor after he entered into an irreconcilable struggle with the demiurge of the superpeople during the years of Christ’s preaching on earth. After the final defeat of the Jews under Hadrian, there were no more Jewish Witzraors. But behind the Witzraor there was another, more terrible demonic hierarchy - the fiend of Gagtungr, the true rival of the demiurge; he continued to influence Jewry during the era of dispersion. Medieval Judaism continued to be shaped by two polar influences: this demon and Nichord. Now Nihord is replenished with a very small number of new brothers, who, however, enter the worlds of Enlightenment precisely through Judaism. The restoration of the State of Israel in the 20th century has nothing to do with Nihord; the temple being restored is a theatrical performance, nothing more. A new Israeli Witzraor has not arisen, but a similar role is played by one of the creatures that will be discussed in the chapter on egregors; he is under the strongest influence from the main nest of demonic forces.
- Ethereal Cathedral- Third Temple of Solomon.
Emblem : a tent-shaped structure (Tabernacle of the Covenant) surrounded by trees with huge red fruits (the Promised Land awaiting these people in Zatomis).

JUDAISM. Ae is also a small pyramid - “Golden World of Heavenly Glory”.

Holy places

The Holy City is Jerusalem, where the Temple was located. The Temple Mount, on which the Temple stood, is considered the holiest place in Judaism. Other holy places of Judaism are the Cave of Machpelah in Hebron, where the biblical forefathers are buried, Bethlehem (Beit Lehem) - the city on the way to which the foremother Rachel is buried, Nablus (Shechem), where Joseph is buried, Safed, in which the mystical teaching of Kabbalah developed and Tiberias, where the Sanhedrin met for a long time.

Judaism and Christianity

In general, Judaism treats Christianity as its “derivative” - that is, as a “daughter religion” designed to bring the basic elements of Judaism to the peoples of the world:

«<…>and everything that happened with Yeshua Ganotsri and with the prophet of the Ishmaelites, who came after him, was preparing the way for King Moshiach, preparing for the whole world to begin to serve the Most High, as it is said: “Then I will put clear words in the mouths of all nations, and they will people will call on the name of the Lord and serve Him all together” (Zeph. 3:9). How did [those two contribute to this]? Thanks to them, the whole world was filled with the news of the Moshiach, the Torah and the commandments. And these messages reached the distant islands, and among many peoples with uncircumcised hearts they began to talk about the Messiah and the commandments of the Torah. Some of these people say that these commandments were true, but in our time they have lost their force, because they were given only for a time. Others say that the commandments should be understood figuratively, and not literally, and Moshiach has already come and explained their secret meaning. But when the true Mashiach comes and succeeds and achieves greatness, they will all immediately understand that their fathers taught them false things and that their prophets and ancestors misled them.”
- Rambam. Mishneh Torah, Laws of Kings, ch. 11:4

There is no consensus in the authoritative rabbinic literature whether Christianity, with its Trinitarian and Christological dogma developed in the 4th century, is considered idolatry (paganism) or an acceptable (for non-Jews) form of monotheism, known in the Tosefta as shituf (the term implies the worship of the true God along with "additional")

Christianity historically arose in the religious context of Judaism: Jesus himself (Hebrew: יֵשׁוּעַ‎) and his immediate followers (apostles) were Jews by birth and upbringing; many Jews perceived them as one of the many Jewish sects. Thus, according to the 24th chapter of the Book of Acts, at the trial of the Apostle Paul, Paul himself declares himself as a Pharisee, and at the same time he is called on behalf of the high priest and Jewish elders “a representative of the Nazarite heresy” (Acts 24:5).

From a Jewish perspective, the identity of Jesus of Nazareth has no religious significance, and recognition of his messianic status (and therefore the use of the title "Christ" in relation to him) is unacceptable. There is no mention of a person who can be reliably identified with Jesus in the Jewish religious texts of that era.

Judaism and Islam

The interaction between Islam and Judaism began in the 7th century with the emergence and spread of Islam in the Arabian Peninsula. Islam and Judaism are Abrahamic religions, stemming from a common ancient tradition dating back to Abraham. Therefore, there are many common aspects between these religions. Muhammad claimed that the faith he proclaimed was nothing other than the purest religion of Abraham, which was later corrupted by both Jews and Christians.

Jews recognize Islam, in contrast to Christianity, as a consistent monotheism. A Jew is even allowed to pray in a mosque. In the Middle Ages, Islamic theology and Islamic culture had a fairly strong influence on Judaism.

Traditionally, Jews living in Muslim countries were allowed to practice their religion and govern their internal affairs. They were free to choose their place of residence and profession. The period from 712 to 1066 has been called the golden age of Jewish culture in Islamic Andalusia (Spain). Lev Polyakov writes that Jews in Muslim countries enjoyed great privileges, their communities flourished. There were no laws or social barriers preventing them from conducting commercial activities. Many Jews migrated to areas conquered by the Muslims and formed their own communities there. The Ottoman Empire became a refuge for Jews who were expelled from Spain by the Catholic Church.

Traditionally, non-Muslims, including Jews, were in a position of citizenship in Muslim countries. For these peoples, there was dhimmi status based on laws that were developed by Muslim authorities during the Abbasid period. Taking advantage of the protection of life and property, they were obliged to recognize the undivided dominance of Islam in all spheres of society and pay a special tax (jizya). At the same time, they were exempt from other taxes (zakat) and were exempt from military service.

Islamic extremists position Judaism as a hostile religion (associating it with Zionism), which is dictated by political motives - the confrontation between Israel and the Arab-Muslim world.

The question immediately arises: why is Nefesh Elokit, the Divine soul, which is the center and main driving force of the Jew, called “second”? There are several explanations for this.

First. Nefesh Behemit, the animal soul, appears and begins to act with the birth of a Jew. The baby has just squeaked in the midwife's arms - and is already reacting to light, to cold, and is looking for mother's milk. “Nefesh Elokit” is present nearby, but is revealed in the vessels of the Jew’s soul much later, when the boy turns thirteen and the girl twelve years old. Therefore, the animal soul is, as it were, more experienced and older. Shlomo, our lord, hints at this by comparing the Divine soul with a poor youth, and the animal with a stupid and rich king...

Second. We speak, turning to the Almighty, in morning prayer: “...the soul that You gave me is pure.” Being a part of the Creator, the Divine soul, like a precious crystal, is not subject to damage, is indestructible and, in a certain sense, perfect. She descends into our world to correct and cleanse the animal soul. (We will try to answer the question “why?” in the next issues of “Gateway to Tanya”). Since the animal soul is the cause of this descent, it seems to be in the foreground.

Third. The animal soul is “older” not only within the individual personality, but also on the scale of the universe. She comes from the world of Tohy, the predecessor of our world, which is called Tikkun. The “building” of the world of Tikkun will end with the arrival of Moshiach. This is another reason why the animal soul is given first place in the enumeration of souls.

Here it is appropriate to recall the rivalry between the two twin brothers Yaakov and Esav, the sons of Isaac and Rivka. Esau was born first, which gave him the right to claim seniority. Our sages, however, clarify: Jacob was “conceived” first. But in order to implement some complex plan, it is necessary to first “bring to light” minor details - for example, the peel of a fruit or the rafters of a construction site. Hence the paradox: “Nefesh Elokit” is “younger” because it “came to the mind” of the Creator earlier, because it is the fruit of the inner, hidden part of His Will.

