1

Itroductions To and Jewish in English

"Mikdash" - Kabalistic Jewish Meditation “Ways of Peace" Publishing 2

© 2018 Mikdash "Mikdash" - Kabalistic Jewish Meditation “Ways of Peace" מיקד"ש - מדיטציה יהודית קבלית "דרכי שלום" All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmited in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise without the prior permision of the Auther or in accordance with the provisions of the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988 or under the terms of any licence permitting limited copying issued by the Copyright Licensing Angency.

Introductions and Kabalistic by: Rabbi Yakov Shepherd

Translations by: Rabbi Yosef Sod, Rabbi Shmuel Gruen, Rabbi Peretz Aurbach, Rabbi Dovid Schwartz, Rabbi Yonatan Payson, Yosef Angarita, Ahdee Shepherd

Type Setting by: Ahdee Shepherd

Cover Design by: Batsheva Jacobs

Distributed by: " Hamekubalim Nefesh HaChaim" Israeli Non Profit Organization580628527 972-(0)58-3208890 kingdavidkabbalah.com We will be happy to recieve comments and feed back so that the next edition will be more exact and user frienly for the bennifit of Klal Israel

Rabbi Yakov A Shepherd [email protected] From The Tomb of King Dovid, Mount Zion - Jerusalem 3

Intorduction to Kabbalah

Volume 1 4

rerequisites P For Successful Kabbalah Learning 5 3 Conditions of the Rashash for Effective Kavanot

ar Shalom Sharabi was born in Jewish Sharab, SYemen. He moved to Palestine, then under Ottoman rule, after an unpleasent event that happened while selling jewlery in Yemen, he would go door to door to sell jewlery and once he nocked on the door of a gentil woman, she showed interest in what he was selling she requested that he come in and unfortunatly he understood her intentions were not pure, not having aother choice he jumped out of her window and knew that she may take revenge on him because he insulted her that he did not want to coperate, so he left Yemen, to Israel, he went strait to Jerusalem. He went to the kabalist "Bet El" and asked if he could clean the yeshiva in eschange for sleeping there. As the days went by he would sweep the floor and with out anyone knowing listen to the classes. Everyonce and a while they learned they would come to a point were they could not figure out the answer, the next morning the answer would be written on apaper inside the book they were learning from. This happened again and again. no one had a clue were the answers were coming from. One night the rosh yeshivas daughter said she would find out and when she told her father the secret that the boy cleaning the yeshiva was leaving the answer he was 6 shocked. Soon it came that the Rashash (Rav Shalom Sharabi) was the new rosh yeshiva of the famos Bet El Kabalistic Yeshiva. is Siddur was known as the "Siddur Ha- HKavvanot," and is used today by Kabbalists in , meditation and study. It has extensive Kabbalistic meditations. His books include "Emet va-Shalom", "Rehovot Hanahar", "Derech Shalom" and "Nahar Shalom", in which he answers questions of the Hahamim of Tunis, who were among the leading Sephardic authorities in the 18th century. He alsowrote on the customs of the Yemenite Jews in volumes called "Minhagei Rashash". He is one of the main comentairies on the AriZ"l, and some say the of the AriZ"l.

1. Perfecting Ones Character

In order to advance to the depths of and Kabbalah it is an important to work on ridding oneself of bad character traits. In Kabbalah, these traits are referred to as “Kutnot Ouhr- a garment of skin”, and one must work to cloth himself with the cloak of the “613 limbs of good character”; referred to as “Kutnot - a garment of light”.

This Idea is Divided into Three Aspects; 7

. Shedding the Kutnot Ohr: As long as we are Astill clothed with the “garment of skin”--negative character traits, we will be distanced from fulfilling the Torah and its Commandments. Even if we will prevail, it will be with much hardship and not for Heaven’s sake. The Torah refers to this person’s Torah and Mitzvot as a “golden ornament in a pig’s nose”. The Gemara states, “when one merits, the Torah becomes a potion of life. When he doesn’t merit it becomes a poison”.

. Strengthen Self to Fight the Yezter Hara: If a Bperson will strengthen himself like a lion to fight his Yetzer Hara and cleanse himself from his negative character; and then fulfills the Torah and Mitzvot, he is called a complete Tzaddik. Additionally he is someone who fears Heaven, is considered a man of strength because he who controls his Yetzer Hara.

