There are many definitions to this term. Some call Kabbalah the “innermost dimension of Torah.” Others call it the “mystic interpretation of Torah” and a Rabbi once told me that Kabbalah is the “anatomy of the soul.”
So many definitions point to the fact that Kabbalah expresses an indescribable aspect of reality; it studies the ineffable nature of G-d.
Before the 18th century, Kabbalah was a secret system of teachings passed on from generation to generation of rabbinical sages. The central work of Kabbalah is the Zohar, an extensive commentary on the Torah that illuminates the subliminal wisdom of this blessed book.
Fortunately, Kabbalah was made accessible to the common man in the 18th century by Ukranian Rabbi Israel Ben Eliezer, also known as the Baal Shem Tov or “Master of the Good Name.” In addition to the teachings of Kabbalah, the Baal Shem Tov also founded one of today’s most influential groups within Judaism: Hasidism. The Hasidic orthodox philosophy of Judaism emphasizes living the Torah in accordance with the precepts of Kabbalah made accessible by the Zohar. Hasidic Jews are easy to spot because they dress just like the nobility used to dress in 18th Century Eastern Europe. Black coat, black pants, black hat, white long sleeve button down shirt and a long beard; this is the Hasidic dress code.
There are many groups that emerged within the Hasidic movement, the most influential one is known as Chabad. Members of the Chabad family are orthodox Jews and they live a selfless life of working for the unification of the Jewish people. As it is known, World War II displaced many Jewish families all over the world and Chabad was faced with a gigantic challenge: not letting Jews lose their Jewish practices, no matter where they were in the world. The Chabad movement sent many Rabbis with their wives and children as missionaries to live in different parts of the world to serve as the communities' Rabbis and to teach the Kabbalistic interpretation of Torah. The Chabad headquarters is in Brooklyn, NY and today there are thousands of Chabad houses in the planet; Caracas has two Chabad houses.
Sages and scholars of Kabbalah have discovered many hidden truths in the Torah, some regarding the Ein Sof, or the eternal and infinite light that is the real and incomprehensible aspect of G-d. They have also discovered day to day advices hidden within the passages of the Torah. Through Kabbalah, Sages have attributed each of the Torah's 613 mitzvoth to each of the 613 parts of the body, so there is a part of the body for each mitzvah. This is the result of the extensive study of Torah passed on through generations. Kabbalah is the evidence that G-d left many secret messages so people continue to read and study Torah, for an infinity of wisdom is found in this blessed book.
Ps. The most famous Chabad Hasid is reggae singer Matisyahu (picture), and many of his lyrics are Kabbalistic in nature.