Is a part of the Creator taken from above - truly

In writing these lines, the Alter Rebbe wanted to emphasize several things:

Nefesh Elokit stands above all the angels and powers that fill the universe. There is no point in comparing it with anything at all. It is valuable in itself, and other things exist “for”. Thanks to the presence of the Divine soul, the Jews can truly and truly be called “banim le-mak,” children of the Most High.

The word “truly” emphasizes that G‑dliness is not something transcendental. She is present in this world, present in us.

The word “part” hints at incompleteness and that our wholeness increases as we draw closer to the Creator. On the other hand, it is appropriate to recall the words of Rabbi Yisroel Baal Shem Tov: “He who grasps part of a thing is as if he had acquired it entirely.” This means, among other things, that each of us, preserving our Jewishness, has the right to the constant proximity of the Almighty.

What does the word “Above” add to us? Humanity is accustomed to the fact that the Almighty usually speaks to it “be-derech ha-teva”, in the language of natural phenomena and historical events. But in Jewry there is another channel of knowledge, “direct and from above.” Using it, we become acquainted with Divine wisdom and look at the problem as it is seen above.

“From above” also hints at the special property of the Jewish soul, which has the nature of the Creator and, in particular, the quality of universality. This means that subtle and complex ideas are easily “read” by a Jew, because... he looks at them “from above.”

And you breathed a living soul into his nostrils... And you breathed into me...

The first passage, taken from the chapter "Bereishit", speaks of the creation of man and the fact that from the very beginning he was the owner of the Divine (Jewish) soul. In the second, the Alter Rebbe quotes one of the morning blessings. It contains an indication that not only the first person, but also every Jew who comes into this world receives his soul not through “maamar”, speech, not from the external side of the Higher Will, but “from the mind,” from the Essence of the Creator.

It becomes more clear to us why the author of Tanya, speaking in this chapter about “nefesh elokit”, emphasizes that she descended “mimaal”, from the very Top, and that this is “mamash”, for real... The fact is that the souls of other peoples can manifest themselves in this world only by following the paths of the natural order, putting on the clothes of this world. But for the Divine soul there are no such restrictions. Living on earth, she, nevertheless, can go into the “Divine Dimension”, i.e. comprehend the Creator and approach Him without experiencing the dictates of natural shells.

Perhaps this is the root of the belief about the “special talents” of the Jews or the magical powers that the Cabal conceals. Rebbe Yosef Yitzchak Schneerson, the sixth head of Chabad, explains that the Jewish soul is indeed capable of comprehending the most complex and subtle aspects of the universe, but the point here is not in the special structure of the intellect, but in the fact that “nefesh elokit” came from the very Top and therefore has the ability to rise to any height.

As for the Kabbalah, it is not a collection of miracles, but a lever with the help of which the soul of a Jew awakens and begins to desire to serve the Almighty with all and in everything.

He who exhales air from himself exhales it from his very core.

The Torah says that the universe, in all its stages and details, was created by ten utterances of the Creator. How is speech different from a sharp exhalation coming “from the inside”? Both here and there the air is exhaled. But if ordinary speech can flow for a very long time, without causing much effort, then a person is capable of exhaling from the inside only a few times. This metaphor tells us that Adam ha-Rishon received his soul from “pnimiyut ratzon ha-elyon”, i.e. from the inner and hidden depths of the Creator's Will.

Adam's soul was "neshama klalit", "Common". It included the souls of all Jews who were ever to be born.

As for the souls of the peoples of the world, although they are taken from a very high source, they belong to the external side of the Higher Will. This is the root of the division that has existed between the Jews and the peoples of the world at all times.

We can say that Jewish souls “came to the mind” of the Almighty

In many cases, the Torah speaks about the properties of the Almighty in a language that is clear and simple. This is necessary to help our soul and mind get at least a little closer to what is immeasurably above our understanding. This means that “simple language” is often a subtle and completely complex metaphor. Unlike poetry, Torah metaphors are by no means arbitrary or random. About the process of Creation, which includes a whole ladder of worlds, it is said that it was accomplished with the help of ten Sayings. And Jewish souls “came to mind.” By its nature, speech is a more external and auxiliary thing, while thought is located deeper from the world and closer to the center of the soul. The Alter Rebbe wants to say that Jewish souls arose before creation, and that they are connected to the “pnimyut,” the inner spiritual power of the Creator. While the world, even at its highest levels, is content with “hitzonyut”, the external side of His will, which is much more distant from “Atzmut”, the essence of G-d.

We inevitably use the “human” side of language, not really remembering that up there, many concepts look completely different.

In an earthly creation, a thought can “flash.” The Almighty's thought is REALIZATION. Once it is conceived, it means it already exists, on different levels of the universe.

And one more thing: speech is something more distant, addressed to someone who is outside. Thoughts are primarily for oneself, hidden from others. By saying that Jewish souls “came to mind,” the Alter Rebbe wants to emphasize that they are not on a par with the rest of the elements of the universe created by the “Ten Sayings.”

Did we say that the thought is hidden? But it depends on where you look. If you look from the inside, then everything is the other way around: “olam”, the world, echoes the word “geelem” - the concealment of the essence of the Creator in the material world where we live. And vice versa: the “thinker” is open to thought, much more than to words; to the Jewish soul is the Creator.

We can say that every thing has its own, most suitable and intimately connected habitat.

For people living on earth, this is the material world.

For fish - ocean water.

For the Jewish soul - Sephira Chochma, Divine Wisdom. It is here, at the level of the universe, that the will of the Almighty first manifests itself, and it is here that the principles and rules by which the world is created are formed.

Since the Jewish soul is especially closely connected with the thoughts of the Creator, it is habitual and desirable for it to swim in the sea of ​​Torah, comprehending His wisdom on all possible levels.

Due to various hostile circumstances, a Jew may abandon the Torah or not know about it. But his soul, obeying the primordial attraction, will gravitate toward wisdom in its various manifestations. So a traveler, lost on the path and suffering from thirst, looks for water in the cracks of the rock. But will he find her and get drunk enough?..

My son, firstborn, Israel... You are sons of the Most High...

Why in the above quotes are the Jewish people first mentioned in the singular, and then in plural?

In the first case, we are talking about our people as a whole. The second emphasizes that every Jewish soul was born from the innermost depths of the Supreme Will and therefore has a special and personal connection with the Creator of all things.

In “Pirkei Avot” the words of Rabbi Akiva are quoted: “Happy and loved are the Jewish people, who bear the name “sons of the Most High.”

But they showed them even greater love, informing them that they were the sons of the Most High.”

In the second chapter of Tanya, a new and important topic arises - the problem of contact with the Creator. That personal connection with G-d, which was mentioned above, still exists only in potential. It needs to be realized, and for this you first need to know that such a possibility exists. And therefore - “You are sons of the Most High...”

The means of realizing this connection is the study of the Torah and the fulfillment of its commandments. This is why Rabbi Akiva continues: “Happy and beloved are the Jewish people, for they have given us the Torah, the vessel of His mercy...”