. Continual Refinement: If one continues to Cconquer his bad character traits and acquires good character traits--until it becomes second nature to him--and he nullifies all desire for bad as is hinted in the verse “remove your shoes from your feet”, then his garment of “Kutnot Ohr- a garment of skin” will transform into “Kutnot Ohr- a garment of light”. 8

With this, his NRNCH”Y (Nefesh, , Neshahma, Chaya, and Yechida), Mochin and his Tzelem, will illuminate in his Kutnot Ohr- garment of light. He will then be clothed in the name of YHV”H and become a receptacle for Hashem’s presence as the Avot who were considered Hashem’s Chariot. He will then be complete in all realms. He will be called a Chassid, loved, loves Hashem, and Him with love.

2. Be Married

received from my Rabbis that one embarking Ion the road to the study of Kabbalah has to be married and have domestic harmony. The major reason is that as man grows spiritually and refines himself; he needs protection against falling, especially with Kabbalah and Kavanot. The Sages said, “one who lives without a woman, lives without a wall of protection”. The Sod of spiritual protection comes to a person when he marries.

urthermore, if man has marital strife, Heaven Fforbid, there is a weaknesses in his wall. Once in our yeshiva, someone wanted to employ a certain custom of the Ari”ZL, but at home there 9 was opposition to this, creating problems of peace. Therefore, our Rabbis told him that it is better to keep peace and not fulfill that custom of the Ari”ZL. Only after peace was reestablished in the house, would the Rabbis allow him to return to the customs.

3. Immersing in the Mikvah

he Arizal wrote that the most important thing to Tattaining a spiritual high is being spiritually pure at all times. This is achieved by immersing in the mikvah. Therefore, one should be very meticulous about Tvilat Ezra- immersing when emitting seed. Also, because there are other times one is susceptible to impurity, such as at midnight and when the Morning-Star emerges, if possible, one should immerse in a mikvah daily.

Prerequisites Concerning Using Kavanot

Warning Against Avodah Zarah (Idol )

he main focus of prayer is knowing that one is Tstanding in front of the Throne of Glory and 10 praying to the essence of the singular Master, the Who includes all powers. It is forbidden to have intention to pray to any specific power and particular Sefirah (attribute). Thus, when it is written for a blessing to have a specific Kavanot of a particular Sefirah or a Heavenly Aspect (ZA, ABA, EMA, etc,) it is not to the Sefirah itself--Heaven Forbid.

As it is stated, doing so would be considered 'cutting the branches away from the root'…. Meaning, for reasons known only to Hashem, He binds His will to action through certain and forces that are aspect of the chained order of realms fixed by Him. Therefore, each Sefirah is set to accomplish a specific matter in the Worlds.

Once again our whole intention in all blessings and prayer must be solely directed to the essence of the blessed Infinite One, from the aspect of Him attaching His will to the Worlds – from which comes all the facets of changing titles and names that act to direct light and flow of holiness from His essence. And that works according to the arousal which comes to them from action below (the proper thoughts, intentions, , acts, etc) by each person of the Chosen Nation--whether in kindness (Chesed), in judgment (Din/Gevurah), or charity 11 () and mercy (Rachamim)--not matter how little or how much.

In a basic sense, the arousal from below creates a potential channel tp impact our World (Malchut) with an influx of Divine Blessing (Shefa). The effectiveness of this channel--how much energy can flow through and the type of energy that flows-- depends on the particular action below. And this is determined by the effort and purity of the devotion.

Stipulate to Have Intention Only to Fix

t is known from the Holy Writings that by using IKavanot and Kabbalistic Meditation if done improperly, Heaven forbid, a person may damage the Worlds he wished to activate instead of fix. Thus, prior to using Kavanot or Kabbalistic Meditation it is done with this condition:

If it is done properly it should be accepted favorably, but if is lacking or adding something unfitting it should be like learning and the meditation should not activate the Worlds.

Once one says this condition he need not be concerned. Hashem knows and understands who 12 we are and deals with us accordingly. Therefore, we should strive to accomplish all we can to the best of our ability.

Other Collected Advice

ave Strength and Courage: Do not let the evil Hinclination discourage you from practicing the devotion of Kavanot of Rashash tz"l. Do not think that because you do not understand anything about Kavanot or Kabbalistic Meditation you should not do it. All that is needed to advance in this area is a desire in your heart to be a servant of Hashem (Eved Hashem) and the will to properly serve Hashem in prayer (Avodat Hashem). As it is written, "A person is led the way he wants to go".

Thus, simply using this siddur shows Hashem your intention and with Hashem’s help, little by little, you will achieve proper Avodat Hashem. After you master this siddur, may Hashem lead you to a more advanced siddur with the Kavanot of Rashash.

