This essay was originally written as an introduction to The Study of the Ten Luminous Emanations one of the most difficult and yet profound kabbalistic texts. Edited by Michael Berg, the goal of this essay was to implore the study of Kabbalah. It was Rav Ashlag s belief that walking a kabbalistic path enabled people to find their true purpose and subsequently enjoy a life of fulfillment.
This book gives insight into one of the greatest kabbalistic thought leaders of all time. The text is deep and complex. One of the most challenging aspects is the tone of urgency. As people were swept up in pain and suffering, Rav Ashlag tried to explain that despite outer events, the Creator is good. Choosing life means challenging the sleepy way most people live. It means forming a connection to God, removing ego and pursuing the spiritual path of Kabbalah. Although written many decades ago, the essays are timeless. The thoughts and messages within this text are what led to the formation of The Kabbalah Centre.
Born in Poland in 1886, Kabbalist Rav Yehuda Ashlag is revered by students of Kabbalah as one of the most profound mystics and spiritual teachers of the 20th Century. Among his many accomplishments was the first-ever translation of the Zohar from its original Aramaic into Hebrew.
Rav Ashlag felt a powerful need to reveal the wisdom of Kabbalah to the masses, which had previously been prohibited. This desire led him to found The Kabbalah Centre in Jerusalem in 1922, making the wisdom widely available for the first time, and thus passing on a legacy that continues to this day through Kabbalah Centre International, its teachers and students worldwide. He was the teacher and spiritual master of Rav Yehuda Brandwein, to whom leadership of The Centre was passed when Rav Ashlag died in 1954. In turn, when Rav Brandwein died in 1969, he designated Kabbalist Rav Berg to lead The Kabbalah Centre.