Just like the son arose in the father's brain...

But the “father-son” metaphor itself sounds stunning for many of us. Brought up on a “physiological” approach to reality, where the material is separate and the spiritual is separate, we could not even imagine that the father’s seed arises in the brain and descends along the spine, with each step of descent giving it more and more materiality. Finally, a drop appears that enters the mother’s womb and fertilization occurs. But that spiritual and intimate connection that the prototype of the drop had with the brain that gave birth to it continues to be preserved even when the son acquired a body, came out into the world, and began to exist, as it were, separately.

Using this comparison, the Alter Rebbe wants to emphasize that in any Jew, no matter how immersed he is in the thick of everyday successes and failures, and far from spirituality, the connection of his Divine soul continues to remain unshakable with the substance from which it came - with The essence of the Creator.

As the Rambam writes: “He is knowledge, and He is the knower”...

In people, three principles are involved in the thinking process:

A man with intelligence.

Movement of thought.

Knowledge gained through the process of thinking.

These three principles, although closely related, do not represent an inextricable unity. A sage and a simpleton, a rested person or one who spent a sleepless night, think at different speeds and depths. Finally, even after intense mental work, new knowledge may not arise...

The quote from Rambam is intended to draw our attention to the fact that the Almighty has no such division. He Himself, and His Torah, and His knowledge and supervision of the affairs of people are something integral, occurring within the framework of HIS SIMPLE UNITY.

In order to still advance in this understanding, you need to imagine how the Sephira Hochma differs from other Sephiroth and from all other vessels that exist in the universe. Its main property is “bitul” - the complete elimination of this vessel, which stands above all other sephiroth, and closest to the Source, before the Divine light coming into the vessel of Wisdom.

The peculiarity of Hochma is that it does not add anything to the received influence and does not change it in accordance with its nature, as happens with other sephiroth. Hochma is limited by the fact that it is still a “vessel” and, therefore, has boundaries. But, on the other hand, this vessel strives to contain “as much infinity as possible” - i.e. Or Ein Sof, the Infinite Light of the Creator.

Sefirah Chochma can be compared to a bay connected to the ocean by a wide channel. Although the bay is limited by the edge of the coast, the waves of the vast ocean flow freely into it.

Everything that was said above is a continuation of an extended metaphor, where the Jewish soul, the source of which is the Sephira Hochma, is compared to a drop of seed that originated in the brain of the father.

And the inextricable connection of the Creator’s wisdom with His Essence hints to us that “nefesh elokit,” the Divine soul,” is such a “mamash,” in fact. That is, it is a part of the Creator, who gives birth to Jewish souls-thoughts with the help of the vessel of his wisdom.

And the sages of the Kabala agreed with him / with Rambam /

Our ship encountered a ridge of underwater rocks that separates two currents among the Jewish sages. With many reservations, they can be defined as “philosophers” and “mystics.” The first follow the traditions of classical European philosophy. They emphasize the universality of human thinking and believe that our mind is capable of describing phenomena that even stand high above it, even those related to the properties of the Creator.

A prominent representative of this trend is considered to be Rabbi Moshe ben Maimon, Rambam (1135 - 1204), the torch of the Torah for all times. In addition to halakhic works, he wrote a number of philosophical treatises. Rambam believes that the Almighty, Himself, As He Is, is most open to us through the beginning of His Wisdom, accessible to the comprehension of our mind. Rabbi Euda-Liva, Maharal of Prague (1513-1609) argues with him, and very sharply. He believes that the Essence of the Creator is immeasurably exalted above all creations and cannot be comprehended. This means that the language of our mind is not capable of describing the Almighty, and the statements that “He is Wisdom” are far from the truth and only belittle the dignity of the Lord of all. However, the sages of the Cabal find a bridge between philosophers and mystics. Of course, Mahapal is right: the Creator is immeasurably higher than the universe and describe His Essence human language impossible. We can only move a little along this path, using prefixes with the meaning “not”: Infinite, Unknowable, etc. Here the smooth flow of thinking of the cabalists makes an unexpected loop: the Almighty is limitless, but this property does not set a limit to His power. The Creator can limit Himself, can “dress” within the framework of His creations, connecting with any of them, including the Sephira Hochma.

Why doesn’t Rambam write about this directly? Hasidic tradition claims that Rabbi Moshe ben Maimon was an expert in the Kabbalah, but transmitted its truths using secret paths. The Alter Rebbe showed us one of these paths in the “Note” to the second chapter of the Tanya: after the Infinite Light of the Creator has limited itself many times and become “contained” within the framework of Creation, it can unite with the beginning of Hochma, revealing itself to the Jews through the wisdom of the Torah.

This means that two statements are equally true:

Jewish soul-thoughts arise at the level of Sephira Chochma, Divine wisdom.

This sephira, the first in the order of the universe, accepts the Divine light without changing or concealing what it is. We can say that Jewish souls “descended” there from an immeasurably higher source, which is the Essence of the Creator.

Perhaps at the junction of these statements lies the answer to the question why it was important for the author of Tanya, as soon as the conversation began about the “nefesh elokit”, the Divine soul, to emphasize its connection with the Wisdom of the Most High, and not some other of the ten sephiroth, which are also the foundation of the universe.

Sephira Hochma is closest to the Creator and, more than other sephiroth, is able to feel the direct influence of His Essence. During Torah studies, a Jew establishes a connection with that level of his soul that is inextricably linked with the Essence of the Creator.

Hence the special direction in Hasidism, the founder of which was the Alter Rebbe - “Chochma, Bina and Daat”, Chabad.

There are an innumerable number of Jewish souls, one higher than the other

Here begins the argument that, despite the qualitative difference that exists between Jewish souls (tzaddiki, evildoers, “beinoni”), despite the difference in the “clothes” of these people (“talmidei hachamim,” “am ha- Aretz”, etc.), all Jews, without exception, are connected with the Sephira Hochma, and through it - with the Essence of the Creator.

Speaking about the varieties of Jewish souls, the Alter Rebbe offers us two schemes that complement each other.

The history of Jewry begins with the “head”, i.e. from the forefathers Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. Subsequently, we learn that their souls belong to the category of “klaliim” - universal, uniting. In other words, in the soul of every Jew there are necessarily sparks of the souls of our forefathers. The author of the Tanya also calls Moshe Rabbeinu, since it was he who helped the twelve tribes merge into a single people and accept the Torah from the hands of the Creator.

The figure of Jewry, stretching through the centuries, ends with the “heel generation.” This generation must complete the work of cleansing and correcting our world, turning it into the dwelling of the Creator. The righteous Moshiach, a descendant of David, our ruler, will unite the efforts of many generations of Jews and achieve an offensive new era, which is called the “Millennium Sabbath.” From the time when the revelation of Moshiach became possible (there is no single, universally accepted date), all generations coming into the world are called the “generation of the heel of Moshiach.”

This nickname is ambiguous. On the one hand, it indicates completeness, that the figure of Jewry in the universe has acquired completeness. On the other hand, the heel is removed from the head, i.e. from spirituality, from the desire to get closer to the Creator. It is a symbol of rough materiality and love for the most superficial aspects of life.