Be Patient, time takes time: Repetition is the mother of all skill, therefore, it takes time and practice to integrate the skill of adding and “Conscious Prayer”. For example, take learning how to drive a 13 car, in the beginning one needs to think before doing anything. But after some time he acquires skills to drive without thinking as much. More time lapses, then it becomes natural. Such is the case with adding Kavanah and “Conscious Prayer”.

Be the first In, and Last Out: In order to pray properly and focused, it is advisable to come to pray at the very least a half hour before prayer. The goal should be to get an early start in order to at least reach the blessings of Shema while the minyan is beginning “Verses of Psalms”.

At this point, you can review the Kavanot, particularly; the Shema and Amidah. Also, value your time of prayer as this is a time to get closer and closer to Hashem. Pray at your own pace. Do not feel rushed if the minyan finishes the Amidah before you, you do not need to finish with them. Furthermore, it is praiseworthy to extend one’s prayer and if possible linger afterwards. 14

ntroduction I to concepts oly Palace H And Its Chambers & SHeNiGLeH 15

Introduction to the Holy Palace and its Chambers

ike all learning of Torah and Kabbalah, there Lare levels upon levels, details upon details, and each concept must be studied deeper and deeper. Therefore, what is written here is to spark your interest and light up your curiosity. The purpose of this is to open your eyes and mind to deeper concepts that are involved in Kabbalah and prayer. This may be familiar, a new approach, or a different perspective; regardless, look at this as a new start to the lifelong journey of self discovery and spiritual growth.

s you discover more, your understanding will Adeepened, and the more you will feel your unique inner soul powers. Thus, bringing new life to your praying experience and connecting to higher levels of consciousness; and thereby, be able to repair more and more of the Upper Worlds and bring the Final Redemption speedily in our days.

s is known, the reward is proportional to the Aeffort. You may ask, “what is the reward and why should I put in the effort? Know, that the 16 spiritual world [Holy Palace] has hidden treasures that will be revealed to you. Do not be discouraged if you feel lost or disoriented as you enter the “Holy Palace”, because every little effort makes an impact. Just by the fact that you are attempting to pray with Kavanah, you enter the “Holy Palace” and receive rewards.

ore importantly, unlike hunting for a lost Mtreasure, there are precious jewels along the way as you enter and discover the Chambers [Heichal] upon Chambers one enters. With this understanding, strengthen yourself and have courage to be a spiritual warrior and keep persevering, as it is written, Hashem “does not withhold any good” and “those that seek shall find”

Introduction to “SHeNiGLeH”

here is a concept in Kabbalah that what there Tis in the physical, there is in the spiritual. Like we have a home, clothes, a body and a soul; so too is it in the spiritual. Just as the soul gives light to the body, there is a source of light in the spiritual world that provides light to the soul. It is called “SHeNiGLeh”,-- the soul’s root from where it draws strength. This term is formed by the first letters of 17 the five parts of the source.

SHeNiGLeH is broken down into five parts. The parts are : Root [SH oresh], Soul [N eshamah], Body [G uf], Clothing [L evush], and Chamber [H eichal].

hrough the above parts of “SHeNiGLeH” we Tmeditate to ascend from world to world from the beginning of prayer until the Amidah.

One connects to his soul through refinement with spiritual growth measures. And then, one can elevate his soul through using Kavanah [proper intention]. These measure include, but not limited to, meditating on greatness of Hashem and His creations, purifying the body, doing Mitzvot, refining character traits and most important studying Torah.

he greatness of Jewish Meditation and Kabbalah Tis once a person begins the process and refining self, he already has the tools to go to work. Know, there is a concept that “what one can fix, he fixes”, meaning to the extent that one can refine oneself with the above measures he is able to fix more and more. Therefore, one can enter more and more Chambers [Heichals] because the captive soul is freed 18 from the material world.

nce freed, the soul then can make its way back Oto the “Holy Palace” to receive and give treasure to the various Chambers [Heichals].These treasures give the soul vitality and abundance that can be dispersed throughout the many worlds. This is done by “consciously praying” and directing them to the proper place.

ur mission is to make ourselves a “Chariot for OHashem’s Light” to the Upper Worlds. For that, we have to learn how to connect to our soul and to elevate it higher and higher. Ultimately reaching the “Holy Palace”.

The “Holy Palace” Meditation

he “Holy Palace” is the combination of the four Tspiritual worlds--one above the other. Starting from the lowest is the World of Asiyah, then the World of Yetzirah, then the World of Beriyah and finally, the World of Aztilut.

he worlds are divided into Chambers [Heichels] Tthat are subdivided into the Seven Lower Sefirot, and the Upper Sefirot which is the combination of 19 [, Chochmah, and ] called the “Holy of Holies”. The “Holy of Holies” is the corridor to the next higher world.

The Lower Sefirot are the different sefirot individually, however Malcut and Yesod are grouped together.

s we make our way through prayer we enter the Athe lowest [Asiyah] and make our way up to the highest [Aztilut]. Likewise, we enter each Heichel at the lowest level and make our way up as follows: 1. Malcut and Yesod. 2. Hod. 3. Netzach 4. Tiferet. 5. Gevurah 6. Chesed. 7. Binah, Chochmah and Keter. [Holy of Holies].

As your understanding of each of the sefirot grows, your praying experience will gain more and more dimension. 20

ntroduction I to Kabbalah 21 Introduction to Kabbalah

he writings of the Ari”ZL regarding the earliest Twe can fathom in the subject of creation, provides us with this origin of its manifestation. The Creator Himself is beyond any type of comprehension and cannot and should not be spoken about. However, what we do refer to as the earliest expression of the creator is called “Ein Sof”. Ein Sof literally means “no end”. We recognize this according to our scale of imagination. Anything we cannot grasp we call Ein Sof. We see it as something that has no end, because that is how we perceive it.

For example, we call the Keter Ein Sof even though there is another Keter above it. We call it also Ein Sof in comparison with what is underneath it. There are also lower levels of Keter, and in comparison to the highest one, it is considered to be almost completely dimmed.

A parable for this would be if a child is closed in a room all his life he thinks that everything outside this room is endless. When he actually goes outside, he realizes that the city does have boundaries, but he imagines that outside the city is endless. 22 It is in this “secondary Ein Sof” that we say the transpired. With this He created a place for the lower worlds to be created. The first step in creation was that the Ein Sof drew from himself a pipeline called a “Kav”. He relates to the worlds through it. It is also called . We call this the “body” even though it is totally spiritual. Only in comparison with the light inside of it can it be referred to as a “body”. Many different lights emanate from the “pores” in his “body”. From these lights, all the spiritual worlds are built. From them we receive our sustenance.

Akudim, Nekudin and Berudim he world that came out of the “mouth” of Adam TKadmon is called the World of - literally tied together. It has this name because in this world, although it is comprised of 10 Sefirot, they are all tied together in one ”vessel”.

fterwards, the second world called - Aliterally spots, came out of the “eyes” of Adam Kadmon. We call it Nekudim because in this world we start to see the separation of the 10 Sefirot as individual Sefirot. Their separation is expressed by that they are housed in separate vessels. Here in this world is where the “Shvirat HaKeilim” transpired. 23 This was when the vessels of the 7 Sefirot fell from the World of Atzilut down to the World of Beriyah, Yetzirah and Asiyah.

hen comes it’s time for rectification. This is Twhen Hashem elevated the broken vessels back to the worlds of Atzilut. They will now be called the World of Berudim- literally lines. Because in this world the spots became elongated into columns.

As we mentioned, Creation has four levels, or four existential states there or worlds. They correlate to the four letters of the Divine Name YHV”H:

. Atzilut: (Yud). The highest existential state. At 1this level, Hashem manifests throughout all the Creation. If at this state one would perceive Hashem purely as he is. Also, one would perceive that Hashem is contained in everything.

. Beriyah: (Hei). The next lower existential 2state. At this level, there is introduction of entities--spiritual beings that see themselves different than Hashem. The spiritual beings there, perceive Hashem throughout Creation in an incredible amount of G-dly revelation, but there is enough concealment of who Hashem is, therefore, those 24 beings have a sense of self that is different from Hashem.

. Yetzirah: (Vav) The next lower existential state. 3At this level, there are spiritual beings that are also highly elevated and there is a enormous amount of G-dly revelation, but there is more concealment.

. Asiyah: (Hei) The lowest existential state. 4This world, where G-dly revelation is highly and almost completely concealed from us.

Although all receive their lifeline from the Ein Sof, there is a drastic difference between Atzilut and the other lower three worlds. The calls the lower three worlds “The separated worlds of BY”A” because they are separated, so to speak, from the Endless Light. They receive their sustenance from Atzilut through a mask- curtain.

The 10 Sefirot

ne of the first introductions of Kabbalah Ois the setup of the 10 Sefirot. We will concentrate now on the setup of Chochma, Binah, Da'at (abbreviated as ChB”D), Chesed, Gevurah, Tiferet (CG”T), Netzach, Hod, Yesod (NH”Y), 25 and Malchut. Later we will discuss another type of setup of these 10 Sefirot. There are multiple ways of dividing and grouping these 10 Sefirot. One, is separating the 3 first Sefirot abbreviated as ChB”D, from the last 7 Sefirot abbreviated as CHGTNHY”M. The lower 7 are subdivided into two as the 6 Ktzavot (CHGTNH”Y) and Malchut.