The question arises, how can “heel souls” be connected to their celestial roots at all? We will get the answer to this in a few lines.

The integrity of Jewish souls exists not only “in time”, but also “in space”, i.e. within this generation. No matter what level it is at, it always contains “the heads of thousands of Israel” - the righteous and wise men who lead the people. It is they who help all Jews, and even “heel people,” to find their way in serving the Creator, both individually and the entire generation as a whole. At the head of these sages is “Nasi ha-dor”, the head of the generation - a righteous man of special caliber, capable, like Moshe Rabbeinu, of understanding the orders of the Creator relating to all of Jewry and explaining them to people.

Each soul consists of nefesh, ruach and neshamah.

The Alter Rebbe wants to emphasize that the connection of the Jewish soul with the Creator is absolute. Not only its upper levels, engaged in understanding spiritual issues, but also the lower ones, which are responsible for the implementation of our plans in the material world, are also connected by an inextricable unity with the Essence of the Creator. This connection extends both to the animal soul of a Jew and to his body, which, as the Lubavitcher Rebbe has repeatedly emphasized, has a special purity and holiness. What are these levels?

Nefesh is the lowest part of our Divine soul, responsible for the practical implementation of the commandments of the Torah: giving tzedakah, building a branch, lighting Shabbat candles, cheering one’s wife, destroying the enemies of the Jewish people. Its external “palace” is the liver.

Ruach is the music of holy desires and feelings: fear of breaking a commandment, love for another Jew, sympathy for the suffering of others, perseverance and patience in raising children. The “palace” of the ruach is our heart.

Neshama - thinking about the Torah, memorizing its words, creating plans with which you can correct the world and bring the coming of Moshiach closer. The “palace” of neshamah is the brain.

To complete our knowledge, we must add that there are two more parts of the Jewish soul that do not dress in the body.

Yechida, “the only one,” is the root of our soul, inseparable from the Essence of the Creator.

“Chayya”, “revitalizing” - a stream of Divine energy coming from the echida through all created worlds and giving “hayut”, life force to the Jew so that he can carry out the orders of the Almighty.

There is a difference between the level of their souls

This passage can be understood in different ways. For example: “nefesh elokit” has different levels (nefesh, ruach, neshamah), as discussed above.

There is another way of understanding. The word “revelation” is often used in Hasidism. Among other things, this may mean that the implementation of the main task for which this Jewish soul descended into our world occurs either through the sphere of thought, or through the struggle of the heart, or through active actions associated with the beginning of “nefesh”. The phrase “nefashot legabey nefashot” can be understood as follows:

Firstly, even “people of action”, associated with the practical, earthly, material side of life and often too immersed in it, still maintain an inextricable connection with the very Top, where the roots of their souls are located.

Secondly, the “people of nefesh” are not at all homogeneous creatures. Among them there are those in whom “neshama she benefesh” dominates, i.e., their practical activity is constantly inspired by a very high goal, and thought and plan occupy a very high place there. important place.

There are knights of “ruach she be-nefesh.” Their earthly, visible actions carry, like an iceberg, an ocean of subtle and hidden experiences.

There is also “amha”, “a proster mench”, which appears at the level of “nefesh she be-nefesh”. Hasidism claims that its service to the Creator, despite its outward mundaneness, also has great value in the eyes of the Almighty.

The father's seed stays for 9 months in the mother's womb, descending from step to step and changing until everything is formed, even nails

The author of Tania again returns to the metaphor, where the descent of the Jewish soul into this world is compared with the stay of the father's seed in the womb, where every day is a change, formation, materialization, removal from its original essence. The maximum degree of removal is nails that are almost devoid of sensitivity and do not respond to the flow of thoughts and storms of the heart. Cheeks turn red from shame or anger, nails do not. The Alter Rebbe has already named the people who play the role of “nails” in the Jewish generation. These are “am ha-aretz” and also “kal she be-kalim” - empty and insignificant people. And do Jews need them too? Rebbe Shneur Zalman, a universal sage, in whose close circle even the arrival of Moshiach was called “household affairs,” asserts: they too.

“Everyone could and can read Tanya. However, there was a special class of people who knew how to see the hidden essence of this book more than others. These were the Hasidim of the Alter Rebbe - experts in Talmud and Kabala. They knew that the insensitive fingernail was hiding a big secret. The bodies of Adam and Chava in Gan Eden were covered with a substance, traces of which remained only at the ends of our fingers. Through the cornea, the “moach ha-tvuna” was revealed - the part of the mind engaged in thinking and carrying out practical matters. Emphasizing the connection of nails with the Highest Wisdom, the Author of the Tanya hints that the unlearned Jew, and even one whose actions seem to us frivolous, lack inner essence, plays an important role in the work that falls to the lot of each generation. In the general flow of Jewry, this current could be called “mystery.” common man»...

All aspects of the Jewish soul - nefesh, ruach and neshamah, for every Jew descended, from step to step, along the chain of the worlds of Atzilut, Beria, Yetzira and Assiya...

Hasidut talks about the plurality of worlds. The world of Tohy, which preceded our universe, is mentioned, as well as “olam ha-dimyon,” an imaginary world where some souls live out those aspects of their destiny that they were not able to reveal in the real world. Our chapter talks about four “basic” worlds, which, being one above the other, form what in philosophical treatises was called the “emanation of the worlds”, and among the Kabbalists - “Seder Gishtalshelut” - “order of descent”.

According to Hasidic tradition, there is not a single superfluous word in the Tanya. Why did its author need to remember the “order of descent” in the chapter that talks about the connection of the Jewish soul with the Creator? Here is one of the explanations: relying on the erudition of his students, the Alter Rebbe wanted to show how great the descent from the level of Higher wisdom into the world of gross matter and numerous shells that block the way to light, including the light of your own soul...

We will now list these four worlds, naming their main features.

ATZILUT- a world inseparable from the Almighty. And although the Creator is exalted above the worlds indescribably and incomparably, His light penetrates the vessels of Atzilut freely, like the waves of the ocean into a small bay. The very root of this word has the meaning “derived from”, “located nearby”.

Atzilut is at the junction of “having a boundary” and “infinite”. It contains ten sephiroth, with the help of which the Almighty created the universe. Each sephira is a “vessel,” which indicates the presence of restrictions. But at the same time, the light emanating from this sephira can spread endlessly.

The world of Atzilut is the place of residence of the souls of the highest righteous people. On the “Torah scale” it corresponds to the study of Kabbalah. On the “soul scale” is what is above the mind.

In the world of Atzilut there is only a hint, an outline of the existence of shells and barriers between various spiritual entities. But this is where they originate. However, Atzilut taken by itself is complete good.

BRIA- the world of Creation, emergence, if you look at it from below, or the world of concealment and limitation, if you look from Above. This world is separated from Atzilut by a special barrier that does not allow the primordial light of the Creator to pass through.

In the world of Beria, the number of vessels increases (although all of them are reflections of the ten sephiroth of Atzilut) and the presence of light greatly decreases. In Beria is the highest level of paradise (“Gan Eden ha-elyon”). The souls of great righteous people reside here.

On the Torah scale, the world of Beria corresponds to the study of the Talmud. On the “scale of the soul” there is thinking in all its flowering, but also a division of opinions and ways of solving any problem.

Here the beginnings of “qlipot”, unclean shells, appear and, accordingly, the possibility of misunderstanding and dispute arises. Still, there are very few “lo-toves” in this world, most of them are good.

ECIRA- a world where the concealment of the Creator increases, and the number of obstacles and shells on the path of the Divine Light increases. In Yetzira is the lower level of heaven (“Gan Eden ha-takhton”). Here live Jewish souls who have undergone purification and washed away their sins. On the “scale of the Torah” this world corresponds to the study of the Mishnah. On the “soul scale” - love, compassion and other impulses of the heart.

ASIA- the lowest of the worlds, called the “world of action”, along which we walk with the soles of our boots. The concealment of the Creator reaches such a degree here that it gives fools the opportunity to talk about the existence of objects and things without the participation of a Higher Power. In most human actions there is “badness”. Gegin, where the purification of the soul takes place, is considered a place more sublime and spiritual than the world where we live.

On the "Torah scale" this world corresponds to the study of the Tanakh. On the “scale of the soul” - the practical, physical, business implementation of the orders of the Almighty.

And that's the whole point! It is our world that is the FINAL GOAL of the universe, it is here, in the era of Moshiach, that the COMPLETE DISCLOSURE of the infinite light of the Creator will take place, which was not possible in any of the world before. higher worlds.

Thanks to the observance of our 613 commandments, this world is constantly being cleansed and corrected, the walls of the “vessels” are becoming cleaner and thinner, and it is clear that there is light behind them...

All aspects of the am ha-aretz soul receive nourishment and vitality through the souls of the righteous and sages

A Jew living in this world receives the influence of the Creator through several channels, from those visible to everyone, to mysterious and distant ones.

It could be "hayyut" life force, which is found, for example, in kosher food.

Or the wisdom of holy books, giving strength to the soul.

Or the Will of the Almighty, which, like a crown, descends to us from above and gives birth to a goal and a desire to follow it.

Or a wave of Divine supervision surrounding a Jew, like invisible armor, and protecting him from the pokes and blows of fate.

In any case, even though different forms, the same force is involved - Or Ein Sof, Infinite Light coming from the Creator to the universe.

In the structure of our soul there is a vessel that perceives Ohr Ein Sof first. This is Sephira Chochma, the vessel of Wisdom. Only she is capable of perceiving this light in the primordial form accessible to us and then transferring it to various levels of human existence - bodily, mental or associated with the manifestation of will.

In the above passage, the author of the Tanya poses a problem: if the main flow of Divine influence comes to us through the vessel of Wisdom, then how will this influence come to unlearned people, for whom this channel is almost not open? And here is the answer: an illiterate cab driver receives Divine influence coming from the soul of a tzaddik or Torah sage.

This is what happened to one of the greatest sages of Safed, Rabbi Yosef Karo, creator of the Shulchan Aruch.

He locked himself in his home for several days, trying to find an explanation for one of the most difficult passages in the Torah. The solution finally came, and the rabbi, carrying it in his memory, went to the synagogue.

Once there, he was amazed to hear how some artisan, incomparable to him in intelligence and learning, calmly recounted his “hidush” to other Jews.

How did that simple man know such a deep secret?! The rabbi was beside himself with amazement. And then it was revealed to him that if a sage comprehends one of the secrets of the Torah, then this knowledge is transmitted to other Jews not only in lessons or through books, but also directly, from soul to soul.

At different levels of the universe there is the concept of “Knesset Israel,” a collection of Jewish souls. Having united and acted in concert, they represent the “coma of the helmet” - the figure of the Jewish generation, standing at full height and carrying out the orders of the Creator. One teaches Torah, another builds houses, a third destroys enemies - and everyone acts together, obeying a single plan.

One of the "chidushim" of Hasidism is the assertion that Jews cannot be divided according to importance. Everyone is important in their place and, in essence, irreplaceable. Moreover, an unlearned but righteous person can bring more pleasure to the Almighty with his simple and modest service than an arrogant talmid hacham.

This gave secular historians a reason to talk about the “populist”, populist orientation of Hasidism. It's not like that at all. Speaking about the equal value of all Jewish souls, Hasidism clearly sees their hierarchy. For example, he singles out the righteous and wise men, THROUGH WHICH G-d's influence comes to every Jew - through those invisible channels that connect all our souls.

And sinners, those who rebel against the sages of the Torah, receive food for nefesh ruach and neshama from “achoraim” - from the same levels of the soul “talmidei hachamim”

We read these lines with surprise. It would seem that the one who raised his voice against the Torah and its sages forever deprived himself of the opportunity to receive influence from the souls of the Jewish righteous. But the author of the Tanya tells us “hidush”: even such Jews are still connected with the souls of the tzaddikim and “feed” from them. True, they receive this influence from “metsad achoraim.” Literally translated, “from the back.”

This concept is often found in Hasidism, and means the following:

The Tzadik supports the existence of the villain not because he approves of his actions, but out of necessity, since all Jewish souls are connected to each other.

At some point in this connection, the villain can turn this influence against the tzaddik himself, oppressing him and threatening his very existence.

Ultimately, their connection drags the villain upward and forces him to undergo "tikun", correction, either in this life or during subsequent births.

The villain also has “nefesh elokit”, the Divine principle. At this level there is no contradiction between his soul and the soul of the righteous. War begins when the villain's animal soul tries to seize power. As we will read in the Tanya, the Almighty gave the animal nature the opportunity to rise against the Divine, being with it (in terms of power of influence) almost on the same level. Such fierce confrontation is necessary for the Jew to show freedom of choice and for him to reveal the hidden powers of the Divine soul, correcting and purifying his animal soul.

Rambam writes that the ruler of the Jews can wage wars “to expand the borders of the Jewish country, and to increase his greatness and glory.” Probably the same can be said about the war with our common animal nature.

It is said in the books of the Zohar... how important it is for a Jew to sanctify himself during intimacy with his wife

The second chapter of the Tanya begins with a story about the “nefesh elokit,” the Divine soul of the Jew, the source of which is in the Essence of the Creator.

Much lower, at the level of Creation, the receptacle of Jewish souls is Sephira Hochma - the Highest Wisdom. Now we know: the path of a Jew to the Most High lies through the wisdom of the Torah and through the souls of the righteous who devoted themselves to the study of this wisdom.

The Alter Rebbe offers us an extended metaphor in which he compares the Jewish soul to a drop of seed that originated in the father’s brain and descended, increasingly materializing, down into the mother’s womb, which leads to the birth of a child. But even having acquired flesh and blood, the son carries within himself the parental principle and is inextricably linked with his father. Likewise, the soul of a Jew - anyone, even the most unlearned and frivolous - is inextricably linked with the Father - the Creator.

In addition, Jewish souls are connected to each other. The one above shares Divine light with those below. Even Jewish villains do not fall out of this system, receiving influence, albeit a little involuntarily, from the souls of the righteous.