The “5 ”.

nother way to divide the 10 Sefirot is called Athe “5 Partzufim”. They are , Abba, Imma, Z”A and Nukva. The Partzufim are intrinsically Sefirot. They are just set up as a system that gives each Partzuf a status of a whole being, whereas, as Sefirot they are just a part of something bigger. For example, Yaakov Avinu can be considered a whole on his own or just part of the 3 Avot. So too, the Sefirah of Chochma is one of the 10 Sefirot, but can also be a full entity in itself when referred to as Partzuf Abba. Included in Partzuf Abba are all 10 Sefirot of Abba.

The Transition From Sefirah to Partzuf

he Sefirot combine to become a Partzuf when Ttheir lights mesh together. The Sefirah of Keter 26 becomes Partzuf Arich. The Sefirah of Chochma becomes Partzuf Abba. The Sefirah of Binah becomes Partzuf Imma. The Sefirot of Chesed, Gevurah, Tiferet, Netzach, Hod, Yesod become the Partzuf of Z”A. The Sefirah of Malchut becomes the Partzuf of Nukva. Z”A and Nukva are called Zv”N together. Our main focus in all of our Kavanot in Avodat Hashem is to cause them to join together.

Our Avodat Hashem

efore we turn the Sefirot into Partzufim, we need Bto draw Mochin into them. The purpose of these Mochin is to remove the impurities that prevent the binding of Z”A and Malchut. Also, these Mochin are what makes the Z”A grow to its adult stage to be ready to bind with the Nukva.

This is parallel to a child that although he has all the limbs of a mature body including his head, he is still not ready to get married because he has only “Mochin of Katnut” loosely translated as immature mental capabilities. When he acquires “Mochin of Gadlut” - mature mental capabilities, he will be ready for marriage. The Z”A grows in a similar way. At the beginning of Shemoneh Esrei it has only “Mochin of Katnut”. During Shemoneh Esrei we draw into it 27 “Mochin of Gadlut” to prepare him for his binding with the Nukva which manifests during the last blessing of Shemoneh Esrei- Sim Shalom.

This takes place on multiple levels. Each world is considered Z”A and Nukva in relation to the world above it. Therefore we draw Mochin into all these levels of Z”A from the worlds above it and cause the Z”A to bind with the Nukva on his level. This causes Z”A and Nukva to generate sustenance for their world and the worlds below them. This is what is meant by “Hashem is one and His name is one”, meaning one in all these levels.

The Z”A and His Parts

he Zohar writes (and this is also obvious Tscientifically in the person), that a person, as well as Z”A, has three parts to his Mochin- brain, the right, the left and the middle. The right part is called Chochma, the left Binah, and the middle Da'at. Z”A is built of 6 Sefirot called Chesed, Gevurah, Tiferet, Netzach, Hod, and Yesod. These are considered to comprise the “body” of Z”A. Chesed is his right hand, Gevurah- his left, Tiferet – his torso, Netzach- his right leg, Hod- his left leg, Yesod- his brit. 28

All these limbs of his “body” include the Keilim- vessels and their respective Orot. However, in his “head” he has the Keilim of Chochma, Binah and Da'at (abbreviated as GA”R which stands for G- three, Rishonot- the first Sefirot), but not the proper Orot, yet only the “Mochin of Katnut”. Through our prayers these Keilim receive their final stage of “Mochin of Gadlut”.

The Different Levels of Z”A and Nukva

here are multiple levels of Zv”N. The first is TZv”N HaKtanim - Minor Zv”N. These are considered more detailed. The next level is the Major Zv”N. These are considered the general Zv”N. When we pray Shacharit we build and rectify the Zv”N HaKtanim of that particular prayer. We draw Mochin to them and prepare them for their binding. We do the same during Mincha and Ma’ariv.

After we accomplished this in all three daily prayers, we have a set of Zv”N that we now have to develop to a higher state called “Zv”N of 24 hours”. After doing this for the entire week we elevate the 29 collective Zv”N of the week through the prayers of Shabbat. This is also a Zv”N of 24 hrs. The higher we reach, the more meaningful the binding is and the stronger and more effective Mochin are created from it.

When we say “Mochin” we mean Keter, Chochma, and Binah. Each one of these three Mochin are subdivided into three groups called ChB”D, ChaG”T and NeH”Y which stand for Chochma, Binah, Da'at, Chesed, Gevurah, Tiferet, Netzach, Hod, Yesod. Hence there is ChB”D of Binah, ChaG”T of Binah and NeH”Y of Binah. The same applies to Keter and Chochma as well.

The Different Levels of Mochin

uring the week we draw the Mochin from DNH”Y of Binah to Z”A. On Shabbat (Friday night) we draw the Mochin of ChaG”T of Binah to Z”A. On Shabbat day at “Nishmat Kol Chai” during Shacharit, we draw the Mochin of ChB”D of Binah to Z”A.

From the blessing of Yotzer Ohr onwards, we start drawing the Mochin from Chochma. We draw the NH”Y of Chochma during the blessing of Yotzer 30 Ohr and Shemoneh Esrei. We draw the ChaG”T of Chochma during the Hazzan’s repetition. We draw the ChB”D of Chochma during Mussaf, and the Keter of Chochma during the Hazzan’s repetition. Therefore, sefard adds the verse “Keter etc. at the start of kedusha of Mussaf.

At Mincha, we begin to draw the Mochin of Keter. During Mincha Shemoneh Esrei we draw the NH”Y of Keter, and during the Hazzan’s repetition we draw the ChaG”T of Keter.

During the week, all the Partzufim are not in their proper original place. They all descended into Galut. This is called Galut HaShechinah. It means that the Nukva of Atzilut, called Shechinah and sometimes called Rachel Immeinu, goes down into the worlds of Beriyah, Yetzirah and Asiyah. This is also the reason that Klal Yisrael is in Galut. Eretz Yisrael represents the World of Atzilut, and Klal Yisrael represents the Shechinah. When the Shechinah is in Galut so too we, her children, are also in Galut.

This is what the verse means when it writes “In your sins, your mother was exiled”. This is also what the Gemara means; “When you were sent to Bavel, the Shechinah was with you”. Similarly the Gemara 31 writes “Wherever you went into exile the Shechinah was with you”. Because the Galut of Klal Yisrael was manifested on all the upper worlds as well.

Just as the Shechinah (Nukva of Atzilut) went into Galut, so too did the upper worlds of ABY”A of Atzilut descend into the worlds of Beriyah, Yetzirah and Asiyah. Comparably, so too these 3 worlds went down into the Klipot. This whole development happens only during the week. On Shabbat they all get re-elevated to their natural state.

There is actually a positive purpose to this Galut. The Gemara says that Klal Yisrael went into Galut to attract Gerim from the nations. Gerim represent the “Sparks of Holiness” that fell into the lower worlds at the “Shattering of the Vessels”, also known as the “Breaking of the Kings”. Klal Yisrael’s spiritual and physical exile exists in order to collect these sparks. The Shechinah and the upper worlds too go into Galut into these lower worlds to collect these sparks.

What Does it Mean to have Kavanot -

ccording to the simple understanding of AKavanah, it means to have intention while doing the (think of impact and what mitzvah 32 your doing). Like the Rabbis say, "Mitzvot need Kavanah". We learn this from offering a sacrifice in the Beit Ha’Mikdash, that if the one offering the sacrifice has the wrong thought, the offering is disqualified. Therefore, we learn that the same is true in prayer, one must meditate and have Kavanot at the time of prayer and doing Mitzvot for it to be accepted. All that is required is simple Kavanah, however the greater the Kavanah, the greater the impact and repairing of the worlds. Thus, fulfilling the Positive Commandment of repairing the internal and external aspects of the Four Worlds: Atzilut, Beriyah, Yetzirah, Asiyah.

How does one increase one’s Kavanah? Simply stated, it involves divesting the soul from the material (meaning raising consciousness from body to soul) and thereby arousing things in the upper realms. This is achieved through , increased awareness of Hashem, character refinement, knowing what repairs are to be done, contemplation and meditation.

33 34 avanot for K Blessings 35 Basic Introduction to the Kavanot for Blessings

ne can reach great heights through reciting Obrachot with the proper Kavanah. With this, one can also draw sustenance from the highest of worlds to all the upper and lower worlds. There are two types of spiritual sustenance [shefa] that we can draw: Life Force of the World: This is considered the external aspect of the worlds. This force does not create anything new, it only supports and keeps the already existing world functioning.

Creation of New Souls: This is considered the internal aspect of the worlds. This force generates renewal and creation in all the worlds.

he ultimate purpose of our blessings are to draw Tthis second type of spiritual sustenance to the worlds. However, before we have the capability to do that we must draw the first type- the “Life force of the worlds”. After that is achieved, then we can draw down the second and more important energy.