A villain is a person who has given in to his animal nature. The Almighty has given the opportunity for our “nefesh behemit” to rise very high, aiming at the most sacred. This is necessary so that the Jew, having entered into a struggle with his animal soul, discovers the hidden and powerful forces, which will allow him to return to the Creator, seizing “as booty” a section of this world corrected by his torment and labor.

One of the reasons arises even before the birth of the child, if the father and mother did not sanctify themselves during their intimacy. Rebbe Tzemach Tzedek, the third head of Chabad, explains that a child receives from his parents “nefesh behemit sikhlit” - the rational, higher part of his animal soul. If the mother did not immerse herself in the mikveh after her period, if the father did not pray and did not control the flow of his thoughts, then the soul of their child may be closed to holiness. He is threatened with “timtum ha-moach” and “timtum ha-lev”, blockage of the mind and heart.

Our Temple had unusual windows. They did not take the light, but gave it away, directing the radiance of holiness into the world. If you build a wall in front of such a window, then there will be an obstacle in the way of the radiance. People who are ignorant of the Torah unwittingly do this. They reward their unborn child with a mind that does not allow the light of the Divine soul to pass through, which gives the animal nature a chance to become a master from a servant. It is more difficult for a child born in such a family to learn Torah, it is more difficult to understand what this or that commandment represents, and to force himself to fulfill it. But we must not forget: this test came to him in order, in spite of everything, to reveal the hidden power of the Jewish soul...

Sometimes it happens that a soul of the highest level is born into the family of a despicable and base person.

To understand the place of this final passage in the overall structure of our chapter, we need to make a few brief remarks.

All Jewish souls have one source - the Essence of the Creator. In this sense, there is a certain initial equality and brotherhood between them.

There is a small class of souls in whose nature the Almighty has built the ability to completely defeat their evil inclination - by expelling it, as David, our lord, did, or “tearing off his dirty clothes,” like Abraham. The owners of such souls are called tzaddikim, righteous people.

Each soul is given its own “height of unfoldment” depending on what work it has to do in this life. The Jew who comes out of the "elevator of souls" on high floors spiritual existence, can become a sage, an outstanding Torah scholar. The one who came out on the lower floors has an inclination towards practical activity, craft or trade. However, this does not say anything about the righteousness of one or the other. As we taught in the first chapter of the Tanya, the freedom to choose between good and evil is given to each of us.

There are high souls (both from the point of view of spiritual inclinations and from the point of view of an inclination towards goodness), who, having made the wrong choice in a previous birth, found themselves captive of the “qlipot”, unclean shells. The world of these shells in the language of the cabalists is called “sitra ahra,” “the other side.” Like the peoples of the world, the Qliphoth are always sick with myopia and the desire for immediate gain. Therefore, the Sitra Achra “agrees” (as programmed by the Almighty) to release this soul from captivity if the father of such a Jew is “am ha-aretz”, who did not sanctify himself before intimacy and awarded his child with an animal soul, which is difficult to hear the voice of his Divine principle . In this case, there are many chances that this time the Jewish soul will turn away from the straight path, feeding unclean shells with its light.

The Almighty has a different calculation. He knows that every Jewish soul is united with Or Ein Sof, the Infinite Light of the Creator - and therefore its spiritual power knows no bounds. The Almighty expects that a Jew, finding himself in front of a blank wall, will “go to the top” and break this wall. In Jewish language this is called teshuvah, a return to a state of oneness with G‑d.

Achieving this unity in our world is associated with many difficulties and trials. However, knowing that you are connected to the Creator by birth, thanks to the Jewish spark of your heart, makes the path much easier.

The last passage of our chapter is given in order to show that the height and purity of the Jewish soul does not depend on external circumstances and even on the “clothes” received from parents.

This is the logical conclusion of the main idea of ​​our chapter - the Jewish soul is part of the Almighty and, despite many trials and obstacles, is always able to unite with Him...

The arrow sign that appears at the end of the paragraphs refers us to the “Flight of the Arrow” section, where stories are placed that explain what was discussed in this passage. This is one of the surprises that are promised to readers of “Gateway to Tanya”. (When OCRing, the “arrow signs” are omitted, Note by Webmaster"a)

The structure of the Jewish soul repeats the structure of the universe. It also contains 10 Sephiroth. Their detailed description will be given in the third chapter of the Tanya

Did you like this material? Participate in the development of the Hasidus.ru project!

Relatively recently, the host of the talk show "Duel" Vladimir Solovyov, openly positioning himself as Jew, made a sensational statement, using the full power of Russian television: — with these words V. Solovyov finished his remark.

I must note to lie the way they lie Jews, and hate the Slavs as much as they hate them Jews, must be born of the Devil and gifted with special talents from him.

Encyclopedic reference: Devil (from ancient Greek διάβολος - crafty,slanderer) - in Abrahamic religions - the main opponent of the heavenly forces, representing the highest personification of evil and pushing a person onto the path of spiritual death.

Above we saw that "pious Jews" while staying on Russian soil, were actively involved in getting the Slavs drunk, set up brothels for them, and Jewish women were in them prostitutes , (as, by the way, she was a prostitute in ancient Egypt, the ancestor of the Jews). Jews were engaged in debauchery and drunkenness of the Canaanite Slavs, apparently out of desire to first kill the Slavsspiritually so that later there will be motivedestroy themphysically .

That is, everything written by the Jews about the Canaanite Slavs must be taken strictly in mirror image.

All their qualities and their sins, as befits children of the Devil, Jews attribute to others, but they call themselves, of course, "pious" .

When in 1991, under the leadership of M.S. Gorbachev and under false motive, (they say we are starting a “restructuring of the state”), Jews vilely, they destroyed the Soviet Union from within, it was immediately filled with thousands of missionaries from Jewish sect"Jehovah's Witnesses", who began to tell everyone that people who do not believe in the Jewish Gentlemen — Jehovah, will be soon destroyed.

In the brochures distributed by the witnesses, I literally read the following: “Jehovah told Abraham that his descendants would inherit the land of Canaan, but not until four centuries later, “for the measure of the iniquities of the Amorites was not yet filled.” Here, the word “Amorites,” which is translated “predominant tribe,” refers to the Canaanite people as a whole. So Jehovah was going to give his people the opportunity to conquer Canaan only after four centuries. Jehovah allowed this period so that the Canaanites could develop civilization. What have the Canaanites come to?” .

To dot all the i’s and make it completely clear who he is Lord Jehovah, I want to remind everyone of the phrase Christ said Jews: "Your father is the devil, and you want to do the lusts of your father..." (John 8:44).

If anyone wants to object to me on this matter, I say right away: find more in the Bible someone, except Jehovah God who can be named the devil- spiritual father Jews.

As for the question, did Christ really say the words "your father is the devil..." Jews, and not someone else, you can be convinced if you read this dialogue from the Gospel of John.