How do we do this? By reciting the first words of all blessings: “Boruch Atah Hashem Elokeinu. 36 Afterwards, by reciting the following words “Melech Haolam”, we return this first shefa that we received back to the higher worlds. It is a type of self sacrifice to give back this wonderful shefa to the higher worlds. This gives us the merit and ability to draw down the second type of shefa- the "New Souls".

Finally, by reciting the last words of the blessings, for example shehakol niyhiyeh bidvaro, we draw the shefa of “New Souls” into all of the worlds.

Blessing Classification

It is important to know the blessings being said; and know what place that blessing stands in the Worlds.

peech: Blessings over Mitzvot that depend upon Sspeech are from the internal aspect of Worlds, ction: Blessings over mitzvot that depend upon Aaction are from the external aspect. leasure: Blessings over pleasure are from Beriyah, PYetzirah, Asiyah. Kavanot Concerning [“The Name”]: 37

he Arizal writes, every time you bless, pray and Tmention “The Name”, meditate on including together. For it is pronounced אדני and יהוה Names as is known. Whenever ,יהוה yet written אדני pronouncing the Name- have the following in mind:

The first three letters of the Tetragrammaton enliven .enliven Malchut ה , the last

.אדני Meditate on it becoming a complete Name the ,אדני is ה and that its last ,יהוה Imagine Name Nukva of Zeir Anpin.

Let’s Get Started, Let’s Consciously Pray

e can gain some insight how to pray from Wfood and wine enthusiasts. When they want to feel the taste of the food and experience drinking wine, they let it sit in their mouth. They allow the aromas to ascend up into their nostrils and their brains, so it can be fully appreciated and relished.

The same thing should be done while saying the words of the blessings and prayers. You have to let it “sit in your mouth and be cherished” for these words will be rising to the Throne of Glory, and brought 38 in front of Hashem. The more you put your energy and understanding into the words the more they will be appreciated and relished above. Thus, eliciting an influx of blessings to be returned to the Worlds below.

Therefore, become a prayer enthusiast and connect to the inner meaning [Kavanna] of the word, chew on the words and give your mind time to process it. This what is meant by the term meditate.

Obviously, if one were to do this with all the words of prayer, then one would not finish praying. Do not get discouraged, just keep moving forward at a steady pace--picking up a word here and a word there. Practice. Review the words outside of the time for prayer and let your brain process the words. Prayer is your most secured job [Avoda], as you are hired for life.

Overtime, as you develop “conscious praying”, you will notice your mind recalling the inner meanings faster with less effort; the more you learn about the word, naturally the mind will add depth to your understanding. Therefore, work to understand the inner meanings of words and get familiar with them as you go along. Know, what you are able to master 39 you are gaining.

In close, while working on the Sidur Zichron Dovid there was a feeling that this was a big step forward to bringing closer the Final Redemption. As it is known, the Ba’al Shem Tov, had a spiritual encounter with the Maschiach, and asked him, “when are you coming”? The Maschiach responded, saying “when his [Ba’al Shem Tov] teachings spread throughout the world”. Those teachings include much about praying with Kavannah and Unifications [Yechudim], what we at Mikdash call “Conscious Prayer”, or praying using Jewish Meditation.

urthermore, many Kabbalist throughout the Fgenerations wrote about the importance of praying with Kavanot as a way of bringing the Final Redemption close. There is no doubt that this siddur Zichron Dovid is a big step in making prayer with Jewish Meditation accessible to the vast majority of the Jewish Nation.

inally, with Zichron Dovid, we are one step Fcloser to the ultimate goal and vision: to make “Conscious Prayer” Jewish Meditation, available in the many languages and the different Nusach of prayer of the Jewish Nation. 40

As the Final Redemption draws near, the reality may be, that Jews that are not in the way of the Torah will be left behind. Therefore, it is imperative to pray for our fellow Jews to return to the Path of Torah, so that the entire Jewish Nation will see the coming of the Mashiach and the building of the Final Temple speedily in our days.

Blessings from King David’s Tomb, Mt. Zion, Old City, Jerusalem, Israel,

Look for other publications by mikdash inculding guided Jewish Meditations 41 מיקד״ש מדיטציה יהודית קבלית דרכי שלום דרכי שלום Jewish Kabbalistic Meditation

The Kabalistic Yeshiva Nefesh HaChaim is a pioneer in publishing siddurim and machzorim with the Kavanot of the Arizal specially geared to the beginner. Our siddurim will be Besrat Hashem printed in an unabridged, clear format. They include instructions, introductions, and various customs written in a clear and easy style specified for our day and age. They also feature various prayers, intentions, charts and expanded Roshei Teivot to assist those wishing to enter these gates of wisdom. All this is done with nice fonts and typesettings which facilitate easy reading. Many of those who got used to our siddurim claim they cannot substitute it for any other kind.

Throughout the years we've expanded the repertoire of seforim we publish to incorporate a few types of siddurim, machzorim, tikun chatzot and pamphlets on various subjects. We also plan on publishing B’ezrat Hashem, a Tehilim, seforim on halachot and customs, commentaries on the Arizal's writing and other Kabbalah seforim, Siddurim for women, Seder for Hoshana Raba night, shavuos night, Shvi'i Shel Pesach, books on segulos and personal prayers, a book of songs for Shabbos and festivals, Seder for Chanukas Habayit, Seder for a Brit Yitzchak, and prayers for the illui nashama of the niftarim. “Jewish Kabbalistic Meditation merits encouragement from gedolei Torah ”"דרכי שלום" of our generation and is especially endorsed by Rabbi 42

Yitzchak Goldstein Shlit”a Rosh Yeshiva of Diaspora Yeshiva.

We are presently occupied with publishing our siddur -“Siddur Chen”. Many years of painstaking work was put into it so far. It is a result of much effort of our group that gathers to study the introductions and Kavanot of the Arizal. The siddur incorporates introductions, charts and explanations to ease the understanding of these Kavanot. We are simultaneously working on Ashkenaz, Sefard, and Safardi siddurim, in three languages, Hebrew, English and Spanish.

Is it permitted to translate and why?

Many ask if is it permitted to translate Kabbalah literature into other languages. There are multiple answers to this question. The main response is that the unfortunate situation today is that there are some charlatans out there, many of whom aren't even Jewish, that present themselves as Mekubalim. Unfortunately , many Jews fall prey to them. Therefore anyone with the power to protest has the obligation to do so. He should also publicize as much as possible the correct way to approach these gates of wisdom. He should educate the masses that there is no way to fulfill their desire of attaining this wisdom other than the authentic Jewish way that was passed down for generations. If anyone tries to attain this wisdom elsewhere he will destroy rather than rectify. Therefore, we feel it to be not only permitted but important to translate these seforim of Kabbalah to 43 make our people aware of the aforementioned.

Another reason to translate these seforim is that many observant people throughout the world feel distant from . All their Torah and prayer are done by rote and just to fulfill their basic obligation to feel free to be able to move onto matters they find more interesting. We are confident that if they would taste the sweetness of the wisdom of Kabbalah, or even just some insights into what they are already doing, they would quickly be transformed to serious Ovdei Hashem. As they begin to see and understand how the whole Torah is connected to, and effects the higher worlds, they will get a new realization of what Torah is, and a renewed spirit.

It goes without saying that these projects are costly. Production is not progressing as quickly as it should fitting such a worthy project. We therefore extend our offer to all of Am Yisroel to participate in this tremendously holy project. Please take a generous part in funding the continuation of these important works. These are works of rishonim who are compared to angels. Through helping produce these works one can arouse the zchusim of the Rabbis who brought this profound wisdom down to us. This will also be the cause of elevation to their souls, and in this merit they will pray for us all to receive limitless bounty and blessing, Amen.

44 The best Gift

The Chofetz Chaim wrote in his sefer Ahavas Chesed that there are people who want to do something special in memory of a loved one. Sometimes they make a nice expensive tombstone with golden letters and nice flowers. Some add nice plants and the like and spend a fortune on these items. They think this will cause some pleasure to their departed relative. They are gravely mistaken. If heaven forbid a relative passes on and didn't leave any progeny behind, instead of investing in the above items, they should make an everlasting memory for them with a mitzvah that will endure for generations. If he doesn't have the means for this he should at least donate a Sefer in his memory, for the public to learn from, and write the name of the departed inside. This way whenever someone learns from it it will cause pleasure to the nifter. The Chofetz Chaim concludes that he's seen many do this.

This merit is multiplied many times over if one would dedicate the publishing of a new Siddur like the ones we are working on. This would help many Yidden throughout the world pray to Hashem with the proper kavana and to draw down to the world a spiritual and physical flow of blessings in all areas. This would also bring the geula closer. How meritorious would these sponsors be in this world and the next! They will be among the mezakei harabim that regarding them is written “They are like the stars forever”, for this is a merit that lasts forever. 45

Recomendations From Previous Works