37 I know that you are Abraham's seed; however you are looking kill Me, because My word does not fit into you.
38 I speak what I have seen with My Father; and you do what you saw your father .
39 They answered and said to him, “Our father is Abraham.” Jesus said to them: If you were children of Abraham, you would do the works of Abraham.
40 And now you are looking kill Me, the Man who told you the truth that I heard from God: Abraham did not do this.
41 You do the works of your father. To this they said to Him: We were not born of fornication; We have one Father, God.
42 Jesus said to them, “If God were your Father, you would love Me, because I proceeded and came from God; for I did not come of Myself, but He sent Me.
43 Why do you not understand My speech? Because you cannot hear My words.
44 Your father is the devil; and you want to fulfill the lusts of your father. He was murderer from the beginning and did not stand in the truth, for there is no truth in him. When he speaks a lie, he speaks his own, for he is a liar and the father of lies.
45 But because I speak the truth, you do not believe Me.
46 Which of you will reprove Me of unrighteousness? If I speak the truth, why don't you believe Me?
47 He who is from God listens to the words of God. The reason you don't listen is because you are not from God.
48 On this The Jews answered and they said to Him, “Are we not telling the truth that You are a Samaritan and that You have a demon?”
49 Jesus answered, “I have no demon; but I honor My Father, and you dishonor Me.
50 However, I do not seek My glory: there is a Seeker and a Judge...

Here it is, the proof "to this the Jews answered..."

If we now put all this historical information together aboutJews And Canaanites, (“to whom Jehovah gave 400 years so that they could develop their civilization”), it turns out thatcamberUSSR- part of the same grandiose plan spelled out in the Jewish Torah, according to which everythingSlavic landsmust one day come into full possessionJews.

If you listen to the host of the talk show "Duel" Vladimir Solovyov, which openly positions itself as Jew, then it turns out to be a completely interesting “movie”.

V. Solovyov, during the time when Dmitry Medvedev was sitting on the Russian sovereign throne, using the full power of Russian television, made a sensational statement: “Russia is a primordially Jewish territory, and the Russians in Russia are not at all a state-forming people, but guests who showed up only in the sixth century.” "So behave yourself!" — with these words the Jew Vladimir Solovyov finished his remark.

With this view of history Slavs, which Jews called Canaanites or Canaanites inevitably you come to the understanding that the revolution of 1917 Jews committed as part of the execution of the same grandiose plan, prescribed in the Jewish Torah. About what exactly it was Jewish revolution, says the surname and the fact that Jews made up in it.

Now I want to turn to believers who believe in Jesus Christ and call themselves Christians.

Read again the words of Christ the Savior from (chapter 13) retold by the Evangelist Matthew:

24 The kingdom of heaven is like a man who sowed good seed in his field;
25 When the people were sleeping, the enemy has come and sowed it among the wheat tares and left;
26 When the greenery came up and the fruit appeared, then the tares also appeared.
27 Having come, the servants of the householder said to him: Master! did you not sow good seed in your field? where does the tares come from?
28 He said to them: the enemy of man did it. And the slaves said to him: Do you want us to go and choose them?
29 But he said, “No, lest when you choose the tares you pull up the wheat along with them,
30 leave both to grow together until the harvest; and at the time of harvest I will say to the reapers: gather the weeds first and bind them into sheaves, to burn them and put the wheat into my granary.

Don't you think that if Christ the Savior spoke his words "your father is the devil" to Jews, That "tares" in this parable - and there is Jews?!

During the time when Christ enlightened the nations and healed "perishing Jews" from terrible diseases, even among his students, not everyone was able to immediately understand who the Teacher was talking about "came enemy and sowed it among the wheat tares" , and why not nasty weeds pull it up by the roots right away, but you have to wait "until the harvest" . To clarify what he had said earlier, Jesus told the people another parable. Here it is in the retelling of the same Evangelist Matthew. I quote chapter 13 again:

34 Jesus spoke all these things to the people in parables, and without a parable he did not speak to them,
35 That it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophet, saying, I will open my mouth in parables; I will utter what has been hidden since the creation of the world.
36 Then Jesus sent the crowd away and entered the house. And coming to Him, His disciples said: Explain to us the parable of the tares in the field.
37 He answered and said to them, “He who sows good seed is the Son of Man;
38 the field is the world; good seed, these are the sons of the kingdom, and the tares are the sons of the evil one;
39 the enemy who sowed them is the devil; the harvest is the end of the age, and the reapers are angels.
40 Therefore, just as the tares are gathered up and burned with FIRE, so it will be at the end of this age. :
41 The Son of Man will send His angels, and from His kingdom they will gather all who offend and those who practice iniquity,
42 and they will be cast into the FURNACE OF FIRE; there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth ;
43 Then the righteous will shine like the sun in the kingdom of their Father. He who has ears to hear, let him hear!

Pay attention to the last words: "Whoever has ears to hear, let him hear!"

The same idea, as translated by Leonardo da Vinci, a medieval Italian scientist, inventor and artist, sounds like this: "There are three kinds of people: those who see; those who see when they are shown; and those who don't see" . Here's the word "sees" used in the sense "understands", that is, he sees not with his eyes, but with his mind. Christ has a word "hears" also used in the sense "understands". So the wisdom of Leonardo da Vinci clarifies and refines the wisdom of Christ.

What am I talking about?

Apparently, millions and even billions of people on the planet are still THEY DON'T SEE, DON'T HEAR, AND DON'T UNDERSTAND that these two parables found in the Christian Gospels are KEY in the teachings of Christ the Savior. How else can we explain the facts that two world massacres, in which many tens of millions of people died, were unleashed and financed Jews, and millions and even billions of people of this DO NOT UNDERSTAND!

You don’t have to delve too far into the past, here’s a fresh one for you clear example- today's Ukraine with its bloodthirsty Jewish (Jewish) government, a significant portion of whom have Israeli passports and citizenship. On the conscience of these biblical Jews already tens of thousands have been killed in the fire of the Civil War against the Slavs!

Petro Poroshenko (Valtsman), Arseniy Yatsenyuk, Vladimir Groysman.

Jews from century to century shudder waiting for what they were promised THE HARVEST OF CHRIST, therefore, literally with every bloody mess that they themselves create in the world, Jewish writers rush to publish a message in their press about the Holocaust of 6 million Jews.

What does this Greek word mean? HOLOCAUST?

Its literal translation BURNING OFFERING.

Here's your direct link to FIRE OVEN from the parable of Christ the Savior.

you think Jews they just scare all world Jewry HOLOCAUST?

Not at all, only solely for reasons so that FEAR before future punishment for all sins hold Jewish "flock" in "unity" and subordination to the rabbinate.

Therefore, with any military or civil conflict occurring in the world since 1869, Jewish writers were sure to publish a note about "Holocaust six millions Jews". As a result, more than forty such notes have accumulated over 150 years!!!

The picture is clickable and can be enlarged to a size of 1600x1096 pixels.

Below is a VIDEO that demonstrates issues of the New-York Times newspaper. for 1915-1945, where articles with words were published "Holocaust six millions Jews." The author of this video rightly asks: WHEN and WHERE did the 6 million victims of the Holocaust die???

This material is already quite enough to begin the process of investigating the atrocities of these "tares" And THE LAST JUDGMENT over them according to the doctrine and covenants CHRIST THE SAVIOR.

Who among us hasn’t at least once dreamed of something so fantastic that it’s scary to even say out loud, much less move from words to action? Who hasn’t thought of, for example, inventing a pill that you can eat for a long time? happy life? Or maybe you've ever wanted to - Harry Potter fans, brace yourself! – to find out a spell that, when cast, will make everything you wish come true?

So, wait, there is such a spell! No kidding! Seriously! Proven! And this is not an ancient secret written down in ancient manuscripts kept in a cave guarded by dragons in the Himalayas! These are just 5 words that are easy to learn in a minute and use all of them! Here they are - “Im tirtzu, ein zo haggada”.

And now, in order. Once, at the end of the 19th century, one eccentric came up with a fantastic idea - to create a new state. More precisely, to recreate a very old one, destroyed almost 2000 years ago. State of the Jews.

The eccentric's name was Theodor Herzl. He was a journalist and lived in the capital of the Austro-Hungarian Empire, beautiful Vienna. The idea fascinated him so much that he told everyone he knew and didn’t know about it on every corner. And then he thoroughly substantiated it in a small book called “Der Judenstadt” (“The Jewish State”).

“Yes, it would be nice to have our own state,” some Jews said. “But who will create it for us?” - others were naively surprised. “Theodore, don’t fool people. Do some normal business. You’re an educated man from a decent family!” - still others waved away the gambling dreamer. “Well, what did you come up with? What other Jewish state? And where? In this dense Palestine? Well, what normal Jew would go there? To these Turks, the heat, the desert, the swamps and malaria! The Bronsteins left for New York. Only 3 years have passed. And already his own textile factory, house, children study at Harvard. You need to go to America! In America! All! Leave us alone with your Judenstadt!” — the fourth tried unsuccessfully to cool down Herzl’s enthusiastic impulse.

It was then that Theodore began to insert one simple and inconspicuous phrase into all his conversations, debates and arguments with stubborn Jews. But, being invisible at first, the phrase began to be repeated more and more often, taking over space from other arguments and explanations. Over time, it began to seem that the young journalist was losing consciousness; Just as Buddhist monks pronounce their mantras, Theodore constantly repeated five words:

“Im tirtzu, ein zo haggada”

“Im tirtzu, ein zo haggada”

“Im tirtzu, ein zo haggada”

“Im tirtzu, ein zo haggada”

Don't be scared! Theodor Herzl was completely mentally healthy! By the way, it was he who organized the First Zionist Congress in Switzerland in 1897, and, trying to achieve assistance in creating a state for the Jews, received audiences with the German Kaiser, the Russian Emperor and the Turkish Sultan. For clarity, try to organize a meeting of the residents of your building or arrange a meeting with the mayor of your building, and there will be no doubt about the sanity of this person.

Naturally, none of the crowned heads presented Herzl with a manifesto on the granting of land to the Jews on a golden tray. No miracle happened. And this is what happened. Throughout the Jewish communities of Europe from France to Ukraine, this mysterious phrase began to sound in the hearts of people. “Im tirtzu, ein zo haggada.” The Zionist movement arose and began to gain momentum. The main thing happened - people began to believe. To believe that they are not doomed to forever be strangers in all countries. To believe that they can again have their own state. Just as it was once upon a time, a very long time ago. Concrete actions gradually began to emerge from faith: ancient Hebrew was revived, young people went to Palestine to explore swamps and deserts. There was hope to make the dream come true.

Then there was a lot of things. The pages of the history of the 20th century are numerous and varied, filled with examples of joy and sadness. But just some 50 years after the First Zionist Congress, the United Nations announced that it was a fantastic idea of ​​a Viennese journalist to become R-E-A-L-N-O-S-T-Y-U. The creation of the Jewish state was announced - a country that is now being built, working, fighting, having fun and simply blazing with the heat of new fantastic ideas being implemented every day.

So what now? Who remembers these magic words except meticulous historians who spend their days in the company of dusty books?

Yes all! It is difficult to find an Israeli who is not familiar with this phrase. And that is great! Don’t let the goodness go to waste, the spell is working! It is taught back in primary school and they use it all their lives every time they need to do some new and seemingly impossible task, of course, in addition to applying perseverance and creative thinking.

I understand that it sounds strange. It’s just that some people of sorcerers and magicians turn out... However, it is these 5 words that form the core of the philosophy of modern Israelis. A philosophy that is based on a specific example of the founding of a state. A philosophy that teaches that if you have a dream, you need to continue to fight for it. You need to experiment, analyze mistakes, look for like-minded people. And, of course, repeat - “Im tirtzu, ein zo haggada” - “If you want this, then this is no longer a fairy tale.”

One of the concepts of belief in the afterlife includes belief in P.D., that is, the belief that the souls of the dead reappear in our material world, settling in a human body, or in an animal, or even in an inanimate object. After the death of a person, freed from the bonds of the body, the soul moves to the kingdom of the dead. She remains there until it is her turn to return to our world and take her place in the body destined for her. In this world the soul is cleansed of its filth, and then returns to heaven, to its eternal refuge. Until the 8th century. AD doctrine of P.D. was alien to Judaism and not mentioned in the midrash* or Talmud*. Influenced by the mystical teachings of Islam, belief in P.D. penetrated into Judaism, at first - into the sects that existed within the framework of Judaism. Anan, the founder of the Karaite sect*, wrote a work in which he defends his faith in P.D. Rav Saadya Gaon is the first in Jewish philosophical literature to mention this doctrine and speak out against it. He writes that supporters of the doctrine of transmigration of souls are trying to prove its truth by citing quotes from the Bible. They claim that the properties of many people are similar to the properties of animals, and they are convinced that these properties belong to the souls of animals living in the human body. They also claim that since the Creator is a righteous Judge, He would not condemn children to suffer for sins that they did not commit, but for sins that their souls committed when they were in the previous body. Rav Saadya Gaon writes that he would not have entered into polemics with these fools if he had not seen in them a danger of infection for others. This teaching did not take root in the Jewish environment at first, and R. Yehuda Halevi* and Rambam* pass him by in silence. However, Kabbalists believed in P.D. and spread this teaching, for it corresponded to the spirit of the mysticism of Kabbalah. Moreover, faith in P.D. seemed a natural addition to the Kabbalistic teaching about the function of man and the soul in this world. According to the views of Kabbalists, the function of the soul is to direct and perfect those sparks of holiness that are embedded in it. And souls who, for one reason or another, were unable to fulfill the duty assigned to them, must, after the death of the body, descend again into this world in order to complete the fulfillment of this duty.

Faith in P.D. helped Kabbalists find the answer to the question why a sinner is good for him, and a righteous person is bad for him, for the account of reward and punishment is very complex and covers many lives of the soul.

According to the views of practical Kabbalah, all souls were created simultaneously with the first man, they were all contained in him, but scattered as a result of original sin. At the same time, impurities of filth stuck to the souls. The coming of the Messiah* (Mashiach) will put an end to the chaos in the world of souls, and a new world will arise, free from filth. But until then, souls, due to their sinfulness, are forced to wander and move from body to body, and sometimes into inanimate objects. If the soul's good deeds outweigh its bad deeds, it moves into the body of another person, but if, God forbid, it outweighs its bad deeds, it moves into the body of an animal. In their commentaries to the Tanakh, Kabbalists interpreted many events based on the premise that the soul sometimes transmigrates in order to correct what it did in a previous life.